ENFIELD TOWN 2-1 ROVERS

Great Wakering Rovers suffered late heartbreak at high flying Enfield Town despite getting off to a flying start.

The visitors shocked the 341 crowd inside the opening minute. Adam Holmes throw-in was headed on by Ashley Hawkins; and swept home by debutant Teddy Nesbitt with his very first touch of the ball in a Rovers shirt.

Rovers should have soon doubled their advantage. Nathan Fletcher was agonisingly close to contacting with a corner from the left. Although Enfield enjoyed plenty of possession, they were struggling to make any headway, Liam Pape offered their first real threat; but his free kick was easily dealt with by Louis Godwin-Green.

As the half wore on the action became somewhat scrappy as Enfield struggled to break down a stubborn Rovers rearguard. However, they were almost level when Dean Pennant thundered a header against the Rovers crossbar following Jay Siva’s cross.

The opening period ended with Enfield throwing everything forward in search of an equaliser. Hope shot wide from close range then Rovers defender Jack Mochalski hacked Neil Johnson’s effort off the line. Custodian Godwin-Green was then called upon when he tipped over a speculative effort from the same player.

After the break, Enfield pushed from right from the whistle, and on fifty minutes, they levelled the score when the impressive Walid Matata volleyed home from close range following some clever flank play. Nevertheless, it was the Rovers who went close to re-establishing the lead with Billy Johnson heading over from close range.

As the home side pressed for a second goal there was an anxious moment in the Rovers backline when Godwin-Green miss-kicked a clearance, luckily Nathan Fletcher was on hand to clear the danger. Nesbitt then cleared Pennant’s header off the line.

With time running out the visitors were finally undone, in somewhat controversial circumstances. Rovers’ supporters were left mystified when Referee Adrian Oldershaw ordered Enfield’s Rudi Hall to re-take a free kick from the right hand side. Hall’s second delivery was met by Rovers defender Fletcher; whose header flew into his own goal to give the home side the points.

Enfield almost made the game safe in the final seconds, when Hope shot wide with only Godwin-Green to beat.
Rovers have undoubtedly made great strides since Dan Trenkel took over as manager, but they need a slice of luck to go their way as the desperate search for points and a moral boosting win continues.

ROVERS MAN OF THE MATCH - TEDDY NESBITT

Loan-star Teddy Nesbitt was delighted with his lightening start with the Rovers. Nesbitt was pleased with his performance and told me “I couldn’t miss with the goal”
The defender, who made 2 appearances as a substitute with Southend United and had a spell on loan with Ryman Premier League Concord Rangers, added that he would like to use his time at Burroughs Park to prove to the Shrimpers and perhaps other clubs that he can perform at a higher level.
When I asked him about Rovers league position Nesbitt firmly believed the team could pull away from the bottom end of the league, stating, “We’ve just got to take our chances”.

By Brian Jeeves at Donkey Lane, Enfield