Great Wakering Rovers gave themselves a giant push up the Ryman League Third Division table last night with a superb 2-1 win at Essex rivals Tilbury.

It was the village side's seventh game in all competitions without defeat and sets them up superbly for a run of two successive home games against sides lower down in the table.

The win was all the mopre impressive because Tilbury went into the game as joint leaders.

Rovers played some good football and were worth their success, but still had to rely on some outstanding goalkeeping from Dave Hudson, who earned man-of-the-match ratings, to achieve their victory.

Rovers were up against a Tilbury side managed by Tony Cross who, as manager of Bowers United, had pipped them for Schweppes Essex Senior League championship and cup honours last season.

The Dockers fielded a number of ex-Bowers players and one, Mark Hardingham in the home goal, pulled off a 17th-minute save to keep out Neville Hickton's well-struck low free-kick.

Five minutes later Paul Flack headed just over from Jimmy Ablitt's right-wing cross, but another ex-Bowers man, striker Simon Deakin, went close for Tilbury soon after.

Wakering took the lead 10 minutes before the break when Micky Munro found Mark Hampshire, whose inch-perfect pass was despatched to the back of the net by the ever-reliable Flack.

As Rovers took control after the break, Hickton and Hampshire might have added to the tally. Then Khan Stevens, after a delightful solo run, shot just over after 73 minutes.

Stevens, however, was not to be denied and, set-up by Flack, made it 2-0 from close range after 88 minutes.

Tilbury pulled back a goal in injury-time through Del Francois, but Wakering were well worth their success as they became the first opposition to win at St Chad's in the league this season.

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