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Rocks regret missed chances

From the archive, first published Saturday 22nd Sep 2007.

East Thurrock United 0, Carshalton 1

A CATALOGUE of missed chances proved costly for East Thurrock, leaving boss Lee Patterson ruing his luck.

The manager introduced a new goalkeeper in ex Thurrock stopper Shane Gore and took the brave decision to drop striker Steve West.

Gore had little to do while West watched on as his team-mates missed chance after chance, though he too proved profligate when introduced to the fray.

This was a Ryman Premier League clash that Rocks should have had sewn up by half time.

Their visitors barely gave Gore cause for concern and his only real job was to deal with a number of overhit balls forward.

The open 15 minutes was played at breakneck pace but once the initial impetus was taken out of the game, Rocks settled to their task and created a series of chances.

One of the best came on 17 minutes when Jamie Richards beat the offside trap but with only keeper Aaron Howe to beat he lost his nerve and fired straight at the grateful Carshalton man.

Howe was soon back in action, saving again from Richards and then keeping out Max Cornhill's 30th minute header.

Dave Collis combined with Richards to set up another opening from a free kick but that too was wasted, as was a 40th minute header by Danny Harris from Lee Burns' cross.

In between Carshalton almost put through their own net when Howe did well to scramble away Simon Cooper's misplaced defensive header.

The second half started very much like the first, with Harris volleying wide but when Carshalton got their first real chance of the match, on 54 minutes, Phil Ruggles showed the home side how to finish with a fine strike.

That prompted Patterson to change things and he introduced West for Keith Martin, and he almost immediately put an effort just wide of the post.

Lee Williams also came off the bench to continue the frustrating run of misses when he fluffed a headed opportunity at the far post.

In the frantic closing minutes Ashley Dumas also went close with a shot that Howe pushed over at the expense of a corner, though the final word was almost with Carshalton but Jack Macleod appeared to have caught something from his Rocks counterparts, volleying over in front of an open goal.

"It was so frustrating," said Patterson afterwards. "We should have had the game well won by half time. Shane came in and didn't have anything to do and up front we did everything but score.

"We just have to put the result behind us and grin and bear it, though it's very difficult to see so many chances go begging. Hopefully, on another day things will go right and we will get a hatful."

The chance to do so comes fairly quickly as Rocks entertain high-flying Horsham on Tuesday.

Next Saturday they have a rearranged league match at Hastings.