Rovers lose out to a last minute goal

Isthmian League-North Division
Saturday 4th december -2021

Great Wakering Rovers 3 Hashtag United 4

Isthmian League new boys Hashtag United were the visitors to a cold Burroughs Park on Saturday afternoon .

Rovers were the more dominant of the two teams in the opening exchanges, however they spurned chance after chance to take the lead and it looked like we may go in goalless at half time.
We couldn't have been more wrong when after thirty seven minutes the goals started to come thick and fast.

Tom Anderson headed in from a Ben Brookes corner to give the home side the deserved lead.
However the lead only lasted six minutes when Hashtag grabbed the equaliser, Eli Benoit poking in from close range.
Rovers then took the lead again two minutes later. Martin Tuohy with a great finish following a sublime ball from Billy Harris.

A minute later it was 3, with the goal of the game and possibly the season Ben Brookes taking a free kick from the right hand side and striking the ball into the top bins, cue wild celebrations from the wakering players and staff, and with that the referee blew up to bring the first forty five to a close and a chance to breathe.

Hashtag looked like a different team in the second half and pressed Rovers from the start and they were back in the game on fifty eight minutes. Substitute Toby Aromolaran who had only been on the pitch for two minutes slotting the ball past Tim Brown.

On sixty six minutes the Tags were awarded a penalty, Jesse Waller stepping up and putting it past Brown who managed to get a hand on it however it was too powerful and nestled in the Rovers net.

Both teams were now looking for the winner and the game was end to end. The home side going close and really should have taken the lead, the best chance falling to Martin Tuohy however he saw his effort fly over the bar from close range.

Although the game was coming to a close you just had the feeling one team would walk away with all the spoils, and it was the away side who stole all three points. Luke Hirst smashing the ball into the net on the 90th minute to complete the perfect comeback for the Tags.