It was difficult not to feel sympathy for Great Wakering Rovers as they continued their bid to obtain the five points needed to guarantee first-time promotion from the Ryman League Third Division.

Forced to field an understrength side due to injuries, the last thing they needed was to visit a much-improved Flackwell Heath outfit who have the most impressive record of any Division Three outfit over the past couple of months.

Leading scorer Paul Flack became the latest addition to the village side's walking wounded when he limped out of the action after only nine minutes.

There was one major plus for Rovers with Paul Pilkington, not expected to play again this season due to knee trouble, declaring himself fit while he awaits further news from a specialist.

Flack's departure and the absence of his strike partner Mark Hampshire through injury, left the visitors with a main attacking force of only Khan Stevens, who was recalled after many months out of the action.

Wakering had the edge in the first half and Stevens went close twice - flicking a 16th-minute effort over the bar and then firing wide following a superb through ball from Adam French.

Flackwell Heath took the lead after 35 minutes when Lee Watson scored from a Jamie Charles' through ball - a scuffed effort going above visiting keeper Dave Hudson and into the net.

Flackwell Heath probably enjoyed the better of a scrappy second 45 minutes and should have taken the lead when Christian Ayres missed out on a clear opening created by Heath's former Blackburn Rovers star Simon Garner.

Stevens again provided the best chance for Rovers, but put his fierce shot wide after 66 minutes.

Wakering, needing a quintet of points from their last five games to ensure going up, host Corinthian Casuals next Saturday and it is not just on the injury front that the top dogs are suffering.

Next weekend they will be without Tommy Dalgarno and Gary Ewers, both sent off in last week's home defeat by Egham, while French, got his marching orders against Flackwell after receiving two cautions.

Wakering, one point clear of second-placed East Thurrock, who have a game in hand, put the struggle for points behind them tonight when they host Jewson League Halstead in the East Anglian Cup quarter-finals.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.