JAY Nash’s hat-trick saw Great Wakering win a thrilling top-of-the-table match against Enfield.

Rovers started positively and after five minutes took the lead when keeper Bert Greenwood spilled a Danny Heale cross straight to Nash, who had the easy task of scoring into an open goal.

Eight minutes later it became 2-0 when David Collins sent Heale down the left and the forward showed a great touch to put Nash through, and he hit the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

A shell-shocked Enfield settled down and only Jake Gibson’s goal-line clearance kept Aaron Cato from scoring in the 21st minute.

Tom Hopkins should have scored in the 28th minute when Shaun Giddon’s corner fell to him just inches from goal, but somehow his effort went over.

Two minutes before half time poor defending gave Enfield a foothold in the game.

Nathan Fletcher let the long ball bounce over him without realising Neil Hughes was waiting to make a run.

Gibson, Max Kent and Lewis Sparrow backed off too much from the striker, who rifled home an edge of the area shot.

Enfield started the second half brightly and got a deserved equaliser with a wonderful goal when Cato hit a thunderous shot just inside the area which left Louis Godwin-Green no chance.

The visitors kept dominating until the 73rd minute when referee Rhys Battye gave a very soft penalty to Rovers, saying Hopkins had climbed over a home player in the area.

Substitute Jimmy Webb calmly hit the spot kick to Greenwood’s left.

Nash completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute when a deft touch by Heale set the midfielder racing through before he chipped over Greenwood.

Rovers’ player-manager Dan Trenkel said: “The first 15 minutes we were unplayable. It was the best we’ve played all season.

“It was nice that after dropping our standard in the first half that we picked up again and we were unplayable in the last 20 minutes.”

Great Wakering: Godwin-Green, Gibson, Kent, Benjamin (Trenkel 63), Sparrow, Fletcher, Levett, Nash (Gardner 85), Heale, Williams (Webb 59), Collins.

Echo MOM: Danny Heale (Great Wakering Rovers).

* Elsewhere in the division, Southend Manor enjoyed a 1-0 win at Barkingside, courtesy of a 78th minute striker from former Canvey Island player Eddie Hart.

But Basildon United came back to eart with a bump following their win against Hullbridge, as they went down 5-0 at Takeley, for whom Anton Collins scored a hat-trick.

Hullbridge Sports' trip to Eton Manor, and Bowers & Pitsea's game at Haringey & Waltham Development, were both postponed.