Thurrock provided the first FA Cup shock of the first round weekend, holding Luton to a 1-1 draw at Ship Lane.
The Ryman League side came back from a goal down and will wonder how they didn't go into the second round after a succession of chances which were squandered.
Thurrock started off brightly having a free-kick on goal from just outside the area by Terry Bowes saved easily by Luton keeper Marlon Beresford.
On nine minutes David Lee, on loan from Brighton, latched on to a headed clearance by Luton's Chris Coyne on the edge of the box, but his superb volley was deflected past the post for a corner.
On 20 minutes Bowes gave away a handball 20 yards out and the resultant curling free-kick from Matt Spring was taken by Paul Gothard in the Thurrock goal.
Four minutes later Thurrock's John Purdie put through Tresor Kandol, whose weak shot was saved easily by Beresford.
Cliff Akurang, much to the home crowd's delight, headed into the Luton net on 31 minutes, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The visitors then had their best chance on 39 minutes when Sol Davis' free-kick was headed goalward by Coyne and he forced another fingertip save from Gothard.
The resultant short corner was whipped in by Spring, and bundled in by Emmerson Boyce at the near post to put the Hatters undeservedly ahead.
Thurrock clicked into gear again after the break and on 55 minutes Akurang, a former Luton trainee, was stopped in his tracks by a cynical challenge from Coyne.
Dave Collis' free-kick nearly put the watching Thurrock faithful into raptures, but the celebrations were muted after the ball hit the sidenetting.
On the hour mark Thurrock had a better chance when Steve Heffer put through Kandol, who had a clear run at goal only to shoot straight into the arms of the alert Beresford.
The non-leaguers finally got the equaliser they deserved on 80 minutes when Mark Goodfellow played in substitute Paul Linger who found man-of-the-match Bowes in the box.
He latched on to the ball with a sweetly-struck left-foot cross-shot past Beresford to send this small corner of Essex home happy.