Swifts 3, Aveley 1

FOOTBALL: AVELEY returned from a trip to North Essex empty handed and with their shortcomings laid bare by a rampant Heybridge Swifts.

Justin Gardner’s side certainly weren’t outplayed by the Ryman One North’s in-form side – indeed, they were the better side for much of the game – but defensive frailties and a lack of potency going forward put pain to the Millers efforts.

Swifts - who have now won their last five on the spin - took the lead seconds into the second half at Scraley Road, but were pegged back ten minutes later by Junior Appiah – one of just a few Millers man who does know where the goal is – before poor defending handed the advantage and the points to the hosts.

After the match, Gardner accepted the need to strengthen in certain areas if Aveley - now 11th in the league - are to continue to challenge for a play off place, but also felt aggrieved at the harsh 3-1 scoreline.

The game started slowly with Millers eventually enjoying the best of a poor first half, but neither side sufficiently tested the two goalkeepers.

In the second half though, Swifts goal-hungry duo up front quenched their appetite - as they do so often.

Within 50 seconds of the second half beginning, Luke Callander teed up Michael Cheek who fired low past Giddens from 10 yards.

Minutes later, Nathan Korateng forced Danny Sambridge into a great save, with the former Witham Town keeper palming the ball onto the post. But in the 56th minute, Appiah had Millers back on terms. He collected a pass from Aryan Tajbakhsh – a first half replacement for the injured Ibrahim Manasary – after he had made a driving run at the Swifts back four. Appiah, 18 yards from goal, cushioned the ball before striking it low across Sambridge Appiah then squandered the opportunity to put Millers in front, as he blazed over a chance from eight yards.

In the 73rd minute, Callander, the league’s top goal-scorer and last year’s golden boot winner, found himself with acres of space in the middle of the penalty area as Amass’s corner evaded a cluster of players at the near post, leaving the striker with a simple header.

As Millers pushed for a late leveller, Tajbakhsh committed a foul on the edge of the Swifts box. Sambridge picked out Callander with a long free-kick. The striker controlled it and turned Suliman Bangura, before floating the ball exquisitely over the head of Giddens to make it 3-1 in the 89th minute.

“We didn’t deserve to lose that game,” Gardner said. “We probably didn’t deserve to win it, but it definitely wasn’t a 3-1 but that’s just our luck at the moment.

“I’m desperate for a centre-half, it’s been a big problem position. I brought in someone [Bangura] and I don’t think he had the best of debuts to be honest.

“I’m working on bringing in a big striker on loan this week – that will probably shock a few people. We’ve got strikers who aren’t taking their chances. Our top goal scorer is Junior Appiah who’s in the form of his life, but he’s a winger, so that’s a concern.

“It’s hard for me to very upset, but I know what the problems are, but it’s not easy with the finances we have.”

Aveley: Giddens; O'Rawe, Holloway, Leader, Bangura; Manasary (Tajbakhsh), Okwera; Nesbitt (Gayle), Appiah, Korateng; Oakley (Yussuf). Gazette MoM: Luke Callander.