Merthyr Town 1-1 East Thurrock
From Penydarren Park
FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
KRIS Newby scored a crucial equaliser to keep East Thurrock United’s FA Trophy dream alive in south Wales.
The winger, who suffered a dislocated elbow in the FA Cup in September and only returned in the last fortnight, buried an equaliser against Merthyr Town.
Rocks manager John Coventry told the Echo last week that the 220-mile journey to south Wales was not the ideal preparation for his side, but they remained favourites against a team playing a level below.
But it was the Welsh side that made the brighter start, forcing goalkeeper Lukas Lidakevicius into several crucial saves although it was goal-less at the break.
However, two minutes after the interval, Merthyr made the breakthrough.
Gethin Jones got the goal, volleying past the goalkeeper, and that looked as though it would be enough to secure their progress in the competition.
Coventry brought Newby off the substitute’s bench and within five minutes he had made his impact, grabbing the leveller with a header from a Tom Wraight cross.
Hotshot Sam Higgins made his much anticipated return in the closing stages but he couldn’t get the goal Rocks needed to secure their passage, with the two doing it all again on Tuesday.
East Thurrock: Lidakevicius, Sammons, Miller, Wood, Hayles (Higgins), Robson, Smith, Craddock, Ruel, Gilbey (Newby), Wraight
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