RYMAN ONE NORTH

* ALL games involving Echosports' non-league teams have now been postponed because of the bad weather.

AS with many non-league stars, Dan Trenkel has story of a shot at the big time which got away from him.

Great Wakering Rovers’ inspirational captain’s came in early 2002, when he played three games on trial for Southend United.

And he impressed as part of Steve Tilson’s reserve side against Cheltenham Town and Peterborough, before suffering ankle ligament damage in against Cambridge United. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Trenkel said: “Tilly said he would still like to have signed me but, because Wakering wanted a fee, they couldn’t afford take a chance on me.

“He said if I had not been on a contract they would have given me a rolling contract to try and get me fit enough for them.

“So that was that and I went back to Wakering. But I can honestly say I have no regrets.”

A look at the 27-year-old’s career shows exactly why he has enjoyed his time so much in the non-league.

To date he has made 456 appearances, and bagged 112 goals.

He made his debut for Wakering as a 17-year-old in February 2001, and scored a brace in a 3-2 cup win over Ipswich Wanderers.

Since then he has made 279 appearances for the green and whites and scored 76 goals during his three spells with the club.

He had a brief spell at Chelmsford City in January 2004 before returning to Rovers for the 2004/05 campaign.

Then he made the switch to Burnham Ramblers, where he scored 17 goals before leaving them in November 2006 play an integral part in Concord Rangers’ remarkable march up the non-league pyramid.

In two seasons with the Beachboys, he scored 18 goals in 88 appearances, and captained the club to an Essex Senior League Title and Gordon Brasted Trophy double in 2007/2008, before returning to Wakering at the start of the following season.

Trenkel has been Wakering’s players’ player of the year three times, supporters’ player of the year once, finished as top scorer on three occasions, and is enjoying another remarkable season at Borroughs Park.

Playing in central midfield, he is the current leading scorer with 10, has the most assists, and has made the most starts alongside keeper Louis Godwin-Green.

And this year he starred in one of the club’s most remarkable games as he scored five goals against Potters Bar Town in November. That set a new Isthmian League record for most goals scored in a losing side, and its the highest goal tally for any individual player in a game for Wakering.

He said: “A local historian looked into it and the only thing that comes close is a St Albans player scoring seven in an 8-7 FA Cup defeat in the 1920s.

“But that was after extra-time, and mine was within 90 minutes. So I’m happy to claim that record.”

Trenkel has now set his sights on John Heffer’s Wakering appearances record of 512, and says he has a burning ambition to play in the Ryman Premier.

He said: “I think we can get into that division. This league is all about consistency and if we can stop dropping points to teams we should beat, then I think we have a chance.”

* Trenkel is likely to take his place in central midfield as Rovers host second-placed Wingate & Finchley at Burroughs Park tomorrow.

Apart from striker Luca Frankis, who is still working his way back to fitness following injury, manager Ryan Wilkinson has a fully-fit squad and could give starts to some of those who came into the side for Tuesday’s cup win over Brentwood.

Elsewhere in Ryman One North, league leaders EAST Thurrock go to second-bottom Leyton, TILBURY will look to bounce back from a 4-0 drubbing to Waltham Abbey when they host Waltham Forest, and GRAYS welcome a Heybridge Swifts side who have knocked Canvey and Hullbridge Sports out of cup competitions over the past week.

RYMAN PREMIER

FANS will be hoping the snow does not wreck another mouth-watering weekend of action for Echosport teams in the Ryman Premier.

With the half-way mark of the season approaching, Concord, Billericay and Canvey have all played 18 games and are all still well-placed to mount a promotion push in the new year.

CONCORD, our highest placed team in seventh with 29 points, have a tough-looking trip second-placed Bury Town, who have only lost one league game at home this season.

The Beachboys came back from two down to claim an excellent 4-2 win at Carshalton last week, before their mid-week trip to Tonbridge Angels was postponed because of a frozen pitch.

Despite their lofty position, joint manager Danny Cowley says his team’s main target remains the 50 points he feels they need to avoid an immediate return to Ryman One North.

Cowley said: “We are not getting carried away yet. We’ll see where we are in the new year and take it from there.”

Concord have no new injury worries going into the game, and hope long-term injury-victim Nick Skelton could return to action in the coming weeks.

BILLERICAY, who are eighth with 29 points, will look to bounce back from two worrying league defeats when they host third-bottom Maidstone United.

Town boss Craig Edwards is demanding his players cut out the complacency he feels crept in following their sensational November.

He said: “There was a lot of banter during the break for the snow, and I think a few of them were expecting to have a good December.

“But it does not work like that and we need to get back to the hard work which moved us up the table in the first place.”

Chris Wild is struggling to be fit after he limped out of Tuesday’s game with Harrow at half-time, and Edwards says fellow centre back Adam Flanagan will start. Midfielder Sean Bonnett-Johnson is rated as 50/50 as he is recovering from a virus.

CANVEY, in 11th on 25 points, go to a Tonbridge Angels side a place behind them in the table on goal-difference.

John Batch says his players are in confident mood following their midweek draw with Lowestoft, a game the Gulls deserved to win.

He said: “We have been a bit unlucky lately so I hope it is true that these things even themselves out over the season.”

Midfielder Matt Game recovered from a bout of flu to play against Lowestoft, and is likely to keep his place in the heart of midfield.

AVELEY knocked former manager Rod Stringer’s Braintree Town out of the Essex Senior Cup on Wednesday with a 2-0 win.

Millers goals came from Spencer Harrison and Andy Howell.

Former Aveley man Bradley Quinton was sent off late on for a rash challenge.

Aveley will hope to continue their good form under new manager Carl Griffiths when they host Carshalton Athletic tomorrow.

BLUE SQUARE BET SOUTH

THURROCK boss Greg Lincoln says he expects his side to lift themselves out of the relegation zone when they welcome Havant & Waterlooville to Ship Lane.

The rookie manager has lifted spirits at Fleet with some good results in his first two months, and three points tomorrow would complete the revival.

Lincoln said it is a time for “results over performances”, and added: “We have won two out of our last three league games and if it hadn’t been for the snow postponements I think we would already be out of the relegation places.

“We have been lucky enough to use West Ham’s training facilities during the snow interruptions, so we are sharp and ready to play.”

Lincoln says he has no new injury worries ahead of the game, which kicks off at 3pm.

GOLDEN BOOTS (Player - League Cup Total)

Kris Newby (East Thurrock) 10 5 15

Dan Trenkel (Great Wakering) 6 4 10

Tony Stokes (Concord) 4 5 9

Rob King (Canvey) 6 3 9

Danny Heale (Canvey) 5 4 9

Kye Ruel (East Thurrock) 8 0 8

Neil Richmond (East Thurrock) 6 2 8

Alex Rhodes (Canvey) 2 6 8

Simon Thomas (Grays) 3 5 8

James Lawson (Billericay) 5 2 7

Max Cornhill (East Thurrock) 4 3 7

Hakeem Araba (East Thurrock) 3 4 7

Luca Frankis (Great Wakering) 6 1 7