Cleaver’s winner six minutes from time was the odd goal in five that separated the two sides in a thoroughly entertaining contest between two of the Ryman North’s promotion candidates.

But the goal – Cleaver’s second of the game – was shrouded in controversy as he appeared to be offside when the ball was played through, with the linesman failing to raise his flag.

What had preceeded it was a spirited Aveley comeback after Gardner’s side had gone into the break two goals behind thanks to goals from Glen Golby and Cleaver.

Danny Hopkins brought the Millers back into it with a goal 10 minutes into the second period, and after Shane Oakley had missed a penalty that would have levelled the scores, Jay Leader’s stooping header set up a dramatic finish.

It was the fourth time Gardner had put a side out against Terry Spillane’s Maldon, with the pair’s most recent meeting coming in the play-off semi-finals last campaign, which Maldon won 3-1.

Following defeat to Tilbury on Saturday Gardner was disconsolate and wanted a reaction from his players, but they started sluggishly in the opening minutes which Gardner later put down to his team ‘feeling sorry for themselves’ following defeat in their local derby just 48 hours before.

And they were almost made to pay for that sluggish start as Maldon were the first to get a sight of goal and really should have taken the lead as early as the fifth minute.

A corner from the right saw Jacob Cleaver get a free header inside the six yard box, but the Maldon striker was unable to get a clean connection when he really should have scored, with the ball eventually dribbling into the hands of Jack Giddens.

Junior Appiah had just as good an opportunity for Aveley’s first opening of the game but he was unable to convert after Sammy Knott’s cut back caused a goalmouth scramble. Appiah then flashed a shot just over the cross bar moments later with Ross Wall drilling a shot just wide of Richard Wray’s left hand post match that was short of goal mouth chances in the opening exchanges.

But after both defences had remained so resolute for the majority of the half a set piece was the undoing of the Millers back line as Glen Golby, a former Miller, put the away side in front.

A free kick just off to the left was swung in towards the far post by Kevin McLeod. Golby got in front of his marker to head the ball back towards goal and in off the underside of the crossbar to give Terry Spillane’s side the lead as they approached the break.

Spillane would undoubtedly been happy going into the interval with a lead, but his joy was doubled as right on the 45 minute mark Maldon doubled their advantage on the break.

After a Millers attack had broken down a through ball right through the heart of the Aveley defence split the centre backs in two and allowed Jacob Cleaver through with Chris Bryan for company. Cleaver chose to go it alone and dinked the ball over the advancing Giddens to make it 2-0 at half time.

With the Millers two goals down the next goal in this game was going to be vital. McLeod, who had set up the opener for the away side, had an early chance to kill the game off as he curled a free kick from the edge of the area just over the cross bar.

But after disappointing in front of goal throughout the first half it was Aveley that got themselves back into this one when Danny Hopkins chanced his arm from the edge of the area.

After having the ball played into a central position, Hopkins cut inside onto his left allowing him to swipe a shot towards goal which bounced just in front of the diving Wray to deceive the Maldon ‘keeper and give the Millers a way back in.

The goal had put the bit between the teeth of Justin Gardner’s men with substitute Nurudeen Kallon getting into good crossing positions but unable to find the final ball.

With the Millers now on top all they needed was to carve out another chance in front of goal and they were awarded they opportunity in controversial circumstances when they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Appiah.

Appiah appeared to have been in an offside position when the ball was played into him and with Wray clattering the winger with no flag from his linesman the referee awarded a penalty. Substitute Shane Oakley stepped up to take the spot kick but his tame penalty was saved low to his right by Wray and arguably justice was done.

The penalty miss could have been the final nail in the Aveley coffin but Gardner’s side continued to push for an equaliser and less than two minutes after squandering the chance from the spot they got back on level terms through Jay Leader.

A free kick wide on the right was awarded for a late tackle on Kallon with Michael Begg stood over the ball. A whipped ball in by the Aveley number two found Leader who had stolen a march on his marker, allowing the centre back to flick the ball into the bottom corner and put the home side back on level terms and in with a chance of an unlikely turn around.

In the end it wasn’t to be as with six minutes of normal time remaining Maldon nicked a decisive third and left Gardner livid on the side-lines as he, like everyone else, called for an offside that never materialised.

McLeod picked the ball up in the centre before playing a ball straight down the middle of the Aveley back line. With Leader stepping up it left Cleaver and Joe Gardner through on goal unmarked.

Gardner appeared to be level whilst Cleaver was ahead of him and in an offside position, and Cleaver himself appeared to be expecting a flag, but when it didn’t come he slotted the ball past Giddens to give his side a vital three points.

Despite the late show there was still time for a penalty claim for a foul on Oakley by Golby, which looked more a penalty that the one that was given. Cleaver then saw his acrobatic attempt at a hat-trick be denied by the cross bar and with just seconds of added on time remaining Wray fumbled in the area but managed to put off Oakley enough for him not to hook the rebound into the unguarded net.

Despite the defeat, Gardner was bullish in his post-match interview saying “first half we deserved to go in losing because I thought we were shocking.”

“Second half, we’ve battered them. If it was a boxing match they would’ve been knocked out loads of times. It was different class second half.”

“It’s a shame because as a team we’d worked so hard to get back into the game” said player/coach Adam Flanagan.

“It was a little bit of a sucker punch really. It was a debateable offside decision that’s really cost us the points. But there’s a lot of positives to take from it and for me that has to be the benchmark, that second half performance” concluded the centre half.

Aveley: Jack Giddens, Michael Begg, Teddy Nesbitt, Jay Leader, Adam Flanagan, Danny Hopkins, Sammy Knott (Nurudeen Kallon 46’), Billy Holland (c), Ross Wall (Shane Oakley 66’), Jason Twum (Kabir Jeetoo 59’), Junior Appiah