Borough’s five-match unbeaten run came to an end on a controversial evening by the Thames on Tuesday, with referee Mark Basten and one of his assistants, Darren Ragsdell, the twin focuses of outrage for the travelling Harrow fans. Basten dismissed two Harrow players, and manager Edwin Stein, in the 26th minute, and later gave a hugely contentious penalty that finally broke the resolve of the remaining nine men in red.

Akurang headed over for the hosts in the 9th minute, but the game proceeded quietly, in front of a sparse crowd, until Heffer clattered into Kevin McKenna after 23 minutes. McKenna raised his studs in retaliation and, though Borough got the free-kick, McKenna got a yellow card and Heffer went unpunished.

The two players clashed again three minutes later. This time referee Basten decided that a yellow card each was in order so, it being the Harrow skipper’s second yellow, off he had to go. Perry Norman picked up a booking for a push on Heffer in the aftermath, but nothing was too wrong with the officials’ handling at this point. However, assistant referee Ragsdell now intervened. First he insisted on Basten going to the Harrow bench, where he ordered boss Stein to the stands. Then another session of flag-waving summoned the referee to him again. This time Danny Murphy was called over, and given a straight red card, presumably for something he said.

Down to nine men, Borough made a great effort at shutting down the game and reached half-time with little serious alarm in their goalmouth. The second half started in similar pattern until after 54 minutes, the ball deflected onto Osman Hasan’s arm in the Harrow penalty area. The deflection came from no more than four feet away, at speed, and Hasan had no chance whatsoever of getting his arm out of the way. Thurrock supporters were as astounded as anyone when Basten amazingly decided it was deliberate handball. Akurang tucked the penalty past Keita Karamoko and the Borough defiance was broken.

Stuart Elliott’s 30-yard free-kick was saved by Gothard at the foot of the post, but it was Thurrock who scored a second after 64 minutes, Wareham firing in after Karamoko had parried a shot. A curling free-kick by Collis in the 85th minute wrapped up Thurrock’s 3-0 win.

  1 - Paul Gothard
  2 - Michael Basham
  3 - Mark Goodfellow
  4 - David Collis
  5 - John Purdie
  6 - Ross Wareham
  7 - Jeran Meah
   (sub Jason Broom 70)
  8 - Steve Heffer
  9 - Kris Lee
   (sub Lee Allen 60)
10 - Martin Lawrence
   (sub Terry Bowes 45)
11 - Cliff Akurang

  1 - Keita Karamoko
  2 - Osman Hasan
  3 - Danny Murphy
  4 - Ross Fitzsimon
   (sub Robert Charles 70)
  5 - Danny Moore
  6 - Perry Norman
  7 - Steve Dogbe
  8 - Kevin McKenna (c)
  9 - David Ocquaye
   (sub Abdulai Yoki 57)
10 - Fabio Valenti
   (sub Stuart Elliott 36)
11 - Clemente Lopez