East Thurrock 3, Great Wakering Rovers 2 RYMAN ONE NORTH: IF EAST THURROCK are to be crowned Ryman One North champions this year then performances like this will have a lot to do with it, writes JAMES COLASANTI.

Twice they came from a goal down before Ryan Sammons’ sensational run and finish sealed all three points against a very decent Great Wakering outfit.

New Rovers striker Ross Wall gave them a ninth-minute lead before goal-machine Kris Newby equalised.

Dan Trenkel’s improvised finish put his side back in front but Max Cornhill’s close range effort levelled things up before Sammons hit the winner, much to the delight of the majority of the 193 crowd at a windswept Rookery Hill.

Rocks thought they should have had a first-minute penalty when Newby went down under a challenge from Trenkel, but the ref waved play on.

And the visitors made the most of the reprieve when Joe Gardner played in Wall and he beat the advancing Richard Wray to give his side the lead.

Rocks were dominating but had to wait until the 18th minute to test visiting keeper Louis Godwin-Green as Joe Keith shot into his arms from a slight angle.

But minutes later Keith’s surging run and cross caused mayhem in the Rovers penalty box and Newby had two shots blocked before crashing his third attempt into the roof of the net for his 20th of the season.

And they almost took the lead in strange circumstances when Newby swung in a cross and Rovers’ centre-back Lewis Sparrow crashed a misjudged clearance against the bar.

And when Keith curled a free-kick just wide it looked like it would be when, not if, Rocks would take the lead.

But it was Rovers who got their noses back in front when Rocks failed to deal with a Gardner free-kick into the box and Dan Trenkel hooked the loose ball over his head and into the top corner.

It should have been 2-2 at the interval but Max Cornhill somehow managed to slice wide with the goal at his mercy.

But they did level soon after the re-start following a fantastic bit of approach from the Rocks which ended with Newby crossing for Cornhill to slide the ball home from close range.

And they hit the winner with 20 minutes to go when debutant Piers Wixon spread the ball out to Sammons and he was given time and space to slalom into the penalty area before drilling a low shot inside the post.

Rovers almost levelled immediately as Marc Gorbell’s header from a Gardner cross tested Wray.

And Rocks should have been wrapped it up three minutes from time when Stanley Moguo played in Ruel, but he lobbed a shot over the advancing keeper and bar.

But it mattered not and Rocks kept possession to claim a win which saw them move five points clear of second-placed Needham Market.

East Thurrock (4-4-2): Wray; Sammons (Mead 90), Keith, Wood, Sheehan; Moguo, Newby, Cornhill, Gilbey; Ruel, Wixon.

Great Wakering (3-5-2): Godwin-Green; Gorbell, Sparrow, Heffer; Khory-Davinson, Carlisle, Bradley, Trenkel, Gardner; Hawkins (Pethers 73), Wall.

Star man: Kris Newby (East Thurrock)