GREAT WAKERING V TILBURY

RUNDOWN: Great Wakering are yet to hit top gear in the league this season, despite a number of encouraging performances.

Wakering earned their first point of the season with an excellent draw at Bury Town but manager Gary Ansell is targeting the home matches as one to exploit.

Tilbury visit this afternoon and Wakering will be keen to repeat their performance in the fixture last season, which saw them win 1-0 against a Tilbury side on fire.

The Dockers earned their first win of the season on Saturday, beating Dereham Town 2-1.

WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY?

Great Wakering took their first points of the season with a draw at Bury Town, but may come away thinking they should have taken more from the encounter.

It was a tough ask on paper, with Bury dominating previous meetings but Rovers put in an assured display.

Billy Johnson sent a header off target early on, with Ollie Canfer also off target with his head soon after.

Sam Reed was denied by a sliding Matt Belcher as the pressure intensified, and when Canfer hit the foot of the post it appeared the breakthrough was forthcoming.

And it did five minutes before half-time, as Bradley Barber’s free-kick beat the Rovers wall and nestled into the corner.

Rovers came out fighting after the break and deservedly drew level 10 minutes into the second period, Tony Jacobs shooting low past the goalkeeper.

It was Neil O’Sullivan in the Bury goal who had the busier half, with several fine saves. He did brilliantly to push Nick Hilder’s effort over, and Johnson was equally frustrated as his header was kept out superbly.

Malaki Toussaint could have won the game in the final 10 minutes, but his effort was tame and straight at the goalkeeper.