ROVERS 7-0 COGGESHALL TOWN

This weekend saw Great Wakering Rovers turned their attention to new-look side Coggeshall Town to Burroughs Park in the Essex Senior League. Rovers were looking to keep their place in an ever-congested top ten of the ESL standings. The hosts certainly started as they meant to go on as they broke the deadlock after just one minute as winger Billy Johnson’s cool strike flew high into the net past visiting custodian Finley Purcell. The rovers did threaten to overwhelm their hosts, who are still adjusting to the division in fairness. Rapid winger Harry Talbot was a thorn in the side of the Town defence, breaking down the right flank almost at will and also had two efforts narrowly off-target. Centre forward Callum Boylan, also had a good effort well-denied by Purcell at his near post.

At the other end, Coggeshall’s forays down the flanks were fleeting but winger Reggie Gregory made two good, purposeful runs down the left flank, but their main frustration was their final ball. Number ten Alex Gilbey and midfielder Ellis Lawson were looking to test the home backline but they couldn’t bypass the resilient GWR defence and find centre forward Jack Zielinski often enough. Steve Roberts’ team were still venturing forward though and it was little surprise when they doubled their advantage, seven minutes before the break. A good one-two between full-back Danny Cossington and forward Ben Search at the edge of the penalty area resulted in Cossington facing Purcell one-on-one and slotted home well from close range at the near post. With rovers still looking lively, Town had to hold firm which they did until the interval.

HALF TIME: ROVERS 2-0 COGGESHALL TOWN

f there was one thing the hosts would have wanted at the interval – it was to have put this game beyond reach but they certainly started doing that early in the second half. Just two minutes after the re-start, another darting run by Talbot down the right channel ended with his cross finding Search but his initial effort was somehow clawed away by Purcell at point-blank range, although Search did nod home the rebound. They say chances turn games and moments before that goal, the visitors really should have scored but efforts from Leandro Sain & Reggie Gregory were thwarted by rovers stopper Luis Shamshoum. Then on 53 minutes, to really dial up the visitors’ pain, rovers made it four with a good finish in a congested penalty area by central midfielder Connor Hart. Coggeshall did have a penalty moments after that goal but unfortunately Sain’s effort went wide of the left-side post. As we entered the last quarter of the game, Boylan was still being frustrated despite getting in good positions, and his strike was again denied by Purcell. In the end though, Boylan would get on the score-sheet five minutes later. Talbot again was gathering space on the flanks and his cross found Boylan at the far post & the forward slotted home calmly.

Before Coggeshall could start to recover, rovers made it six through another calm, low finish by Search on 75 minutes. Coggeshall’s spirit was still there though as the minutes counted down, with Leandro Sain again sending a good effort on goal which Shamshoum did enough to parry out of danger. With injury-time approaching and just when you felt the goal count was finished, Wakering added a seventh as substitute Caiden Imbert-Thomas’ good break down the right side ended with another good ball into the six-yard area which found fellow replacement Kien Connolly who powered home a good effort into the net.

FULL TIME: ROVERS 7-0 COGGESHALL TOWN