Matt Halliday returned to the heart of The Yachtsmen’s defence at the expense of Danny Rust, with Jordan King earning his first start of the season to replace the absent Jamie Forshaw in the two changes from their 5-2 defeat at Harlow Town on Saturday.

Stewart Larter’s men started well in the blustery conditions and found themselves one up after just nine minutes.

Top-scorer Christy Finch found space down the right to fire across the box, his ball in missing everyone bar Remy Gordon, who connected superbly on the run to fire across the goalkeeper from 12 yards and into the far right corner.

The hosts – who were placed 12 spots below Wroxham and only out of the relegation places via goal-difference – began to settle to the adverse weather conditions and were almost back in it after 15 minutes, a corner swung in from the being excellently tipped away by Elliot Pride with the help of the upright.

Three minutes later they were almost in again, John Bradley finding space to lace a fierce effort that had everything – including the wind – behind it to fly just over Pride’s crossbar.

The woodwork was then hit for the second time of the game on the half hour as Wroxham striker Nathan Stone almost doubled his side’s lead, the industrious front-man latching onto a defensive mistake to beat the centre back and fire across Adam Seal in goal, only for his effort to come back of the foot of the post.

However, it wouldn’t take long for Wroxham to claim their second of the night, with Finch bagging his 15th goal of the season.

Danny White was the architect, finding the striker down the right for him to cut in, beat his man and slot it home from ten yards with 37 minutes on the clock.

The Yachtsmen were comfortable as the second half began, Finch almost finding his second of the game with a swinging cross that was caught by the wind and just missed the top corner.

Their superiority was telling as Great Wakering were being stifled out of the game, and it wasn’t a surprise as Wroxham found a third with 12 minutes left in stunning fashion.

King – who had an inspired game in his return to the Wroxham midfield – won the ball in the middle of the park before unleashing an unstoppable 35-yard pile driver that flew past Seal and into the back of the net.

And the Yachtsmen added gloss to win in the dying moments as Gordon bagged his second of the game – and his fourth in three games – responding quickest to a Finch effort that fell his way to tuck home and send Stewart Larter’s men into the final play-off place.

Great Wakering Rovers: Seal, Pugsley, Kent, Hepburn, Sparrow, Skelton, Radley, Bradley, Trenkel, Worrell, Johnson

Subs: Skeels, Jacobs, Ranger, Nash, Strickland

Wroxham: Pride, Self, Taylor, Hinton, Howell, Halliday, King, White, Stone, Finch, Gordon

Subs: Rust, Attree, Price

Attendance: 104