In truth, The Yachtsmen never really got to grips in the game, with an unusual lack of potency in the final third – not helped by the bobbly surface underfoot – married with the hosts’ clinical nature in taking the chances that came their way.

Wroxham were without defensive duo Andy Howell and Matt Halliday, with Jordan King and Ben Price taking their places in the starting line up and Danny White taking over the captain’s armband.

The game started in a cagey manner as neither side seemed willing to give their opponents any kind of chance to get a foothold in the game.

Elliot Pride saved well from a Simon King header on five minutes, with Christy Finch testing Andy Walker with a snapshot that the Fleet ‘keeper saved well down to his right.

Remy Gordon then forced Walker into another smart save with his chest after some slick interplay between Steve Taylor, David Hinton and Jamie Forshaw, before Thurrock moved up through the gears up the final moments of the half to eventually take the lead from the spot.

Abs Thompson and Loui Hazelwood were both guilty of missing good chances first, Pride saving well from the latter after Price’s misplaced pass allowed the Thurrock man in, before he then got the better of the Wroxham shot-stopper on the stroke of half time.

A quick break saw Hinton get on the wrong side of Ishmel Demontagnac, the midfielder taking down the Thurrock number six to give the referee no choice but to point to the spot, Hazwelwood stepping up to power home to Pride’s right.

Wroxham came out of the traps flying at the start of the second half, Gordon finding the back of the net 45 seconds in, only for the assistant to raise his flag for an earlier offside.

White then had a superb curling effort from 25 yards that curled just wide of the right hand upright as Wroxham pressed for a way back into the game, with Pride saving from Ross Wall on 73 minutes down the other end.

Hinton then had a fizzer from distance well saved by Walker as Wroxham huffed and puffed for a retort that never came, with Thurrock eventually sealing the win with two goals in the final five minutes.

The first came on 87 minutes as a quick counter attack from Hazlewood played in Wall, the pacy striker bursting into the area before slamming it past Pride and into the back of the net.

And The Fleet added gloss to the victory deep into added time, Mark Onyemah ghosting into the box to find space and slot it past Pride to make it a day to forget for The Yachtsmen and send them to their first defeat in a month.

Stewart Larter’s men will have to dust themselves off quickly as they prepare to host AFC Sudbury on Tuesday night.

Thurrock: Walker, Hazelwood, Waters, Gilman, King, Demontagnac (Farrell 72’), Clark, Goode, Thompson (Onyemah 60’), Wall, Stewart

Subs not used: Warren, Osonowo, Reynolds

Wroxham: Pride, Taylor, Rust, Hinton, Price, King, Garrod (Stone 61’), White, Forshaw (Attree 81’), Finch, Gordon

Subs not used: Lewis

Attendance: 83