Colchester United made safe passage through to the next round of the Essex Senior Cup on Monday evening, as they beat Bostik Premier side Thurrock 4-1.
The visitors gave the U's a decent test across the course of the ninety minutes, with the home side able to take the game away from their opponents in the final half an hour of the match.
Goals from George Brown, Courtney Senior and Eoin McKeown, along with an own goal, were enough to take the U's into the Fourth Round.
It was the visitors who started the game the stronger and the U's had Dan Wilks to thank for denying Dennis Oli an early goal as the keeper saved with his feet.
The U's had a number of players in the side with real pace and it enabled them to get up the pitch quickly, something which helped break the deadlock on the half hour mark.
The ball was worked out to the right hand side and, when the ball was crossed into the area, the unfortunate James Goode turned into his own net.
There was almost an immediate riposte for the visitors, as Oli again went close. He headed against the post but was flagged offside for that effort, before he was able to tuck home the rebound.
One ahead at the break, the U's doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second half.
George Brown, playing at right wing back, ventured forward and his pace took him away from the chasing Thurrock players, before he lifted a shot high into the net past Oshane Brown.
Thurrock were not out of the game, though, and pulled one back on the hour mark when substitute Joel Nouble planted the ball past Dan Wilks to make the scoreline 2-1.
However, just as the visitors might have built some pressure on the U's defence, the home side quickly made it 3-1.
Courtney Senior showed some fine close control to wriggle past Thurrock's defenders and he clipped his shot home to extend the U's advantage.
And they got a decisive fourth with eighteen minutes to go.
Substitute Eoin McKeown had been on the pitch six minutes, but was quickly involved as he tucked home a cross from Sheriff to seal the win.
The visitors continued to press for further goals of their own, but the U's managed to hold firm and protect their lead to progress to the next stage of the competition.
U's: Wilks, Brown, Sturgess, Diaz Wright, Wilson, Kensdale, Warde (Keys 71), Edge, Sheriff (Allarakhia 84), Issa, Senior (McKeown 66)