DAN Trenkel says he cannot believe the extraordinary bad luck which has essentially condemned his Great Wakering side to relegation over the Easter weekend.

A goalkeeper scoring a crucial goal, a 90th-minute handball winner, a match being moved to another ground, and shock back-to-back wins for their rivals have left Rovers rock bottom of the Ryman One North table and facing up to life in next season’s Essex Senior League.

“It’s unbelievable the way it all worked out,” said Rovers player-manager Trenkel.

“The handball winner for Tilbury was the last straw really, because effectively that has sent us down.

“This season I have had the highest high with the FA Cup run with Redbridge, and now the lowest low with what’s happened here.

“I’m fed up of other managers telling me how unlucky we have been.

“But at the end of the day it’s a results business, and we have not got the results we needed.”

The 2-1 defeat to Tilbury on Monday came courtesy of a last-minute winner from Emiel Aiken, who used his hand to “bat” the ball into the net.

Trenkel said: “The ref must have been the only person who did not see it.

“Even the player himself was trying to apologise to our goalkeeper and said he did not mean to do it. That’s how clear-cut it was.”

Trenkel and striker Billy Johnson were booked and defender Nick Skelton was sent off for disputing the decision.

To compound Rovers’ misery they also hit the woodwork twice and had great a penalty shout turned down in a game they could easily have won.

Wakering’s misfortune started on Friday when fellow strugglers Ilford claimed a 1-0 win at home to mid-table Potters Bar Town.

The result was made all the more harder to take by the fact the winner was scored by Ilford goalie Rob Bubb — from a free-kick in his own penalty area with 15 minutes to go.

And while that was happening Rovers were slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Redbridge, while the third relegation candidate Ware were winning 2-1 win at Thamesmead.

That all set up the prospect of a dramatic Easter Monday with the bottom three all facing very tough looking matches.

Aiken’s controversial winner settled the match at Burroughs Park, while Ware climbed off the foot of the table with a shock 1-0 win in their derby with Harlow.

And probably the final nail in Wakering’s coffin came with a 3-1 win for Ilford away to a much–fancied Brentwood Town side.

Ilford’s chances were boosted with the decision to hold the match — technically a home one for Brentwood — at Redbridge’s Oakside ground because of a problem with Brentwood’s own ground.

And when the dust settled on Rovers’ horrible weekend they were at the foot of the table and eight points adrift of safety with just three games to play.

Trenkel admits he is now starting to contemplate life in the lower division.

He said: “I said to the team after the defeat to Tilbury that the next three games could be their last three games for Wakering, so they should make them good ones and show that we are not as bad as the league table suggests.

“I’ve started to think about life in the Essex Senior League now. I think a few of our players will leave over the summer but I think there are 13 or 14 players who could stay.

“And with the team I’ve got now I think we will win that league.

“So hopefully it will be a one-year thing and it will be a case of taking one step backwards so we can take a couple forward.”