Aveley 4, Whitehawk 2

AVELEY continued their fine home form with a dominant Isthmian Premier performance which perhaps should have been more comfortable against mid-table Whitehawk, extending the hosts' unbeaten home run to 12 games.

Inside ten minutes, Aveley opened the scoring, from back-to-front in a blink of an eye. Goalkeeper Jonathan North threw out quickly to Toby Aromolaran, who slotted a great ball for Liam Nash to get on the end of and he applied the finish.

One was quickly two with Nash doubling his tally eight minutes later. George Wind centred for Nash, who found the goal with his head.

The hosts looked set to run off with the game, with Matty Johnson and Jaden Robinson denied in quick succession by Lennon MacLorg in the Whitehawk goal. But the game took a twist through Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. The former Arsenal and Football League player curled in an unstoppable beauty that no keeper could have saved to pull the Hawks back into the game out of absolutely nothing.

Aveley were straight back to it after that wonder strike and looked for their third. Five minutes to go before the half-time whistle, Millers found that two-goal cushion again. Nash received the ball in the box and placed the ball perfectly with his left foot into the top right-hand corner to complete the perfect hat-trick.

Manager Brett Munyard's post match view:-

The opening exchanges of the second half saw Aveley up the level and they were relentless in looking for another goal. Jesse Nwabueze and Aromolaran both had efforts blocked and scrambled away. Nash was then denied a fourth after a nice interchange between George Wind and Nash saw Nash have a chance for an effort but it was blocked well.

Aveley did find a fourth through a stunning free-kick by Nwabueze. The winger was fouled, he picked himself up and fired an unbelievable free-kick into the top right-hand corner from 25 yards out.

It was just one way traffic and the high-flying Millers should and could have made it more emphatic. Ryan Charles got on the end of a pass across the box but his rasping effort was a whisker over the crossbar. Aromolaean got in behind and looked to find Nwabueze but it was cut out at the last second.

Whitehawk managed to add a second of their own through Destiny Ojo who found himself with the freedom of Parkside and slammed his effort home from close range to give the travelling Hawks a glimmer of hope.

It could've been more comfortable for Aveley after that Whitehawk second, but Aromolaran saw his glanced effort go inches wide of the right hand post. George Saunders latched onto a ball in the box but his effort went over the crossbar.

The win sets Aveley up for next week's league derby at Billericay Town - likely to be something of a grudge match after the Essex Senior Cup controversy between the sides.