We kicked off our home campaign on Tuesday night as we welcomed Great Wakering Rovers to The Sir Bobby Moore Sports Hub.

Athletic Newham came flying out of the blocks, showing early attacking intent, but it wasn’t long before the visitors settled in and began to control the opening period. Great Wakering Rovers created a handful of chances but were denied by a combination of sharp goalkeeping and wayward finishing, keeping the score level at 0-0.

It took about 30 minutes for Athletic Newham to fully find their rhythm and take hold of the game. We came close on several occasions, but Great Wakering held firm. Then, just before the break and against the run of play, the visitors found the breakthrough.

The second half saw both teams largely cancel each other out, with neither goalkeeper truly tested — that is, until the final 15 minutes. Athletic Newham turned up the pressure with wave after wave of attack.

The breakthrough finally came deep into stoppage time — the 97th minute, to be exact — when Anderson Silva Baro played the ball out wide to Remarie Lawrence, whose low, driven cross found Chuks Uzor in the box. He turned sharply and buried the equaliser to make it 1-1!

Next up, we pause league action as we shift our focus to the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round, where we welcome Sevenoaks Town to The Sir Bobby Moore Sports Hub.