Two goals in two first half minutes for Appiah set the platform for another Millers victory as the sides went into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.

Aveley were in control for most of the second half with Jack Giddens hardly being tested, but nerves were jangled when former player Gbenga Sonuga scored with seven minutes remaining.

A nervy finish was calmed somewhat when Jason Twum scored in the final minute of normal time to consolidate the Millers’ league placing ahead of their F.A. Cup game on Saturday.

After naming an unchanged side for their 1-0 win over Romford 48 hours earlier, Justin Gardner made four changes this time around for the bank holiday trip to Brentwood.

All three substitutes from the Romford win, Kadir Jama, Anton Stephenson and Ross Wall, made way for Sosthene Yao, Shane Oakley and the injured Danny Hopkins.

With Michael Begg still out with a foot injury and Kallon Nurudeen coming down with food poisoning the morning of the game, the fourth and final change to Gardner’s line up was for Nurudeen to be replaced by Mathias Bakare for his first start of the season in an unfamiliar position at right back.

With the exception of the opening day defeat of Wroxham, Aveley have been slow starters in their league games thus far and despite Bradley Thomas dragging a brilliant early chance wide Gardner was screaming from the side-lines that his side were too flat whilst asking them to pick up the pace.

They were indebted to their goalkeeper, Jack Giddens, for making sure they weren’t punished for their slow start as the Millers number one made a smart double save early on – first keeping out Junior Lawrence before getting up quickly to stop James Love from smashing in the rebound.

With neither side able to get a foothold on the game, as we reached the half hour mark you didn’t know where a goal was likely to come from.

But as they say about London buses – you wait ages for one and then two come along at once – as a double from Junior Appiah set the Millers on their way towards a third league win in a row with two goals in two minutes.

The first came from a lovely flowing move from the away side as Wall played the ball inside to Stephenson.

Appiah, seeing an opening, began a lung bursting run behind the Brentwood back line where they had left acres of space, with Stephenson finding him perfectly. Appiah’s first touch drew out Rhys Madden with the winger’s second touch used to dink the ball over the goalkeeper to give the Millers the lead.

Before the hosts could settle back into the match after going a goal behind, Appiah doubled Aveley’s advantage with 34 minutes on the clock.

After Stephenson had caused some confusion in the Brentwood penalty area, a hurried clearance found its way to Jama who then clipped a ball towards the far post. Appiah brought the ball down well on the stretch before playing a lovely one-two with Okwera, allowing Appiah to strike the ball first time into the top corner to make it 2-0 as we went into the break.

With a seemingly comfortable two goal lead going into the second half the emphasis was on the home side to try and force some pressure on the Millers, but it was a half that lacked in cutting edge from either side.

Jason Twum – who came on late in the first half for the injured Wall – forced a decent save from Madden after striking with the outside of his right boot from just outside the area, as Aveley looked to put the win beyond doubt. But this was the closest either side had to come to scoring a third goal in this contest.

But with seven minutes remaining Aveley were made to sweat for their three points as a former player reduced the arrears.

A foul by Okwera gave Brentwood a free kick just inside the Aveley half. Jake Cass took it quickly to send Robbie Rees down the left wing with the Millers still setting themselves for the set piece.

The loss in concentration allowed Rees to play a low ball into the centre which reached Gbenga Sonuga to fire home from close range to set up a nervy climax.

With Brentwood on the front foot in search of an unlikely equaliser Giddens was called upon to make sure they didn’t get a second, having to show quick reactions to keep out Stephen Carvell.

But as we entered the final minute Twum made the points safe with a neat finish across the face the Brentwood goalkeeper to make it 3-1 to the visitors.

After a Brentwood attack had broken down a hacked clearance from Teddy Nesbitt fell to Sosthene Yao who then laid the ball off to Appiah. A long ball from the Aveley winger was brought down well by Twum who used his pace to generate space between himself and Sonuga before smartly putting the ball into the bottom corner.

Speaking about the nervy ending to the game, player/coach Adam Flanagan said “when a team score quite late on and it’s a close match it can get a bit nerve-wracking.”

“Even though the other team’s in front it spurs the other team on. So it was quite comforting when the forwards can take a goal like Jason did, he took his chance really well to finish it off. It killed their hopes and gave us some breathing space in the final few minutes.”

Head coach Glenn Robson also said after the game “I think we dominated the game without playing great.”

“We were ok, we worked extremely hard and I think at the end with tired legs and minds switching off we nearly paid the price. We needed the third goal to kill the game. His (Jason Twum’s) movement was excellent and his finish was equally as good.”

Jack Giddens, Mathias Bakare, Teddy Nesbitt, Adam Flanagan, Bradley Thomas, Brian Okwera, Ross Wall (Jason Twum 44’), Billy Holland (c) (Jake McIntyre 67’), Anton Stephenson (Sosthene Yao 60’), Kadir Jama, Junior Appiah