Great Wakering Rovers are back on top of the Ryman League Division Three table after a late show saw them grab three points against plucky struggling visitors Flackwell Heath on Saturday.

Of the two teams previously above Rovers on goal difference, Aveley were held to a draw while Croydon Athletic did not play and this allowed the village side to proudly go clear in their first season as Ryman members.

No one would pretend that this was one of Rovers' more outstanding performances, but grinding out results when you are below your best is always the sign of a side likely to succeed and you certainly could not fault Eddie Nash's men for the battling instincts they displayed here at Burroughs Park.

Wakering were without a number of key men, most notably injured Mark Hampshire up front and unavailable Tommy Dalgarno at the heart of defence.

One sensed that it might be an afternoon when Wakering needed to take the game by the scruff of the neck early on if they were to win in style and that is exactly how it proved.

Wakering had their early chances but opposing goalkeeper Jamie Jackson made a good third-minute save from Paul Flack's close-range header.

Ollie Evans headed wide when he should have found the target when a great 23rd-minute move ended with Paul Wheeler crossing from the left. Then Neville Hickton's long range effort soon after crashed against the bar.

By this stage it had the look of being one of those afternoons for Wakering, particularly as Flackwell Heath were growing in confidence and on three occasions were thwarted by outstanding goalkeeping from the home side's Dave Hudson.

Wakering were beginning to run out of ideas, but they came out for the second-half with renewed purpose - even though they had fallen behind 60 seconds after the resumption when a defensive error allowed Jamie Cockrane to grab a goal for the visitors with a header.

Rovers were back on terms after 57 minutes. When Gary Ewers broke clear, visiting keeper Jackson braced himself for a thunderbolt from the Wakering man.

However, when Ewers scuffed a mishit effort straight into his hands, a clearly shocked Jackson fumbled the ball out again where that wily old strike campaigner Flack was waiting to pounce to score his 18th goal of the season and join Hampshire at the top of the leading marksman list.

Wakering used all three substitutes, losing Wheeler to a wretched challenge and also having recently-returned midfielder Paul Pilkington limp off with a hamstring injury which could sideline him over the Christmas period.

The changes introduced, among others, veteran ex-League star Alan Hull and the assistant manager certainly brought renewed vigour to the strike force.

He went close with one wickedly-struck free-kick, but a sharing of the spoils looked a formality until the last of the subs to enter the arena, Ryan Wilkinson, stabbed home the winner three minutes from time at the second attempt to send Rovers fans home happy.

Missing out - this Great Wakering Rovers attack broke down but the village side went on to win the game

Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL

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