A stunning comeback, including attacking heroics from defenders, means that Shane Baptiste’s side enter the weekend sitting at the top of the Essex Senior League.

Woodford Town couldn’t have got off to worse start as they fell behind inside five minutes. Benfleet goalkeeper Harrison Crowther clipped a long ball into the channel, finding who lobbed Manny Agboola to put the visitors ahead.

Despite conceding early, the response was not good enough from the hosts, who went into the break a goal behind after a lacklustre first half showing on home soil.

However, whatever Shane Baptiste said to his players at half time clearly worked, as after the interval they came out well on top. It took only took four minutes to find an equaliser, Demmy Nicolaou, making his second Woodford debut, found the head of Miles Mitchell-Nelson from a corner, with the defender rising highest to smash home an equaliser!

And with 23 minutes left to go, he was at it again as he scored his fifth goal in as many games! Nathan Sollosi with the inch-perfect delivery this time, Mitchell-Nelson got across his marker and glanced a header into the far corner to put The Woods in the ascendancy!

It was yet another corner which gave the hosts some much-needed breathing space. Substitute Peter Angelov, who had just gone awfully close with an effort from the edge of the box, put in a dangerous corner which caused a goalmouth scramble, before it fell to Simon Omope who rocketed an effort home on the bounce to make it 3-1.

Fellow substitute Ernest Okoh was the next off the bench to be involved in a goal, as he rounded off the scoring after going through on goal, finishing under Crowther in style!

The victory takes Woodford to the top of the pile in the Essex Senior League, albeit with Stanway Rovers playing on Saturday when they have a chance to return to number one position.

Starting XI: E. Agboola (GK); Mitchell-Nelson, M. Agboola (Tyrell - 84’), Omope, Martins; Jewers, Owusu (C), Nicolaou (Okoh - 75’); Sollosi (Adeniji - 84’), Protic (Gomes - 75’), Gokou (Angelov - 64’).

Unused substitutes: N/A