Saturday 15th January 2022
ISTHMIAN NORTH DIVISION
BRENTWOOD TOWN 1 - 0 GREAT WAKERING ROVERS
By Joe Harris
It was the late late show for the Blues on Saturday afternoon. Daniel Ogunleye came off the bench late into the game and sealed a huge 3 points for Brentwood, with an injury time winner and some cracking celebrations to go with it.
After Tuesday's crazy opening 25 minutes you would be forgiven for thinking this game was a bit of a slow burner. There was little to report in the first half and neither side really managed to ever get a foothold on the game, with both teams only managing a couple of half chances each.
It looked like Rod Stringer’s half time team talk had done the job, as Brentwood came out with a bit more intent early in the second half. Straight from kick off Tom Richardson picked up the ball and drove at the visitors’ defence, but he was unable to test the keeper in the end with a fairly tame effort outside of the box. A few minutes later Ash Nzala ran onto a good ball over the top but was eventually crowded out in the box by a couple of defenders and his shot was blocked – It was much brighter from Brentwood though.
The game was always a pretty even affair and Great Wakering managed to grow back into things once the hour mark passed. Defender Jermaine Anderson beat his man and had a shot just inside the box saved comfortably by Ollie Bowles. Wakering’s number 7 Alex Clark looked to cause Town a bit of trouble in the second half, and he almost put together a great move in the 67th minute. Clark span his man down the right flank and surged into the box but his cross was blocked well in the end – it looked dangerous and the visitors were starting to become a bit more dominant. A few minutes later and it was Clark again causing Brentwood problems down the right side, although his effort on goal ended up going well over the bar.
With 82 minutes on the clock Great Wakering won a free kick about 35 yards out. Ben Brookes stepped up and had a lovely effort on goal tipped over by Ollie Bowles - a crucial save in the end.
The points looked set to be shared as the game reached its latter stages. Both teams probably would’ve taken a point and seen it as a fair result, but it was most definitely not a game for the archives… that was until Dan Ogunleye’s injury time heroics. With the game into the 92nd minute Brentwood won a free kick down the left-hand side and looked to get the ball into the box in the hope of one last chance. The ball was floated into the box and eventually fell to Andy Freeman who fizzed a great ball across the goalmouth, finding an unmarked Ogunleye who knocked the ball in from close range.
Great drama at the end and some great celebrations from the boys in blue, a massive 3 points and back up into the play-off spots. It wasn’t Brentwood’s best game by any means, but it’s the sign of a good team when you still come out with 3 points in the end!
Brentwood Town: 13 Ollie Bowles, 2 James Love, 3 Andrew Freeman, 4 Josh Gray, 5 Matt Cripps, 6 Jack Humphrey, 7 Rob Harvey, 8 Jack Dickinson (Freddie Gard 46'), 9 Tom Richardson, 10 George Craddock, 11 Ashley Nzala (Daniel Ogunleye 85')
