A sweltering day at Burroughs Park in Essex saw a scintillating 7-goal game. A late goal from Nathan Stone was the deciding moment in a thrilling affair between Wroxham and Great Wakering Rovers.

Wroxham lined up with one change to the team from their last game at home to Thurrock. With Jack Garrod unavailable, Nathan Stone came in to lead the line.

Wroxham started the game on the back foot as Max Kent put Wakering ahead in only the 2nd minute of the match. Kent received the ball to the right of the box, managing to cut inside and curl the ball in at the back post.

The Yachtsmen then responded almost instantly. In the 5th minute Jamie Forshaw played a teasing cross in to the area from the right which scrambled its way through to Jordan King who had a simple chance and passed the ball into the net to bring the scores level.

Wroxham then went off the boil despite the temperatures and were not able to get over the half-way line to attack their opponent’s goal. The pressure from Wakering resulted in winning numerous corners. None of which caused much trouble for Elliot Pride in the Wroxham goal. However, after a brief break for drinks, the pressure eventually tolled. A corner was sent in to the back post by Tom Ranger which found its way to Rovers captain Lewis Sparrow. He was able to head in from close range to put the home side back in front.

After the goal, Wroxham were forced to replace the injured Jamie Forshaw. Matty Waters coming on. Minutes after the substitution a cross from David Hinton caused mayhem in the Wakering penalty area. The ball eventually getting cleared away from danger.

In last few minutes of the first half Wroxham saw themselves fall further behind. Tom Ranger's dangerous pass across the six yard box was met by Jay Nash to sink the Yachtsmen at half time.

Straight from kick off, Wakering's Jay Nash and Billy Johnson both went close in quick succession, but were kept out by a spectacular double save from Pride which kept Wroxham within reach of coming back. From then on Wroxham were on the front foot, Jordan King’s deflected cross off Ellis Sands found the head of Nick Davey. The former Norwich City trainee showed his class as he wonderfully held the defender off and glanced his header leaving Adam Seal in the Wakering goal rooted to the spot.

The goal saw the introduction of Andrew Howell who replaced Danny Rust and this gave further impetus to the Yachtsmen. Wroxham were putting the pressure on the Wakering defenders as Davey again went agonisingly close. His shot from distance skimming the top of the cross-bar.

This appeared to unsettle Wakering who started to make mistakes. Stuart Hepburn was relieved as his header was destined toward the bottom corner of his own goal albeit for the heroics of Seal to keep Rovers in front.

Stephen Holder was withdrawn and replaced by Seamus Kelleher which proved to be an inspirational move by the Yachtsmen management. Instantly a glorious ball from Kelleher found the on-running Nathan Stone who calmly put the ball in the back of the net to complete Wroxham’s fightback from 3-1 down.

There was no holding back Wroxham from then on as they looked for the unlikely winner. With only 6 minutes left on the clock, Michael Sommerfield played a spectacular switch-ball through to Stone. The frontman magnificently brought the ball down and stroked it into the back of the net to give Wroxham the lead and complete an astonishing comeback. The last few minutes of the game were comfortably seen out by the Yachtsmen to give themselves 3 points on the road and their first back-to-back wins of the season.

Wroxham: Elliott Pride, Steve Taylor, Danny Rust (Andrew Howell 53), David Hinton, Michael Sommerfield, Matthew Halliday, Jamie Forshaw (Matty Waters 38), Jordan King, Nick Davey, Nathan Stone, Steve Holder (Seamus Kelleher 74)
Unused substitute: Jack Guyton
Goals: King, 7; Davey, 52; Stone, 75, 84.

Great Wakering Rovers: Adam Seal, James Pugsley, Max Kent, Ellis Sands, Lewis Sparrow, Stuart Hepburn, Tom Ranger, Billy Radley, Billy Johnson, Jay Nash, Eljay Worrell
Substitutes: Jacob Cleaver, Bradley Vaughan, Malaki Toussaint, Tom Strickland, Dan Trenkel
Goals: Kent, 2; Sparrow 30, Nash 43.

Att: 98

Match report by Tom Wardle
Photo courtesy of Martin Roberts.