Great Wakering Rovers 1-1 Romford

(Easterford 6’, McKenzie 26’)

From Burroughs Park

Ryman North

GREAT Wakering Rovers earned a point against fellow-strugglers Romford, with both coming away from the encounter frustrated at failing to pick up the three points.

John Easterford had put Great Wakering ahead, with the captain taking the lead as he aims to guide Rovers away from the division’s drop zone.

But Chinedu McKenzie levelled the scores 20 minutes later.

And that was how it stayed, despite chances for both sides.

The game started brightly for the home side, with the goal coming after six minutes.

Easterford headed goalbound only for it to deflect off a Romford defender and into the net to give Rovers an early lead.

But Romford started to make inroads and got their rewards when McKenzie hit a speculative overhead kick on the right hand side of the box which looped over Matt Belcher and into the bottom corner.

The forward was proving hot to handle, almost putting Romford ahead before half-time hitting the Rovers bar just after the half hour mark, with the ball bouncing down but not over the line.

The second-half was badly affected by the rain, with neither side able to find the net.

Rovers’ Jake Gordon came closest for the home side only to see his strike kept out, with Belcher pulling off a wonderful reflex save to deny McKenizie’s close range effort to keep Rovers in it late on.

Great Wakering Rovers: Belcher, Ring, Evans, Kee, Easterford, Jude, Fatt, Sackey, Gordon, Butterworth, Nobbs (Daly)