Woodford Town 3-1 Great Wakering Rovers

The first half was a rather dull encounter, with the best chance of the half falling to Ernest Okoh just after the fifteen-minute mark. The Woods launched a counter attack thanks to a sixty-yard, pinpoint ball from Alex Bolovan, Okoh raced towards the goal however his half-volley was well saved by Blockley in the Wakering net.

With thirty-two minutes on the clock, Evangelos Empochontsif was shown a second yellow clad, meaning that Shane Baptiste’s side would have to play an hour of football with one man less than their opposition. A defensive switch was made to accommodate for the red card, with Kahlil Kirwan-Meade replacing Dimitri Christou at the break, however, things went from bad to worse for the hosts within just four minutes of the second half. Anthony Martin guided a floated cross past the helpless Eddie Allan to give the FA Vase finalists the breakthrough.

Rather than collapsing, the Woods showed incredible fight and guile, and epitomised the season they are having by mounting a sensational comeback. With sixty-five minutes gone, Kahlil Kirwan-Meade dragged Woodford level, and just two minutes later, Nathan Sollosi stunned everybody inside Ashton’s as he scored to give Woodford the lead! These simply incredible scenes were rounded off fifteen minutes from time, with the pick of the bunch.

At least thirty-yards out from goal, up steps Alex Bolovan. Anyone who has been closely following the Woods’ progress recently will know the next move. A dead-ball specialist, the midfielder lifted his free kick up and over the wall, and past Blockley in goal for the visitors to make it 3-1 and secure all three points, and a place in the Essex Senior league play-offs for his side.

An incredible turnaround at Ashton’s sees the boys in yellow get back to winning ways after a disappointing result at home against Sporting Bengal on Friday, and sets them up nicely ahead of Monday night’s cup semi final away at Stanway Rovers.

Attendance: 69

Woodford Town Starting XI: Allan (GK); Steele, Empochonstif, Benoit, Mitchell-Nelson, Martins; Jewers (Brown-Johnson - 60’), Bolovan; Okoh (Johnston - 60’), Christou (Kirwan-Meade - 46’), Sollosi.

Unused substitues: Soganile, Painter.