Boro Comeback Stuns Rovers

Romford (0) 4, Great Wakering Rovers (2) 2 – BBC Essex Senior Cup First Round – Wednesday 20th September 2023

To label a match as a game of two halves may be considered a somewhat tired cliché, but there’s no better description for this game in which Boro, having been lucky to trail by only two goals at the interval, roared back to win a cup tie that could have finished 6-4.

Hassan Nalbant became the first post-1992 Romford player to score four hat-tricks for the club with three quick fire goals, while Toheeb Elegushi – who terrorised the Great Wakering back line after his introduction as a second half substitute - scored the other. That outcome looked unlikely in the extreme at half-time as the visitors dominated the first half and will doubtless consider themselves unfortunate not to have led by more than two goals at the break.

With the wind behind them on a rainy evening, Rovers were quickly on top, and they had a decent chance in just the first minute when a good run on the right by Callum Boyland ended with his shot being deflected over for a corner from which the visitors fashioned a shooting opportunity that was marginally off-target.

It took only until the eleventh minute for Rovers to go ahead however, as Harrison Topliss was on hand at the far post to convert a corner from the right wing. After nineteen minutes it could have been two as Callum Boyland found himself through on goal, but he rolled his shot wide of Wayne Baker’s right hand post.

A fierce, long range drive by Kris Newby that was blocked on the edge of the penalty area was the best that Romford could muster as the visitors continued to dominate proceedings. After twenty-eight minutes Boro were indebted to Baker who came off his line to deny a breaking Wakering forward. Darren Phillips blocked the follow up before Baker completed the save by pushing the ball behind for a corner.

Boro continued to look all at sea and Wakering’s second goal after 36 minutes came as no surprise, although Joshua Simpson looked suspiciously offside as he ran onto a low through ball and fired past Baker. It might have got worse as Wakering carved through the midfield and created a gilt edged chance that Boro were grateful they missed, and then with possession lost cheaply, it took a vital save by Baker with his foot to keep the score respectable.

Sonny Shilling and Bobby Dailly made way for George Cox and Toheeb Elegushi at half-time, and Cox’s industry and Elegushi’s direct running changed the direction of the game as Boro dominated the second half almost as comprehensively as Rovers had dominated the first.

An early goal was what was required, and it came after 48 minutes. When Cox was fouled, the free-kick was taken quickly, finding Hassan Nalbant, and he laid the ball off for Elegushi to score with a low shot from eight yards, his first goal for the club.

Jacob Wiggins’s shot from outside the box was comfortably saved by Luis Shamshoum on the hour, but with 64 minutes played, Boro were level. Ashaan Siddik set up Hassan Nalbant for a shot that Shamshoum saved, and after Elegushi’s follow up was deflected wide for a corner, Kris Newby’s flag-kick was headed home by Nalbant.

Wakering almost regained the lead when Boyland somehow failed to make contact with a cross from the left, and from the resulting corner, Boro had to clear off their own line. Seventy minutes in, and Boro were ahead however, as Jacob Wiggins’ cross-field ball was pulled back by Newby, and Nalbant finished unerringly, high into the Wakering net.

Hassan Nalbant completed his second hat-trick of the season after 75 minutes, firing in a low shot from the edge of the penalty area after Toheeb Elegushi had hassled a Wakering defender into losing possession.

It could have been five after 78 minutes when Boro broke quickly, Elegushi running strongly from inside his own half only to be denied by Shamshoum when he seemed odds on to score, and then with ten minutes remaining, Nalbant out muscled a Wakering defender and was only denied by a last ditch challenge.

Darren Phillips made an important block to prevent Rovers from reducing the deficit in the closing stages, but after a modest amount of stoppage time, Boro were through to the Second Round and a home tie against Athletic Newham.

Romford: Wayne Baker, Henry Hart, Jamie Hursit, Kris Newby (Lee Hursit, 72m), Michael Turner, Ashaan Siddik (Jayden Silcott-Brown, 82m), Jacob Wiggins, Hassan Nalbant, Bobby Dailly (George Cox, 46m), Sonny Shilling (Toheeb Elegushi, 46m), Darren Phillips. Unused sub: Scott Doe