Hampton and Richmond endured another frustrating afternoon at The Beveree this Saturday as they failed to see off Thurrock and register their first home league of the season despite the visitors playing the final 30 minutes with only 10 men.

Reiss Gilbey had given Thurrock a 45th minute lead but the Beavers grabbed a deserved point through defender Orlando Jeffrey early in the second half and had the chances to claim victory before the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Dev made one change to the team that had sunk Bath the previous week with Stuart Lake recalled to midfield in place of Pat Damali but it was the visitors who started the better threatening the home goal after only 26 seconds with Matt Bodkin’s looping shot easily plunked out the air by Matt Lovett.

Lovett needed to be at his very best seven minutes later when a 25-yard rocket from Matt Paine seemed destined for the top corner, until the shot-stopper managed to get across and expertly tip the ball over at the expense of a corner.

In a lacklustre opening half, what little football there was came from the away team, riding high in the table on the back of an unbeaten start, as Hampton failed to create any chances in what can only be classed a disappointing first half performance.

Hampton best route of attack was with early balls over the back of the Thurrock back line, although all too often mis-hit passes and the offside flag halted any progress. Devoid of ideas they had to wait until the 44th minute for their real first shot of the match, but Barrie Matthews was unable to hit the target from the edge of the box following a long Jon McDonald throw.

Just as Dev would have been preparing his half time team talk, things took a turn for the worse as Thurrock scored with the last attack of the half. Poor marking in the home area allowed Gilbey, the smallest man on the field, to arrive unmarked at the far post and head in a right-wing cross giving Lovett no chance.

Into the second half and it was evident from the very first whistle that the home faithful would see a different Hampton team. There was more urgency, purpose and creativity about their play as they dominated the second half from the outset and it came as no surprise when an equaliser arrived soon after the restart.

Jon McDonald was the provider in the 53rd minute with a monster throw-in from the left which was met by the imposing figure of stand-in skipper Jeffrey to crash a free header into the back of the net and bring parity to the scoreboard.

Buoyed by the goal the Beavers pushed forward with Stuart Lake almost getting on the end of a Matthews’ cross before the referee was left with no choice but to reduce the visitors to ten men in the 64th minute. Lake again was the danger man, chasing a Craig Tanner through ball, before Thurrock keeper Joe Wooley came marginally outside his area to handle, earning a straight red for a professional foul.

Thurrock shuffled their pack, and bought on their substitute keeper Adam Rafis for their goal scorer Gilbey, although Matthews was unable to test the new keeper when his free kick from the edge of the box took a deflected of the defensive wall and flew well over.

Despite being a man down it was Thurrock who had the next goal scoring chance, with only a Marcello Fernandes sliding challenge preventing a sure fire goal in the 66th minute. However with the extra man Hampton looked the likelier of the two sides and laid siege to the Thurrock goal as they went in search of the winning goal.

Fernandes was unlucky when one marauding run from his right back slot ended in a goal-bound shot being cleared by a covering defender, and another shot-cum-cross by him almost found its way to Lake and Yaku at the far-post. Another Hampton attack saw Craig Dundas take a tumble in the area, and despite the home team pleas for a penalty the referee correctly ruled play on.

Ian Hodges was thrown into the fray in the 77th minute as Dev sacrificed Franny Quarm in midfield for an extra striker, and he almost made an immediate difference only seconds later. Finding space down the left his dangerous cross was well handled by Rafis in goal as Yaku waited to pounce.

The tiring Yaku was replaced by Dave Tarpey with ten minutes left, but despite late pressure on the Thurrock goal, the visitors were able to see out the final frantic minutes as the game finished 1-1.

While Dev would undoubtedly see this as two points dropped, the result extends Hampton’s unbeaten run to four, and they sit in 11th place in the league with eight points from six games, six points off early pace-setters Dover.