ROVERS 2 - 0 ROMFORD (28/4/2012)

In the driving wind & rain, Rovers boss Dan Trenkel finally got his just rewards. A good performance, chances created, chances scored and a clean sheet.

The goals, scored by Ashley Hawkins and Trenkel himself, were enough to see off mid-table Romford and give us hope avoiding relegation to the Essex Senior League. It was a vital win which now sees Ware take the bottom spot due to their game being postponed for a waterlogged pitch.

Despite the weather, it was a good opening five minutes for Rovers as, wind assisted, they drove balls into the heart of the Romford defence, Hawkins and Okai both going close. But it was the latter who would give the keeper his first real piece of work for the afternoon, breaking into the box and firing the ball towards the far post. The keeper did well by parrying the ball but only into the path of the on rushing Jay Nash, but a combination of keeper and defender saw the ball clear.
And it was Okai again whose left foot drive was tipped expertly over the bar as Rovers continued to knock on the Romford door.

At the other end it was a relatively quiet day for Louis Godwin-Green as, despite Romford breaking well, they struggled to break down the stout Rovers backline that had Jack Mochalski deputising well for suspended Nick Skelton.

Supporters would have to wait until the 70th minute for the breakthrough to come, and it was Ashley Hawkins who grabbed his 4th goal in three games, a small through ball played in by Billy Johnson leaving Hawkins to take the ball round the keeper and placing the ball into the empty net, followed by his trademark goal celebration.

The points were sealed when Dan Trenkel headed home a Billy Johnson corner with a minute to go to finally give the players some breathing space and remove any chances of a late equaliser.