STEVE BUTTERWORTH’S lob eleven minutes from time sealed Aveley’s sixth win in eight games to move them up to eighth in the table, the highest they have been since the end of September.
After a goalless first half Ryan Edgar put the visitors ahead before Tommy Tyne’s header levelled the scores on 71 minutes but Butterworth took advantage of keeper Tony Kessell’s weak header on 79 minutes, which fell to the former Dartford winger and he delicately lobbed the ball over the defence to nestle into the back of the net.
On a difficult pitch both sides struggled with the hard surface to begin with but the visitors had the better of the opening half.
Martin Tuohy just failed to get onto a teasing Butterworth cross before he should have been awarded a penalty when shoved in the back on the goal-line by home skipper Mark Willy.
The home side finally got into the match and created their first real chance after 37 minutes with George Porter forcing a near post save from Ollie Morris-Sanders.
Porter and Leigh Bremner had late headed chances for the hosts but on both occasions they were unable to find the target.
And in the dying seconds of the half Sherwin Stanley failed to get a strong connection on his effort easily saved by Kessell and Ryan Edgar shot straight at the former Dartford stopper to keep the scores level going into the break.
Aveley came out all guns blazing for the second half and a great move resulted in the opener.
Matt Johnson’s searching cross field ball found Butterworth who in turn fed Ryan Edgar and the former Canvey man slotted low past Kessell.
In a space of two minutes after their opener, Butterworth had decent opportunities but he saw his first effort sky over the bar and his second denied by the onrushing keeper for a corner.
And from the resulting corner Tuohy fired his header over the bar.
But it was the Millers’ inability to convert these chances that ultimately proved costly.
Debutant Jack Clark’s free kick found the head of Tommy Tyne who headed past Morris-Sanders, who was in two minds whether to come or not and in the end was in no man’s land for Tyne to net his third of the season.
This lifted the home side but Morris-Sanders made amends with a fine save, pushing Bremner’s effort behind for a corner.
Butterworth missed another chance for the visitors after being found unmarked by a perfect Matt Johnson cross but minutes later he was to score probably his hardest chance of the night.
Again it was Johnson’s cross field ball that caused the problems with Kessell’s headed clearance only finding Butterworth before he delicately lobbed the keeper for his third of the campaign
But there was still time for the home side to go close and with two minutes left they should have had a penalty when Clark was pulled down by Wayne Semanshia in the box only for the referee to allow play to continue.
It was bad news for the Millers late on even though they were able to hold on to win, with top scorer Martin Tuohy going off after pulling his hamstring, leaving boss Rod Stringer with one fit striker with an already threadbare squad.
Aveley: Ollie Morris Sanders, Wayne Semanshia, Sam Holloway, Nicky Symons, Ryan Doyle, Michael Alaile, Ryan Edgar, Matt Johnson, Sherwin Stanley, Martin Tuohy (Darren Quinton 93), Steve Butterworth (Junior Dadson 90).
Subs not used: Tony Russell, Stephen Demetriou.