Essex Senior League Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy First Round, Tuesday 20th February
Thanks to GWR boss Marcus Bowers, assistant Bunny & the players, this game would not have been possible for me, a lack of funds meant I would not have been able to attend tonight's game until they stepped in and and said just get myself to Burroughs Park and they would take care of me and get me home after.
I therefore accepted their kind gesture (Bunny bought me a cheeseburger and chips before the game, and Marcus and the players chipped in to get me a cab back home afterwards) and so with me already having a media pass from the league, it ended up not costing me much at all, an amazing gesture from such a great set of lads, I will never be able to thank them all enough.
The club are certainly bouncing with confidence right now as well, into the Quarter Finals of the FA Vase for the very first time, and on a play off charge in the Essex Senior League too, and tonight they were in Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy action as they welcomed Buckhurst Hill to their Burroughs Park surroundings, although this was actually a Buckhurst Hill home game.
The tie was switched yesterday though as they could not guarantee that their Roding Lane pitch would remain playable by today/this evening, so it was decided that the tie would need to be played on the Essex Coast, which immediately handed the initiative to Rovers as they were now the ones with the home comforts and didn't have to travel like their opponents now had to do on a midweek matchday.
This was the last remaining first round tie of the competition though, so it needed to be played and out of the way, these two had already played twice at Burroughs Park this season, GWR winning a seven goal thriller 4-3 back in September in the early stages of their now record Vase run, and then they also played in the league for Marcus Bowers & Bunny's first game as the management duo for GWR and won 6-1, so could Hill make it third time lucky here or would GWR net a third win out of three.
The score line by the end of this contest seemed to suggest a comfortable and straight forward win for GWR, but it was anything but as Hill had some decent openings and on another day could easily had netted goals themselves, Shae Hutchinson missed a guilt edged chance early on and there was another decent chance in the opening half that was spurned by the men from Roding Lane.
Hill had the ball in the net as well after Rovers had gone in front, but this was ruled out for offside, however Wakering did have their chances as well, Jake Gordon curled just wide early on but unlike Hill, they did manage to grab a 16th minute lead when a cross into the box found Owen Bellamy whose effort was well saved by Ben Lane in the Hill goal, but Jack Stone was quickest to react to fire home the rebound.
Wakering, probably still suffering a slight FA Vase hangover from the weekend, were certainly not at their best, but they were doing enough still to hold onto that lead as the game entered the second period, and the game was still in the balance until Rovers grabbed a second goal in the 64th minute when a corner swung in by Gordon was clawed away by Lane, but the loose ball ended up at the far post where substitute Max Gnandi was on hand to nod the ball home, and now Rovers had some breathing space.
And with four minutes to go they sealed the deal with a rather messy goal, Sonny Noble burst down the right and squared the ball into the box where Hill's Abdulia Sarr sliced the cross towards his own net, and although Lane just about managed to tip the ball onto the bar, Gnandi was on hand to nod home the loose ball home and net his second of the game.
The score line probably didn't reflect the game as said, but credit to Wakering who despite not being at their best still produced a decent enough performance to grab the win, Hill will count themselves a tad unlucky to loose by three, but a lack of cutting edge and lack of concentration at critical moments cost them here as they came up a more than decent outfit.
It means Wakering win through to Round Two and set up an away tie at Mayesbrook Park against Ilford with a date to be announced, it's going to be a rather busy final two months of so for the Green and White army, that's for sure, but an exciting one to for sure.
Full time Buckhurst Hill 0 Great Wakering Rovers 3
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