FA trophy 2nd QR match report, home v Royston Town via Thurrock Gazette.

By Maurice Richmond

Tilbury 4-2 Royston Town

From Chadfields

FA Trophy second qualifying round

A DOUBLE from Emiel Aiken helped Tibury to beat Royston Town 4-2 and progress to the final qualifying round of the FA Trophy.
The victory sees the Dockers extend an impressive 13-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, stretching back to September 22.
Both sides had to contend with treacherous conditions at Chadfields, the pitch passing a pre-match inspection despite areas in midfield showing standing water.
However goals from Aiken, Danny Glozier and Conor Mead provided Tilbury with their reward for a difficult afternoon’s work against the Evo-Stik Division One Central side from Hertfordshire.
The Dockers put Royston under immediate pressure from the kick-off when striker Neil Richmond went scampering away in the left channel, only to be bought down as he reached the box by Royston skipper Liam McDevitt.
Left back Glozier stepped up and slotted the penalty home hard to the keeper’s right to make it 1-0 to Tilbury inside 60 seconds
Royston looked to reply with pacy left winger Rhys Hoenes looking their most dangerous threat, but the Tilbury goal was largely untested in the early stages.
The home side doubled their lead 15 minutes later as Aiken cut inside his man on the right side before cutting inside to curl home a fine left footed shot into the bottom corner from 15 yards
A Luke Robins header was dealt with comfortably by Tilbury stopper Clarke Bogard, on loan from West Ham.
However Royston pulled a goal back on 28 minutes when striker Luke Robins netted his 17th goal of the season.
Jack Carlile’s loose pass was seized by Royston midfielder Erkan Okay, who fed striker Ryan Ingrey. His shot was well saved by Bogard, but Robins followed up to slot the ball home.
The Dockers soon regained their two goal advantage just before half-time.
An innocuous cross from right back Conor Mead was spilled into his own goal by opposing keeper Ron Yates on 42 minutes.
Tilbury spurned a golden opportunity to add a fourth just moments later, an unmarked Richmond headed wide strike partner Tony Martin’s cross from inside the six yard box.
Royston’s half-time team talk very nearly worked when Hoenes broke the offside trap, only to be denied by a superb covering tackle from Tilbury’s Jake Pooley just as he was about to pull the trigger.
However the home side pressed for a fourth, and Royston keeper Yates atoned for his earlier error with a fine stop to deny Kurt Smith’s snap shot just before the hour.
Royston struggled to create any clear cut chances in the second half, as The Dockers’ central defender and assistant manager Danny Smith impressively marshalled Tilbury’s defence in his 200th appearance for the club.
Tilbury got their fourth of the match to kill the game on 65 minutes with Aiken netting his second of the match and his eighth goal of the season.
It came after Martin broke through the middle feeding fine through ball to Richmond whose shot bought a good save from Yates in the Royston goal.
Aiken was on hand to tap in the rebound.
Tilbury held firm for the last 20 minutes of the game, but Royston managed to grab a consolation to net from a corner.   

Tilbury: Bogard, Mead, Glozier, Smith, Pooley, Game, Aiken, Carlile, Richmond, Martin (Elsom), Smith (Babalola)

Royston: Yates, May (Scott-Morriss), Watters, Bradshaw, Powell (De La Salle), McDevitt, Towner, Okay, Ingrey, Robins (Mason), Hoenes