GREAT Wakering Rovers fell to a 3-0 defeat in their Isuzu FA Vase final against fellow Essex Senior League club Romford at Wembley Stadium this afternoon

After a quiet first half, two goals in as many minutes from Boro gave them the advantage with Hassan Nalbant and Sam Deering on target, before Nalbant sealed the win in stoppage time.

It was a nervy start under the Wembley arch from Wakering with Romford controlling play early on.

After just four minutes a Charlie Morris cross to the near post picked out Nalbant who held the ball up and laid back to Morris who fired over.

Seven minutes later Morris was again involved in a threatening attack for Romford.

The former Tilbury man dragged a shot that looked to be going wide but Finley Dorrell latched onto it, forcing Luis Shamshoum off his line to close the winger down and block his shot behind.

It wasn’t until the half hour mark when Boro threatened Wakering again.

A long ball forward from Junior Luke was flicked on by Adalberto Pinto releasing Dorrell in behind who fired agonisingly wide.

Five minutes later there was another scare for Wakering when a Sam Deering corner was only cleared as far as former Rovers midfielder Kris Newby who cut inside and whipped a shot over from the edge of the area.

Wakering’s first real chance of the final came in first half stoppage time with top scorer Callum Boylan firing only just wide after a quick break from Marcus Bowers’ side.

The second period got off to the worst possible start for Rovers who conceded two goals in quick succession in the opening 10 minutes of the half.

Not long after the restart Perry Dunn passed the ball straight to Romford’s Morris who then slid in behind Nalbant who made no mistake, slotting past Shamshoum for his 31st goal of the season.

Two minutes later things went from bad to worse for Wakering with Romford doubling their lead.

After Rovers had had penalty appeals waved away at one end, Romford broke forward with Nalbant switching play across to Dorrell, the teenager’s shot was saved by the legs of Shamshoum but the ball deflected into the path of Deering and the Brentwood loanee tucked home into the far corner.

Wakering did look for a way back into the game with Jake Gordon having an attempt deflect just wide, Harrison Topliss seeing a tame header saved and Ben Search seeing a free kick from distance go wide.

In injury time Boylan and Tony Martin linked up well with a neat one-two, however Boylan didn’t get enough power on his shot with the back trickling harmlessly wide.

Not long after Wakering’s hopes of a late comeback were dashed with Romford making it 3-0.

Substitute Toheeb Elegushi won the ball on the halfway line and he released Nalbant in behind who coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner when one on one with Shamshoum for his second goal of the afternoon.

Unfortunately Wakering were unable to find a route back into the game and had to settle for finishing as FA Vase runners up following a fourth loss to Romford of the season.