Brentwood Town 3–0 Great Wakering Rovers

From the Brentwood Centre Arena

Ryman One North

 

TWO well worked set-pieces saw off Great Wakering Rovers as they were comfortably beaten by Brentwood Town.

A long-range free-kick from Robbie Rees crept in at the far post to open the scoring before a superb strike from Sam Bantick made it 2-0.

Rees made the game safe in the dying moments in a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.

Brentwood have surprised a lot of people this season and came into this clash having lost only one of the last nine matches.

Rovers meanwhile had claimed back to back draws against Aveley and, impressively, against table-topping Needham Market.

And it was the away side who made a bright start. On loan Billericay Town striker Liam Nash was given his debut for Rovers, having signed in the run-up to the match and he was involved in the early exchanges.

The 18-year-old linked up well with Tom Ranger and Billy Johnson, with the latter’s effort easily claimed by on-loan Concord Rangers goalkeeper Ollie Bowles.

Bowles was indebted to his defenders soon after as some last-ditch blocks prevented Johnson from adding to his recent tally of five goals in six games.

But Brentwood grew into the game. A deep free-kick was sent in by Rees and, despite the efforts of Ryan O’Rawe to get on the end of the delivery, it beat him and also Adam Seal in the Wakering goal.

Wakering struggled to get their foot on the ball, on a very choppy surface, although there wasn’t a lot between the sides.

Ryan McFarlane smashed an effort high and wide after good build-up and Shad Ngandu blasted over when he was advancing on goal.

But, as the half neared an end the away side almost snatched an equaliser. Liam Nash broke past the last defender to strike at goal but the onrushing Bowles did well to turn the ball away.

Into the second half and the lively Liam Nash sent in an early tester for Bowles but it was the hosts that doubled their advantage ten minutes into the second half.

Player/ manager Dan Trenkel was judged to have brought down Sherwin Stanley, to lively protestations from the away players.

And Bantick stepped up to curl the ball beyond the despairing Seal.

Wakering were struggling to cope with Brentwood’s pace and McFarlane shot narrowly wide after creating space.

The nippy Tony Jacobs had been introduced at the break and he was causing problems down the right, although it was Jay Nash who almost halved the deficit as his effort was blocked behind by the impressive Bowles.

But the afternoon belonged to Brentwood, and Rees rounded off an impressive afternoon’s work when his deflected effort from the edge of the area beat Seal via a deflection to complete the scoring.

 

Brentwood Town: Bowles, Gardner, Baucutt, Stokes, O’Rawe, Rees (Rooke), McFarlane (Aldwinckle), Dafter, Stanley, Ngandu, Bantick (Mbulu)

Great Wakering Rovers: Seal, Pugsley (Holmes), Worrell, Bradley, Trenkel, Skelton, Johnson, Ranger, Liam Nash, Jay Nash, Strickland (Jacobs)

 

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FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round

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