Late Trenkel penalty rescues a point for Great Wakering (From Basildon Recorder)

Late Trenkel penalty rescues a point for Great Wakering

10:02am Saturday 9th February 2013 in Sport By James Colasanti

A STOPPAGE time penalty from Great Wakering player-manager Dan Trenkel rescued a point for his side at Stansted on Wednesday night but saw them lose ground in the title race.

It left Rovers five points behind Burnham Ramblers, who beat Southend Manor 2-0 on Tuesday.

Rovers and Ramblers have both now played 22 games, the former have a one-better goal difference, with 14 league games to go.

Rovers got off to a poor start on a sticky Stansted pitch when Tom LeMasurier's long range drive went straight through keeper Louis Godwin-Green’s hands to put the hosts in front on nine minutes.

The lead was short lived, however, as Danny Heale headed home the equaliser from a corner.

It was Heale’s eighth goal of the season but he missed a good chance to claim his ninth later in the half.

Rovers took control of the game in the second half, with Lewis Sparrow's volley brilliantly saved by keeper Brad Simpson, and from the corner a header from Trenkel rattled the bar.

But they were stunned seven minutes from time when Jeff Williams nodded in a corner at the far post to put Stansted back in front.

Stansted missed chances to put the game to bed, before Trenkel had the final word from the penalty spot, after a foul in the box.

Rovers have only lost one league game at home this season – to Ramblers – and they’ll look to maintain that impressive record when they host London Bari on Saturday.

Basildon United lost 0-1 at home to Haringey & Waltham Development on Wednesday in the first game played at the Cohart Stadium in a month.

The Bees are due to travel to London APSA on Saturday.

This time last year, Southend Manor were eyeing up the title, but an inconsistent campaign this time around featuring too many draws see them currently mid-table.

Russell Faulkner’s side will look to bounce back from that mid-week defeat to Ramblers when they host Haringey & Waltham Development at Southchurch Park.

Games involving Hullbridge Sports and Bowers & Pitsea were both postponed this week due to waterlogged pitches.

Bowers played Eton Manor in the league cup on on Thursday night and lost 3-2.

Sports are due to host Stansted tomorrow, while Bowers go to Bethnal Green United.