AFC SUDBURY 2 - 2 ROVERS

Great Wakering Rovers player-manager Dan Trenkel capped a fantastic performance by grabbing his team a point with a brilliant free kick.

Rovers started brightly. Billy Johnson’s early free-kick was easily cleared by the AFC Sudbury defence, while the home side went close when debutant Danny Charge had Rovers custodian Louis Godwin-Green scrambling across his goal as he shot past an upright.
Fresh from their first win in five months, the visitors looked confident and after twenty minutes, they shocked the 285 home crowd with a well crafted opener. Julian Okai ran at the AFC Sudbury defence before finding Dan Williams with a slide rule pass. The Rovers striker beat former Southend United keeper Danny Gay with a cool finish.
AFC Sudbury hit back when the lively Danny Charge beat Godwin-Green with a classy first time finish to level the score, but unlike during the early part of the season, this Great Wakering team refused to buckle.
Dan Trenkel was leading by example, and it was the Rovers gaffer who almost restored the visitors lead with a “Beckhamesque” free kick that had Gay well beaten.
Promotion chasing AFC Sudbury started to get on top. Godwin-Green had to be on his toes to deny Michael Shinn, but he could do little to stop James Smith from giving the home side the lead with a thumping header from the resulting corner.
AFC Sudbury started the second half strongly, but Rovers defended gamely. On the break, Okai drew a fine save from Gay with his feet, but it was the home side enjoying most of the possession and they who looked more likely to score.
In the sixty-ninth minute, the game changed dramatically. AFC Sudbury defender Ashley Sloots was adjudged to have brought down Okai when the Rovers wide man was clear on goal. Sloots was given his marching orders, and player-manager Trenkel brilliantly struck the resulting free kick past Gay to level the scores.
With the home side reduced to ten men, Rovers pushed forward in search of a winning goal, Okai was causing the home defence all sorts of problems while Trenkel was controlling things in the middle of the park.
Rovers had one final scare when Shinn’s free kick needed to be pushed around a post by Godwin-Green, but Rovers held firm for a well-deserved point.
Man of the match: There was a number of excellent performances from the Rovers players, but for me Dan Trenkel showed all his leadership qualities, directing his charges the way towards what many believed to be an unlikely point.