Great Wakering Rovers 0-2 Cray Wanderers

A BIG home crowd was unable to inspire Great Wakering Rovers to victory against bottom-of-the-table Cray Wanderers.

Rovers started the game above Cray only on goal difference but they now prop up the Ryman North after a difficult afternoon against the Kent side, in which a goal in each half put paid to Rovers’ hopes of a first home win of the campaign.

Goals from Adrian Stone and Dan Stubbs scored the decisive goals for the visitors.

Rovers started the game quickly, just as they had in the week when they scored after 29 seconds, and could have taken the lead after five minutes. A corner was swung in and John Bradley sent his effort off the crossbar before the ball was cleared.

Cray, who started the day bottom of the league, were struggling to get out of their half and Tony Jacobs had the next chance, beating the offside trap only to be denied by Darren Behcet.

Cray grew into the match and they scored with their first real chance. A corner was swung in and, under pressure, Sam Baxter could only direct the ball up into the air. When it dropped Adrian Stone was able to head through a crowded penalty box and into the net.

A period of Cray pressure followed, without Baxter being tested in the Rovers goal although Tom Strickland and Bradley had half-chances for the hosts but failed to hit the target.

More than 220 had turned up to watch the match on Non League Day, which was twice the average at Burroughs Park, but Rovers were struggled to stamp any authority on the game as the game ebbed towards half time.

The second half once again saw Rovers take the initiative and they should have been level five minutes after the restart.

An in swinging delivery from Collins found Stuart Hepburn unmarked at the far post but his header was shovelled behind from close range by Behcet.

Dan Trenkel brought himself on with 30 minutes to go but Rovers continued to struggle. The visitors should have doubled their lead with 15 minutes to go – a driving run from Shaun Welford saw Tom O’Connor released but, from just outside the box, his shot went just wide.

Welford himself wasted a chance before Cray made the game safe. A quick counter attack saw substitute Dan Stubbs break away. He cut inside his marker before firing under the body of Baxter.

This is how it stayed and Rovers’ search for a home win goes on.

Great Wakering Rovers: Baxter, Artemi, Kent, Skeels, Hepburn, Skelton, Strickland, Bradley, Jacobs, Nash, Collins

Other results:

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FA VASE Bowers & Pitsea 4-2 Codicote, Basildon United 0-1 Haverhill Borough