Great Wakering Rovers 0, Ilford 0 (From Echo)

Great Wakering Rovers 0, Ilford 0

10:51am Monday 23rd January 2012 in Non-league Football

ROVERS missed an opportunity to open a gap over the bottom two following this dour basement battle with Ilford at Burroughs Park.

Both teams struggled to contend with the blustery conditions, but Rovers made the slightly better start with Julian Okai and Billy Johnson trying their luck from distance.

The visitors were content to play on the break and Rovers continued to create the bulk of the chances, with skipper Lewis Sparrow just failing to connect with a Jamie Stevens corner.

Ilford hit back, forcing Louis Godwin-Green to make a double save, first from Daniel Gabriel and then bravely at the feet of Robert Carter, who was following up.

As half time approached Okai twice came agonisingly close to opening the scoring, hitting the crossbar from close range and then the post with Ilford keeper Robert Budd stranded.

The second half was a little brighter with Rovers continuing to look the more likely to score. Okai and Johnson continued to torment the visitors but Rovers failed to convert several chances created by their excellent flank play.

In the dying embers of the game, both teams came close to a winner.

First, a fierce Billy Johnson volley for Rovers had Budd scrambling across his goal.

Then Ilford went even closer when Godwin-Green spectacularly tipped over a fantastic strike from Loui Hazlewood.

Rovers will feel disappointed that they did not end a run that has not seen them win since a 2-1 triumph at Ilford in October.

But both teams will feel they could have nicked it.

Great Wakering: Godwin-Green, Mochalski, Holmes, Carlile, Sparrow, Fletcher, Johnson, Trenkel, Hawkins, Stevens (Nash), Julian Okai (Jacobs).