Great Wakering's visit to Essex rivals East Thurrock was the only one of eight scheduled Ryman Division One North games to survive the weather last night -- and the village side were left wishing that it had not.

For Rovers not only produced an abysmal performance to hand their lowly hosts only their fifth win in 26 League starts this term, but they had skipper Danny Scopes sent off and also endured a 25-minute break from the action due to a floodlight failure.

Rocks pulled off their first home Ryman success since September by beating promotion-chasing Yeading 3-2 on Saturday but Alan Hull's visitors started brightly enough.

After 13 minutes striker Ricki Finning opened the scoring for Lee Patterson's men when he squeezed the ball home at the far post following a long throw.

Two minutes later, Rookery Hill was plunged into darkness and, when play resumed, Scopes sent a 25th minute piledriver from 30 yards straight at goalkeeper Stuart Horne.

Five minutes into the second-half Scopes got his red card for kicking out at Finning in the penalty area and Mark Barry gratefully shot home the penalty.

Lee Burns made it 3-0 from Steve Harrison's low cross after 62 minutes and Hull then used his three subs in an attempt to stem the tide.

It was compounded when home substitute James Dwyer scored after 75 and 88 minutes to complete a nap hand for the home side.

Published Wednesday, January 22, 2003