Great Wakering Rovers 1-4 Cheshunt

(Jacobs 90’: Stevens 48’, Cowley 54’, Bruno 76’(p), Bolle 88’)

From Burroughs Park

Ryman North

By Dan Thurogood

A SLUGGISH start to the second-half proved critical as Great Wakering Rovers fell to defeat against a strong Cheshunt side.

In an even first-half, both sides became embroiled in a midfield battle but a moment of quality for the first and a good strike for the second helped give the away side the points.

And despite the defeat manager Gary Ansell was taking the positives out of the match.

“I asked for a reaction from my group after Tuesday’s defeat at Brightlingsea and they have given everything although we’ve lost 4-1,” he said.

“I think we were good in the first-half and were probably the better team to be honest. However, in the second-half, they started the better and we ran out of legs as they stepped up their performance.

“It’s good in a way that I can still take positives from the match and we can build for Tuesday night’s game against Heybridge which is a big game for us.”

The first chance of note came after 15 minutes. Jason Hallett picked up the ball 30 yards out after good work down the left by Joe Stevens and his low drive tested home goalkeeper Charlie Huntley but he dived low to his right to collect well.

A significant moment arrived just before half-time as Jacob Cleaver latched onto a ball and ran through on goal. Joe Kizzi seemed to have pulled down the Wakering striker but referee Steven Scott only deemed the challenge a yellow card when it could have easily been red.

The away side started the better in the second-half and took a deserving lead. Hallett beat his man down the left hand side before running to the byline. His cross back came at a good height for Stevens whose excellent side foot volley found the bottom right hand corner.

Moments later it was two. David Godley’s strike from 25 yards took a slight nick on the way through to divert it beyond the despairing Huntley as the ball nestled into the bottom right-hand corner.

Dave Kendall nearly added a third with 20 minutes to go. A corner was played towards the back post, he rose highest and his header rattled the underside of the crossbar.

Moments later Bruno drilled home a penalty as he sent Huntley the wrong way to add to Wakering’s misery.

The home side nearly grabbed a consolation as Kyle Asante tried an audacious half volley on the turn but it produced a fine save from Michael Gooch who tipped it round the post for a corner.

The away side rounded off the victory in stoppage time. Substitute Adam Bolle rounded off a lovely move to roll the ball in the net from the edge of the box.

Tony Jacobs grabbed the consolation at the last minute as a lofted through ball over the top played him in and his half volley flew into the net.

It was a great finish from the substitute to end the match on a positive note.

Great Wakering Rovers: Huntley, Gardner, Spillane, Hilder, Easterford, Skelton, Banton (Jacobs), Sacky, Asante, Barlow, Cleaver (Johnson)