Wakering suffered a rare afternoon to forget in their Ryman League Division Three title challenge.

Rovers, in their first season at Ryman level, will be delighted by the fact that, lying second, not many of their promotion rivals below them took advantage of Wakering's off-day.

But top dogs East Thurrock moved further clear with a 3-0 home success over struggling Camberley and, at five points clear from a game more, do now hold the championship outcome in their own hands.

Wakering, who have taken only one point from six in their last two matches, will look to regain their scoring touch tomorrow when Schweppes Essex Senior League Concord Rangers visit them in an East Anglian Cup area semi-final. The winners will go to Jewson League Maldon in the area final.

Rovers face another tricky League game next Saturday at a Dorking side who, like Abingdon, are battling against finishing bottom. A warning note is that only two of Dorking's 11 League defeats have come at home.

Immediately following that game, a week tomorrow, revitalised Hertford Town come to Burroughs Park with ex-Spurs and England central defender Graham Roberts now in managerial control.

Wakering's big problem at Abingdon centred round their inability to turn big territorial advantage into goals. On Saturday they dominated for long spells, but the continuing absence of injured striker Mark Hampshire has taken a heavy toll.

It is not only Hampshire who is missed. While he has been out of the side his striking partner Paul Flack - the pair have notched well over 40 goals between them - has suffered something of a drought himself.

In fact, with his side well on top, Rovers' boss Eddie Nash pushed Tommy Dalgarno up from central defence to partner Flack up front in Saturday's second-half.

Dalgarno did hit the woodwork with one effort and Flack himself had seen efforts saved or go just wide earlier, but the proceeding were settled by an effort from Steve O'Donoghue in the first-half.

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