Blues seek to come back from loss against Aveley with cup tie win

5:13pm Tuesday 18th November 2008

Ryman League Division 1 North:
Brentwood Town 2 Aveley 3

This meeting of the only two unbeaten sides in the division went the way of the visitors, with ex-Brentwood striker Sean Thomas coming off the Aveley bench to score a late winner.

This result and others in the league mean Brentwood are now in fourth place behind Ware, Aveley and Waltham Abbey — although Brentwood do have a game in hand on the three teams above them.

It was another former Brentwood player, Joao Carlos, who set up Aveley’s opening goal in the tenth minute when his cross was turned in by Garry Skerritt.

That was the only real chance at either end in the first 20 minutes but Brentwood slowly clawed their way into the match and their first real opportunity fell to Steve Good, who shot over when Miller’s keeper James Marrable dropped a Riki Holmes’ corner.

Joel Barnett was unlucky with a snap-shot just wide of the Brentwood goal after half an hour, but the home team were beginning to look more likely to score with forwards Steve Wareham and Sherwin Stanley linking up well.

When Wareham got to a Stanley cross in the 36th minute, Aveley were grateful for a timely headed clearance from centre back John Maskell. Then Wareham was thwarted at close range by Marrable as he tried to convert another cross from Stanley.

Brentwood should have been level in the 43rd minute when Wareham put Stanley through but the forward sliced the chance well wide with only Marrable to beat.

Brentwood keeper Billy McMahon then made a good save to keep out Skerritt just before half time.

The second half was excellent entertainment for the crowd of 215. It began with Steve Wareham equalising for Brentwood just 28 seconds after the restart. Stanley cleverly dummied allowing Wareham to go through and beat Marrable with an accomplished finish.

It was end-to-end football from then on. McMahon had to tip over the bar an awkward long ball into the box from Aveley’s Ryan Doyle while Marrable blocked another Stanley effort, a chance again set up by Wareham.

Aveley were back in front in the 61st minute when Skerritt found space and scored his second goal of the afternoon with a good header into the top corner.

It could have been 3-1 almost immediately but McMahon made his second good save as Barnett got clear.

The action was unrelenting at this stage and Brentwood missed a spate of chances in the next few minutes. Lee Perry, Stanley and Wareham, twice, were close to scoring but were denied by Marrable and some desperate clearances.

But Stanley restored parity in the 66th minute. Marrable slipped as he cleared up field and the ball was seized on by Stanley who scored with a fine finish over the stranded keeper’s head.

Brentwood now looked the most likely winners until Thomas popped up to score in the 81st minute, clipping the ball over McMahon.

Brentwood Town: McMahon, Wilson, Glozier, Good, Blewitt, Street (Parratt 88), Holmes, Symons, Stanley, Wareham, Perry

Brentwood are in action tonight, Tuesday, as they play in the first round of the Isthmian League Cup. Kick off, at home against Potters Bar Town, is at 7.45pm.