Second half goals from Richard Kone and Tony Cookie saw Lopes Tavares return to the top of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South after victory over Wormley Rovers at The Terrence McMillan Stadium in Newham.
The hosts had lost top spot at the weekend after Little Oakley had won and they had only drawn, meaning after a perfect start they had failed to win in two outings, whilst Wormley knew a win would put them level with fourth placed Wivenhoe Town and only five points off the leaders themselves with games in hand.
The early exchanges had seen the hosts fire an ball across the six yard box, whilst the visitors had seen the ball in the net although this was flagged offside so it didn’t count, and then Lopes got in down the left but the ball in was just about cleared by the visitors defence.
Wormley then fired over at the other end as the game went from end to end, and then the visitors sent in a decent free kick to the far post but it failed to find anyone and drifted away, before Lopes were then almost gifted the lead when a ball forward saw keeper and defender show a lack of communication and end with the ball being put just past the post for a corner.
The home side were now starting to take control and blasted an effort way over, before they almost got in before the effort was snuffed out, and they came even closer when thumping a free kick against the crossbar.
Lopes then created another couple of chances, seeing a shot deflected wide before seeing another first-time effort go just over, and with the hosts now well on top they saw another decent effort deflected across goal and wide.
The hosts broke at pace from a visitors attack at the end of the half but it ended with their effort flying miles off target, and the game remained goalless at the break. Lopes though were looking the most likely to find a breakthrough if we were to have one.
Half Time Lopes Tavares 0 Wormley Rovers 0
Well, barely a minute after the break, Wormley were caught cold as the hosts did find the breakthrough as Kone burst into the box and fired in at the near post, and the hosts had a deserved lead.
The hosts had their tails up again and were threatening a second, and fired a couple more efforts at the visitors goal, but neither of these were on target, and then Lopes saw another couple of efforts fail to find the net, seeing a visitors glancing header almost loop into the far corner, before they forced a decent save from the visitors keeper soon after.
It had been all Lopes this half, but they almost saw the visitors level from nowhere when a shot at the hosts goal was brilliantly blocked on the line, but as the game went past the hour mark Lopes still held that slender lead.
Lopes then fired another effort over the bar but their were signs of life from the visitors now as they were chasing a equaliser, and they went oh so close to finding one when a cross to the far post was volleyed inches over the hosts bar, it was certainly a warning to their opponents that this lead was still a slender one.
The home side then got in but failed to get around the visitors keeper who had come out to save, and then after Wormley won a free-kick in a decent position, one of their second half substitutes was sin binned for dissent, much to the frustration of his management team on the bench.
They curled the free-kick wide of the post but would now have to play most of the remainder of the contest with ten men, and Lopes began to crank up the pressure again, and with four minutes remaining found that clinching second as after the keeper had played a clearance straight to the hosts, they attacked down the right and saw a ball across smashed home by Cookey.
Lopes were playing some terrific football and saw brilliant skill down the right end with a wild effort off target, and they got in down the right again moments later but the effort was well saved before the follow up effort was blocked out for a corner as Lopes looked for a third.
But those two second half goals proved enough for the hosts to take the win and return to the summit of the division, now two points clear with three games in hand, whilst Wormley stay eighth and three points off fourth spot with a couple of games in hand.
Full Time Lopes Tavares 2 Wormley Rovers 0
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