Walthamstow 1-2 Wroxham

Walthamstow’s play-off hopes took a further hit as a late Ryan Hawkins penalty earned Wroxham all three points at Wadham Lodge.

This was a rearranged fixture after a floodlight failure caused the original game to be abandoned. Stow were leading 3-0 after an hour of that game, so in the odd way that football works, most Walthamstow fans were bracing themselves for defeat against a resurgent Wroxham.

But after five minutes it looked like they had little to worry about. Louie Johnson helped a clearance on to right winger Tyrone Baker, who slotted home, marking his debut with a goal after signing from Royston Town.

Five minutes later Baker could have made it two after latching onto a ball over the top, but his effort was well saved by the legs of Tom Coombe in the Wroxham goal.

From then on it was one-way traffic. Bilal Sayoud had a good shot on goal blocked, and Johnson blazed wide when through on goal.

As was the case in Saturday’s defeat to Brightlingsea, Stow looked in complete control, only to be punished for sloppy play at the back. A tame Wroxham shot was blocked, but Jordan Forbes reacted quickest and drilled low into the bottom corner.

After levelling, Wroxham grew in confidence, despite having little of the ball. Walthamstow’s best chance of the second half came with Coombe pulled off a brilliant fingertip save, diving to his right to deflect Baker’s rocket of a shot from the edge of the box onto the post.

And so it would come to the 92nd minute, when more sloppy play at the back from Walthamstow ended in Ben Lewis being tripped by Dwight Pascal. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and Ryan Hawkins did the needful from 12 yards.

To rub salt in the wounds, as the final whistle blew Stow fans found out that Brightlingsea Regent – currently fifth – had lost 1-0 at bottom club Ipswich Wanderers.

Walthamstow travel to managerless Sporting Bengal on Saturday, but time is fast running out for them to get back in the play-off picture.