3-1 down with eight minutes remaining, goals from Kyle Asante and two from Leader ensured the Millers picked up their first league win in seven.

After shipping five against Dereham last time Aveley made the trip to Norfolk, it looked as though they were in for a similar hiding here when Joseph Marsden’s retaken penalty and Aaron Taylor’s deflected effort put the Yachtsman 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.

Aveley ended the first half encouragingly without being able to score, but after a half time rollicking from Gardner the Millers came back fighting with Asante reducing the arrears before the hour.

That goal looked to have put Aveley back before Wroxham sprung a counter attack which was finished expertly by Remy Gordon, before Aveley staged their comeback.

The relief on manager Justin Gardner’s face was clear for all to see at Trafford Park as the final whistle blew as his side showed there’s still some fight left in them despite their recent run of poor form and despite losing their top scorer, Junior Appiah, to Ryman North rivals Maldon.

But after making the long trip to the Norfolk broads it looked like it was going to be another wasted journey after just 20 minutes.

Last weekend Aveley found themselves 2-0 down within 13 minutes. On this occasion they lasted seven minutes longer but will feel unfortunate with the goals they conceded.

The first for Wroxham was from the penalty spot after Joe Marsden got the wrong side of Jay Leader before being brought down in the area.

Marsden brushed himself off to take the penalty which was initially saved by Jack Giddens only for the referee to order a retake for encroachment. Marsden didn’t make the same mistake second time around, smashing the ball into the top corner to give the home side the lead.

The penalty saw Aveley all at sixes and sevens as Wroxham attacked at will, with Remy Gordon having two chances to increase the host’s lead.

First he sliced a back post effort high into the sky after a good run and cross from Aaron Sanders. Then the striker latched onto a poor cross field pass from Alfred Kamara to be through on goal only for Jack Giddens to save well at the striker’s feet.

But the stay of execution didn’t last long as Wroxham doubled their advantage from a corner. The initial cross was bundled clear, but only as far as Aaron Taylor. The centre half smashed the ball towards goal only for it to deflect off the back of Klaus Svekis to deceive the diving Giddens.

The Millers were in danger of another Norfolk hiding if they weren’t careful but they began to come into the match midway through the half as the wind picked up and penned Wroxham in.

And before the break they were unable to take any of five chances created before the break with Ade Osifuwa, Petrit Elbi, Kamara and Aryan Takbakhsh all having good opportunities to score.

Osifuwa managed to beat Aaron Cranfield but not Sanders who cleared the ball off the line. Petrit Elbi then forced Cranfield into a smart save with his first time effort across goal before flicking a header just past the far post.

Kamara should have done better when Cranfield spilled the ball to him six yards out but he skied over before Tajbakhsh’s free kick was saved by the diving Cranfield as we reached the break.

The encouraging way the Millers had ended the half gave them hope of staging a comeback and they began the second half the way they ended the first with Elbi swinging one just wide on the turn.

And within 10 minutes Aveley were back in it when Tajbakhsh’s free kick was cleared back to him, the midfielder’s first time ball back in fell to Kyle Asante who smashed past Cranfield to make it 2-1 after 54 minutes.

It was now all Aveley as they pushed for an equaliser and Femi Orenuga went close after beating Marsden brilliantly before curling his effort just over from a tight angle.

But with 25 minutes remaining all the hard work the Millers had put in to get back in the match was undone by some sloppy play by Nathan Koranteng.

The second half sub dallied on the ball and was dispossessed by Tim Cary allowing Wroxham to spring a counter attack. The ball was played into Fernando Vide who found Gordon wide left as the striker struck high into the roof of the net to restore Wroxham’s two goal advantage.

There was still some fight left in Gardner’s side though with that goal seeing the introduction of Anton Stephenson, replacing Elbi, and 10 minutes after being brought on the player/coach set the stage for Aveley’s comeback.

On the turn Stephenson dug out a cross into the area which bounced kindly for Asante who, without a seconds though, drilled the ball into the net to make it 3-2 with eight minutes remaining.

It was now backs against the wall time for Wroxham as Aveley went in search of an unlikely point and they thought they’d had their chance when a corner from the right was headed towards goal by Leader only to be clawed away by Cranfield.

But moments later Aveley had another corner and this time went one better. As five minutes of injury time was indicated over the tannoy, Sam Holloway swung a left footed corner into the near post with Leader heading in to level the match.

After coming from two goals down most sides would have accepted the point, but in Aveley’s current form and league position one just wasn’t enough as they went in search of a winner which duly came through their talisman, Leader.

Koranteng was brought down by Wroxham captain Matthew Halliday wide on the left, giving Tajbakhsh the opportunity to swing one final ball into the box.

The Millers captain whipped one low towards the near post which Leader got a toe to, with the slightest of touches being enough to deceive Cranfield and find the net to complete the remarkable turnaround.

With a couple of minutes stoppage time still remaining Wroxham still had one final chance to snatch a point for themselves when Cary was brought down by Asante on the right.

The free kick from Gordon though was over hit, sailing over everyone and going wide at Giddens’ far post as the Millers held on for a precious three points.

“The boys were in need of a confidence lifter and that was the perfect way to answer that” said assistant manager Mickie Leslie at full time.

“They never stopped fighting even when we went 2-0 down we showed good character to keep in the game.

“When we went in for the interval we had one or two words and changed one or two things on the system and it paid off.”

Man of the match Kyle Asante said “today was the turning point” when asked if this was a result and a performance the club could build on.

“Today was massive. We’ve been a month or more where we didn’t have a win so today we needed it.

“Justin pulled us in at half time, 2-0 down, and just explained we’ve got the die for him out there and in the second half I think that’s what we did.”

Aveley: Jack Giddens, Adetayo Osifuwa, Sam Holloway, Jay Leader, Marcus Rose, Brian Okwera, Aryan Tajbakhsh, Alfred Kamara (Nathan Koranteng 61’), Petrit Elbi (Anton Stephenson 72’), Kyle Asante, Femi Orenuga (Nick Azzopardi 66’)