A STRONG wind, a difficult playing surface and two teams struggling for points conspired to turn Ilford's visit to Wivenhoe Town into an instantly forgettable Ryman League division one north 0-0 draw.

Neither side could really afford to lose as they tried to escape the division's bottom two places.

The news that Potters Bar only drew and Waltham Forest lost would have been a bonus to the Dragons, however, Tilbury's win against Wingate and Finchley was less welcome.

Wivenhoe manager Richard Carter said: "It just never really happened for us all over the pitch, we never clicked with everything we tried. The lads worked hard, but I was annoyed nothing worked.

"They (Ilford) were nothing better than a pub team and it was embarrassing from my point of view that we never showed any quality."

The game came a day after the Dragons had announced that Carter had made a significant five-figure investment' in the club and also taken the position of chief executive.

Carter said he will be in the role full-time as he looks to develop the club's position in the community as well as remaining in charge of first-team affairs.