This was a rather lacklustre game which saw the visitors pull us back twice to deny the Millers the three points to stay up with the pace at the top of the table.

Injuries throughout the game plighted the Millers and made it an even more difficult match than if those first team starters stayed on the pitch. Jeremiah Maja went off in the early stages and Nick Skelton then also went off at half time both due to leg injuries.

Millers new signing Ross Gleed got us off to a flyer, he raced down the left hand side put a cross into the mix where Jeremiah Maja was but Witham Town centre half Lance Akins got their first and turned it past his own keeper to put us ahead. Aveley 1-0 Witham Town.

The game lacked enthusiasm and fluency and the next real chance that came was Witham Town's equaliser. A clearance went awry and it found Tim Monsheju who headed in unmarked from six-yards out into the bottom left hand corner. Aveley 1-1 Witham Town.

Next chance of the game was very soon after the equaliser, John Watson tried his luck from a long way out and it went a long way over the bar too.

Adalberto Pinto found Jeremiah Maja but his shot was fired just over the bar, during that shot he seemed to either get a whack or he pulled strained something in his leg, and it looked to be a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Jordan Peart who just returned after suffering chicken pox.

Adalberto Pinto was in the thick of the action minutes after being awarded a yellow card for a late tackle, from a Billy Coyne corner he saw his effort cleared off the line from Ryan Imbert to keep the scores level.

Half Time | Aveley 1-1 Witham Town

To start of the second half there was a 20 minute period of just bizarre decisions which annoyed both sets of fans. The first was for us, Jordan Peart was going to get on the end of a pass through by Ross Gleed, he was blocked off and obstructed however the free-kick went the other way.

No free-kick was awarded and nothing looking to have happened so it must of been something verbal that a Witham Town player had said. The referee went over to his linesmen on the near side and spent a good minute talking through a decision eventually awarding a yellow card.

The game lacked fluidity and it's certainly wasn't helped by the amount of time each free-kick took for both sides.

Witham had a couple of 50/50 chances Usman Adjenji didn't get the proper connection on the ball from a tight angle to send it towards our goal. Lewis Payne however for the visitors connected too well as his edge of the area volley went sailing over the bar.

We went searching for that second goal to try and win it as Terry Spillane played his hand by bringing on a striker for a midfielder. A Billy Coyne whipped corner was headed just wide aided by a deflection by Gaz Dauti. Joe Clark took that resulting corner and his cross needed to be tipped over by Witham keeper Paul Adu.

Jack Edwards almost put us deservedly infront, Paul Adu was lively a rather charmed life as his punch was put back into the box by Tunde Adewunmi of which Jack Edwards stole in and almost got us ahead at Mill Field, but Adu just recovered in time to put the ball behind.

From that corner we finally got our noses back in front. Harry Gibbs smashed towards goal with a right footed pile driver, Adu just palmed it away as far as Tommy Spillane who shot again towards goal, but that effort was diverted into goal by Dan Odamo at the back post! Aveley 2-1 Witham Town.

However, the game had one last sting in it's tale. A cross from the left found Usman Adenji with he cruellest of sucker punches. Perhaps on reflection a point would've been a fair result, but after getting our noses ahead twice it does feel a little bit like two points dropped in this one. Aveley 2-2 Witham Town.

Full Time | Aveley 2-2 Witham Town