Essex Senior League
Venue: Burroughs Park
Attendance: 78
2017-18 Season – Match 63
Saturday 14th April 2018 – 3pm KO
Great Wakering: Green & White Striped Shirts, White Shorts and Green & White Socks
Wadham Lodge: White Shirts, Red Shorts, White Socks
Report by Scott W (Twitter: @ScottMHC14)
With photos by Peter Dudley (Twitter: @ped1980)
On a lovely blue-sky day at Burroughs Park, league leaders Great Wakering welcomed relegation-battlers Wadham Lodge in an interesting encounter that had ramifications for both ends of the table. Wakering named a front three of Nathan Dewberry, Neil Richmond and Jay Nash with Aaron Waters partnering Scott Pethers in the heart of the defence. For Wadham, goalkeeper issues meant assistant boss Dwayne Uylett had to go in goal, and veteran forward Sherwin Stanley once again led the line, with support from Danny Francis and Abdoulie Njai.
The match began at a fair pace, and Wakering broke the deadlock after only three minutes when Neil Richmond sent a lovely strike with the outside of his right foot past stand-in keeper Dwayne Uylett from inside the area. Wakering kept their foot on the pedal too though a good tackle by full-back Ashley Bankole denied winger Billy Johnson a good sight of goal in the box. The hosts were quite wasteful finishing-wise as within a few minutes of each other, Ricky Evans, Jay Nash and Nathan Dewberry all took long-range shots to try and catch out Uylett but couldn’t find the target.
With 21 minutes on the clock, Nash’s goal-bound effort was well-kept out by Uylett though Richmond’s follow-up strike was denied for an off-side. The Wadham stopper also did well to deny Dewberry’s drive on the half-hour. Wadham looked OK goibg forward on the rare occasion they pushed forward and midfielder Brandon Kelly fired a shot from distance wide of the post. Wakering finally doubled their lead a minute before the break as Billy Johnson unleashed a 20-yard pile-driver which fizzed high into the back of Uylett’s net.
Half-Time: Great Wakering Rovers 2 – 0 Wadham Lodge
As the second half began, the visitors deserve credit for ‘giving it a go’ as two efforts from attacker Abdoulie Njai couldn’t beat home custodian Louis Hawes though it was a warning. For the most part, the Wakering back-line was quite untroubled though at times they did drop their intensity going forward. The over-worked Wadham defence was breached again with twenty minutes remaining as Richmond’s delivery found Dewberry who gratefully secured a tap-in from point-blank range.
However, Wadham rallied on 76 minutes as following a poor challenge on the edge of the area by stand-in defender Ricky Evans, Danny Francis netted the resulting free-kick past Hawes. Any lingering doubt over the destination of the points here was soon snuffed out though five minutes later as Wakering substitute Bayley Newell kept his composure to lob over two Wadham defenders into the net.
Full-Time: Great Wakering Rovers 4 – 1 Wadham Lodge
All in all, a job well done today for the hosts who maintained their recent imperious form yet didn’t really have to reach top gear in order to get the win. Wadham remain in a precarious position in the bottom two, five points from safety but with six matches to play. Wakering move five points clear of stuttering Redbridge who are 2nd and only need three more wins to secure the title.
Teams
Great Wakering Rovers | Manager: Iain O’Connell
Louis Hawes (GK), Jason Ring, Danny Hurford, Scott Pethers (Capt), Aaron Waters (Aaron Russell 64′), Sam Carter, Billy Johnson, Ricky Evans, Nathan Dewberry, Neil Richmond (Bayley Newell 77′), Jay Nash (Chris Bryan 71′)
Goal-scorers: Neil Richmond [3′], Billy Johnson [44′], Nathan Dewberry [70′], Bayley Newell [81′]
Booked: Evans | Subs Not Used: Dopson, Froud
Wadham Lodge | Manager: Jason Ngandu
Dwayne Uylett (GK), Nathan Joseph, Ashley Bankole, Terry Foxe, Chris Gormley, Brandon Kelly (Nathan Muskitta 71′), Kieran Southgate, Paul Oshin, Sherwin Stanley (Rujorn Tuitt 79′), Danny Francis, Abdoulie Njai (Cory Rider 88′)
Goal-scorer: Danny Francis [76′]
Booked: None | Subs Not Used: Tanimowo, Ngandu
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