Boro Wrap Up Pre-Season With Win

Romford 2, Barkingside 0

Report by Bob Knightley

Romford completed their pre-season friendly programme with a confidence boosting victory, running out 2-0 winners over Thurlow Nunn league Barkingside at Noak Hill.

Romford took an early lead when, in the 4th minute, Finlay Dorrell broke into the left of the Barkingside penalty area and fired a powerful shot that beat the visitors' 'keeper at the near post. On 10 minutes, a corner from the left led to two Romford shots being blocked before the ball fell to Sonny Shilling, whose effort found a gap in the Barkingside defence to double Boro's lead.

At that point, it looked as if Boro would run up a big score, with Dorrell on the left and Charlie Morris on the opposite flank always looking dangerous when on the ball, combining well with Jamie Hursit and Henry Hart respectively. As the half went on, Barkingside gradually came more into the game but their poor finishing never gave Jake Anderson any real problems.

The second half began with Dan Spinks making three changes, with Dorrell and Hassan Nalbant being replaced. Ten minutes later, Morris and Shilling were amongst another trio to be substituted. Boro now looked less dangerous going forward, although the introduction of Jayden Silcott-Brown on the right wing always gave the Barkingside defence problems.

Barkingside's best chance of reducing the deficit came when an attacker rounded Jake Anderson and, presented with an open goal, smashed the ball against the crossbar. He perhaps felt slightly better when a team mate then fired the rebound high over the bar of the still empty Boro goal.

The strong wind that had blown across the pitch from the start was joined by driving rain after the interval so when the referee blew to end the game some 7 minutes early, while there was some bemusement as to the reason (it was later suggested that a player had been sick somewhere on the pitch), there was no real complaint given the uncomfortable conditions.

Romford starting XI: 1 Anderson, 17 Hart, 3 J Hursit, 4 Wiggins, 5 Doe, 20 Tanden, 7 Morris, 8 Nalbant, 9 Shilling, 19 Haralambous, 11 Dorrell.

Substitutes: 45 mins - 13 Gomez, 14 Silcott-Brown, 18 L Hursit (for Dorrell, Wiggins and Nalbant);
55 mins - 2 Turner, 12 Georgiou and 16 (Trialist) (for Doe, Morris and Shillin)