The Lilywhites and the Dockers played out an entertaining fixture in the dwindling sunshine at Chadfields on Saturday afternoon. Both teams went into the match in good form, Tilbury just one defeat in seven while Cambridge City were unbeaten in nine.
![Alex Warman closing in on goal - Photo - Ben Saich](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/afb8e8_84cac082b92342cd84fada81d4573f57~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/afb8e8_84cac082b92342cd84fada81d4573f57~mv2.jpg)
With the match passing an early 9am pitch inspection (the pitch had sand in some places) the game kicked off with City taking the option to kick off.
After a tight and scrappy start, it was City's Alex Warman who had the first big chance, wondering into the penalty area after Jack Thompson laid him through, his effort rolling wide.
Three minutes later, Ramiah Mills hobbled off the pitch with an injury, being replaced by Samrai Gebrai who would go on to prove to be a difficult challenge for the Tilbury defence.
It was then Tilbury's turn to attack, with Daniel Trendall coming through on the right on 14 minutes to force the first corner of the game, which eventually led to nothing.
The teams continued the tit for tat for the next 20 minutes, which culminated in chances for both sides, Tilbury had a freekick safely headed away by Jamie Dicks and for City Correy Davidson and Thompson both sniffing out chances after a promising run from the aformentioned Gebrai, neither opportunity had goals in them though.
Warman then had another chance with 37 minutes on the clock which the Tilbury defence blocked well, with George Marsh flapping at the resulting corner, two minutes after Tilbury's Trendall had an effort of his own that flew wide of the post.
Cameron Brodie then picked up his fifth booking of the season after a cynical challenge which was then followed by a freekick which Warmen curled wide during the injury time period.
There was one more chance at the end of the half; it fell to Tilbury's Alex Hernandez who first won a corner, then volleyed from twelve yards from the corner after springing free from the City defence.
The second half continued in a similar vein with George Smith shooting wide in the 53rd minute, and then four minutes later, the City man headed down to Davidson, the no.7 having to take the ball wide, preventing him from hitting the target.
Cambridge City had the most of the play in the early parts of the second half, and it was starting to show, Davidson had two chances in the space of four minutes. The first one he strode into the box but hit the ball wide, the second one, however, was more awkward; what looked like a cross soon turned into a shot which Marsh in the Tilbury goalmouth managed to palm onto the crossbar.
Smith was then left alone when he was put through. Beating the offside trap, his effort was blocked by the goalkeeper. Marsh coming to Tilbury's rescue once again. The resulting corner lead to Davidson shooting high and wide.
But Marsh wasn't able to keep up the clean sheet for too much longer, after a corner, which came in from the left, Smith latched onto the ball and, although his original header was touched by the Tilbury goalkeeper, Marsh couldn't prevent himself from bundling the ball over the line. George Smith claimed the goal, but it certainly looked like it could be given to Marsh as an own goal.
Seven minutes later, Tilbury substitute Alfie Fry got free and crossed into the penalty area, but James Philp, who had a relativly comfrotable afternoon, caught the cross with ease.
Tilbury then had a couple of corners in the space of eleven minutes, Olly Sotoyinbo won the first one, but it lead to nothing, whereas the second one got Tilbury the equaliser. The corner from the right left Hernandez with a free header to get the leveller and Tilbury's 40th goal of the season, the assist coming from former Lilywhite Sam Bantick. Hernandez scoring against Cambridge City for the second time this season.
Fry then thought he had given Tilbury the lead, only for the ball to be cleared away from the forthcoming goal-mouth scramble.
Then, two minutes from time, substitute Kieran Jones forced Philp into a spectacular save, atheletically tipping the goalbound strike around the right hand corner of the post.
Right towards the end, a Tilbury strike deflected off another player in the box, which very nearly wrongfooted Philp, but the goalkeeper recovered well to keep the scores level.
Soon afterwards the full time whistle blew, 1-1 being the final score leaving Tilbury unable to add to their eight home wins this season. Meanwhile, Jamie Cureton's side's push for the playoffs suffered a slight blow despite stretching their unbeaten run to ten games.
Report by
Connor Taylor-Creek
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