City brought two winless months in Conference South to an end in devastating fashion as Robbie Simpson scored four times in the 6-0 destruction of in-form Thurrock.

Gary Roberts named an unchanged side for the fourth game in succession as the Lilywhites looked to bounce back from Friday’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Hereford and focus on their league form which has suffered as a result of their exploits in that competition.

Thurrock on the other hand came into this game on the back of four wins in their last five outings, their most recent coming at Hayes on Saturday courtesy of Steve Harper’s second half strike. Beaten only once away from home (at Weymouth) all season Colin McBride made three changes from the Church Road starting line-up. The injured Boniek Forbes was replaced by Mark Janney and in addition Steve Heffer and Mark Goodfellow were selected ahead of Gary Cross and Ronnie Fletcher respectively. Recently departed Milton Road crowd favourite Carl Williams made his second start for his new club.

In the opening moments Mark Janney ran purposefully at the City back line which appeared to back off allowing the former Dagenham striker the space to shoot but he dragged his shot narrowly wide of the target.

In truth, that’s as good as it got for the Essex side who proceeded to capitulate in a quite incredible twenty minute spell.

In their first meaningful attack, some seven minutes in, City opened the scoring. Josh Simpson’s lofted through ball found Paul Booth wide on the right, with a customary assured first touch the eleven goal marksman made an angled run towards the corner flag before whipping in a superb cross which found an advancing Robbie Simpson who got between Richard Goddard and Jimmy McFarlane to plant a firm header beyond the stranded Glenn Knight.

With the Thurrock defence way off the pace City utilised the speed of their attacking players to maximum effect. Dale Binns knocked the ball inside his marker, nipped around the outside of the bamboozled defender and still retained possession with room to spare, the wide man’s cross-cum-shot looked destined to land at the feet of Booth only for John Purdie to arrive at the scene first and somehow contrive to poke the ball past the disbelieving Knight.

Within 60 seconds, and with barely a quarter of an hour on the clock it was 3-0. Robbie Simpson’s persistence was rewarded as he chased a lost cause into the corner and won a free kick courtesy of a clumsy David Collis challenge. Craig Dobson delivered a decent ball into the far post where the tall McFarlane rose highest, but inexplicably cushioned a header back across his own six yard box, to compound the error his defensive colleagues stood motionless allowing Robbie Simpson to slide home unchallenged from close range.

Steve Harper provided the visitors with a glimmer of hope when he collected a left wing throw and drew Danny Naisbitt well out of his ground before flashing a shot on the turn across the face of the unguarded City net.

Regrettably for Thurrock that wasn’t the first sign of a revival as things went from bad to worse moments later. Robbie Simpson soared to meet Lee Chaffey’s through ball comfortably outjumping Goddard and angling a superb header into the feet of Booth who raced clear of last man McFarlane. With a fourth goal beckoning the visiting skipper grabbed Booth’s shirt hauling him to the ground. After a brief consultation with his assistant, referee Searle produced the inevitable red card. Mark Molesley touched the resultant free kick to Booth whose drive whistled inches wide of the angle of post and bar.

A defensive reshuffle saw Purdie move inside to partner Goddard and Mark Goodfellow drop in at right back. Unfortunately for the visitors worse was still to come. Another carelessly conceded free kick gave Dale Binns the opportunity to centre from the left, his accurate delivery found the predatory Simpson whose downward header appeared too close to Knight, however, the hapless ‘keeper somehow managed to allow the ball to go underneath him and into the net. Thurrock had now conceded more goals in the opening 24 minutes than they had in all six of their previous away games.

The visitors demoralised defenders continued to press the self-destruct button. Josh Simpson seized on more sloppy work to pick up a loose ball in centre field, drive forward and feed Booth who weaved across the face of the area, made space to shoot beating the statuesque Knight only for his effort to cannon back off the face of the upright.

With City now in training ground mode they carved through Thurrock’s makeshift defence at will. Binns played the ball inside to Molesley who collected a return pass from Booth, glided into the area unopposed only to be denied by Knight who saved well with his legs.

Slick passing between Robbie Simpson and Booth created another chance for Molesley who again found himself with only Knight to beat but the tall stopper again rescued some credibility for his side with a smart parry at full stretch.

The half ended with Molesley playing a slide rule pass into Craig Dobson who made a magnificent overlapping run before delivering a pinpoint far post cross which Booth headed inches wide with Knight all at sea.

With his options limited as a result of the red card Colin McBride made one change at the interval, bringing to a premature end Carl Williams miserable return by introducing Scott Wallis into the action.

City continued to lay siege to the visitors’ goal however and were soon rewarded with a fifth goal. Matt Langston who despite being under employed defensively put in a faultless display linked up with the attack to play a sublime pass inside Collis which Booth collected. The former Welling hit-man skilfully rounded Knight but his shot was cleared off the line only for Robbie Simpson to follow-up and smash the ball home. Four goals for the teenage striker, right foot, left foot and two headers, 5-0 City and nearly forty minutes still remaining.

With the game still less than an hour old five became six. A blistering run down the right flank by Dobson took him clear of the Thurrock back line before he stroked a measured near post cross into the feet of Booth. Changing feet City’s leading scorer wrong-footed both the ‘keeper and tiring defenders before firing clinically into the roof of the net.

Gary Roberts withdrew the four goal Simpson soon afterwards to allow Michael Gash an extended run out.

Within moments of the change City should have netted a seventh. Dobson was again the architect with a scintillating cross field run which allowed Dale Binns to cross over and collect a reverse pass in front of goal with only Knight to beat. Unfortunately for the former Hendon player on a night when practically everything City tried came off, his attempted lob sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Lee Chaffey and Josh Simpson then made way for Lee Wilson and Jamie Southon respectively and as a result of these changes the hosts lost something of their rhythm and momentum.

Thurrock made a double change of their own and substitute Garry Cross ran purposefully at Glen Fuff before seeing his shot balloon off the City skipper and drop narrowly off target. Things were to get no better for the former Chelmsford midfielder however. Making a well timed run into the box he was unmarked and perfectly positioned to meet Collis’s accurate centre only to somehow head the ball into the ground with such force that it reared up and bounced off the crossbar to just about sum up Thurrock’s miserable evening.

City were content to play out the remaining minutes before soaking up the applause of the Milton Road faithful at the end of their most comprehensive home victory in recent memory.