Potters Bar Town 2, Aveley 3

AN exciting climax saw Aveley's improved form result in an away win and more points in their bid to climb the Isthmian Premier table on Saturday (25 October) – and as a result they sit ninth, with matches in hand on all but one of the eight above them.

It was Millers' first league away match and they started on the front foot, and a corner from Jayden Robinson found the head of Millers captain Ryan Henshaw, who directed his header towards goal but saw it flick the top of the crossbar.

Potters Bar, looking to kick-start their season and secure just their third win in 15 matches, had a golden opportunity through David Re. The winger got in behind, but Joe Wright produced an excellent save to deny him.

A quarter of an hour in, Millers opened the scoring. Top goalscorer Suley Zuhdu continued his fine form - after netting twice on Tuesday night against Colchester United - by getting in behind, muscling off the defender, and firing his effort into the bottom right-hand corner.

The visitors pushed for a second, and Jayden Gipson took aim from 20 yards after being teed up by Ollie Peters, but his effort flew over the crossbar. Ryan Charles nearly connected with forward Chris Harris, but Chris just couldn't get on the end of it.

With five minutes left in the half, those two combined again—this time it was Harris who slipped Charles through on goal. The winger applied a composed finish with the outside of his left foot to double Aveley's lead.

Aveley continued to create chances before the break. Zuhdu cut inside and fired a shot, but the Bar keeper was equal to it. Moments later, the keeper came off his line and collided with Peters, who reached the ball first. However, with two defenders covering behind him, the goalkeeper escaped a booking.

Just a couple of minutes into the second half, it was game on as Potters Bar pulled one back through winger Nana Kyei. Nana, an ex-Miller who made 41 appearances for Aveley in the 2023/24 season -scoring six and assisting four - returned to haunt his former side with a deflected shot that beat Wright.

Despite the hosts enjoying plenty of possession, Aveley still had chances to kill the game off. Harris saw an effort from the edge of the area take a deflection, but it landed safely in the arms of Burbridge. Zuhdu did excellent work down the left-hand side, zipping in a dangerous ball that only needed a tap-in, but no one could get on the end of it.

Potters Bar had two glorious chances to level the score. Wright denied a near-post header after a corner was met with power, saving well to keep Aveley ahead. Moments later, another effort was deflected just past the left-hand post.

Aveley nearly sealed the win again when Zuhdu found George Saunders with ten minutes to go. The ball forced Saunders wide, and his shot from a narrow angle zipped past the right-hand post.

Rowan Liburd had another chance to put the game to bed after being played through by Peters, but his effort spun wide of the left-hand post. Charles recycled the ball from a corner and whipped it across the box - only needing a touch - but the hosts managed to hack it off the line to stay in the contest.

Five minutes were added on, and just one minute into stoppage time, Aveley finally grabbed a third. Peters ran in behind and applied a composed left-footed finish across the keeper into the bottom left-hand corner.

That should have been game over, but Nana Kyei had other ideas. He picked up the ball 25 yards out and curled in a sensational strike that beat Wright and found the top corner

However, the hosts' second came too late, as Aveley dealt with a few desperate crosses into the box and secured their third win in a week heading into a tough trip league trip to Dulwich Hamlet on Tuesday (28 October) evening.