Aveley 2, Farnborough 1

AVELEY pulled Vanarama National League South hope out of the fire with two late goals at Parkside on Saturday (25 January).

Things looked bleak for Danny Scopes side as they trailed with four minutes to go but then Hamza Bin-Schaluka found the net and as the match ebbed into added time and Tyrese Owen secured three desperate needed three points.

The issues facing Scopes and his management team to put a side together at this level were illustrated in the build up to Saturday's (25 January) match with news that highly-rated Josh Anifowose has joined Eastbourne Borough on a full-time deal.

He became the sixth Aveley player to depart on a full time basis in this campaign. 

Before him Eduino Vaz and Siju Odelusi went to Sutton United, Arjanit Krasniqi and Matt Rush to Maidstone United and Jon Benton to Solihull Moors.

Anifowose joined Millers in the summer of 2024 prior to the start of this current season, and went on to make 26 appearances, scoring four and assisting on three occasions.

Aveley made a bright start and Brooklyn Kabongolo had an early opportunity when he sprang the visiting defence but he put his shot wide of the left hand post.

And on nine minutes Razzaq Coleman De-Graft slips in Hamza Semakula but his effort was brilliantly denied by Farnborough keeper Jack Turner. 

The visitors were restricted to a few long shots and it was Millers who looked the most likely, with David Kawa setting up Jason Ring who fired wide.

On 23 minutes Jaxon Brown looked to be in behind the Farnborough defence but brilliant goalkeeping from Turner saw hime clear his line. 

At the other end Millers failed to clear the ball and almost paid the price but Pendlebury firedan inch wide of the right hand post. 

Ring then saved his side with a last ditch tackle, putting the ball behind for the first corner of the game. 

However, on the half hour the goal that Farnborough were threatening arrived when Aaron Kuhl fired the ball home from close range for a lead that the visitors took into the break.

Aveley were on the front foot from the start of the second half and pressed Farbborough back, but several chances went begging.

A combination of time-wasting and lengthy injury stoppages frustrated Millers and with the clock ticking down to four minutes left it looked like another disappointing afternoon.

But then Bin-Schaluka bent in a long range effort and, with the match on the brink of added time Owen found the net from close range to spark huge celebrations in the home camp.

Danny Scopes' post match verdict:

Millers are on the road to Surrey to take on Dorking Wanderers on Tuesday (28 January).