FORCED to play over 55 minutes of the game with 10 men, VCD won a six-goal thriller 4-2 against high-flying East Thurrock.

In what was a thoroughly entertaining game of football, VCD returned to winning ways against the second placed Rocks with a skilful and determined display against all odds.

Being forced to field a 17-year-old substitute after only a minute of play due to an ankle injury to Chris Tedder, and then losing influential captain Danny Penny after only 39 minutes, made this result all the more remarkable.

The Vickers looked in determined mood straight from the kick-off and a neutral would have said it was the hoops who were second and the Rocks who were fifth bottom rather than the other way around.

With chances falling to new signing Nugent, Maskell and Hegley the breakthrough came from another Vickers attack that saw Maskell drive the ball from 25 yards and the fierce strike took a deflection and wrong footed the keeper to find the back of the net.

Captain Danny Penny had picked up a yellow for a late challenge on the Rocks keeper and following lengthy treatment it could be argued the challenge had unsettled the keeper as he dropped a clanger for the 2nd Vickers goal.

From a Winchcombe free kick the keeper came to collect but the ball slipped through his hands allowing Gary Cook to poke home from 2 yards out.

At the other end the Rocks claimed a penalty for a foul by keeper James Tedder on Higgins but the referee waved away claims.

East Thurrock played a direct game which caused very few problems for the Vickers who played a quick passing game that caused the Rocks defence problems all night.

Then came the big turning point on 39 minutes as Penny handled the ball in the Rocks' box for no apparent reason and the referee gave the player his second yellow.

The 1st half was seen off without much trouble but the opening 15 minutes of the second saw an inevitable onslaught from the Rocks who sensed they could turn the defecit in their favour.

The Vickers struggled without Penny who had been at the heart of all of the good passing moves in the first half and sure enough on 60 mins East Thurrock pulled one back as Mitchell and Cook were caught out by a flick and Higgins slotted home.

East Thurrock laid seige by sending cross after cross into the box but the Vickers defence held firm in the face of some serious pressure to keep the score at 2-1.

The game developed into one way traffic as the Hoops battled away but with a long ball played over the Rocks defence by Winchcombe the centre half hesitated to allow Nick Hegley in to round the keeper and somehow slot the ball home from an impossible angle.

The Hoops began to get a grip of the game once more and with Hogg and Maskell looking in good form they began to create chances once more.

The goal of the game came with 10 minutes to go as Barton fed Hegley who played a smart one two with Huggins and outpacing the centre half the Vickers top scorer sent a 30 yard screamer into the top corner to virtually seal the 3 points.

The Rocks scored a consolation goal with a minute to play as a deep cross was met by the dangerous Higgins and the ball just bounced off the post and over the line.

The advert on the Vickers website promised a feast of football and it proved to be the case with six goals, a sending off and a goal of the season contender.