Late Goal Ends Winning Run

Buckhurst Hill (0) 1, Romford (0) 0 - Essex Senior League – Saturday 20th April 2024

Boro’s slim chance of pipping Tilbury to the Essex Senior League title required nothing less than maximum points at Buckhurst Hill, but a late goal for the hosts inflicted Boro’s first defeat since mid-January. Tilbury’s win over Frenford made it academic anyway and The Dockers sealed their return to Step 4 football at the first attempt.

Defences were largely on top and despite Romford dominating for long periods in both halves, there were few chances of note. It was a quarter of an hour before a shot of any significance was recorded by either side; Buckhurst Hill’s Yousef Yacine’s shot from the left went harmlessly wide.

Darren Phillips had the bulk of Romford’s chances in the opening 45 minutes, shooting wide after a throw in had been flicked on after 21 minutes, and then shooting wide again after 29 minutes from a corner conceded by Buckhurst Hill keeper Qamil Dervishaj, who miskicked under pressure from Hassan Nalbant. Dervishaj made the only save of any real note in the first half when he dived to parry Phillips’s header from Lee Hursit’s cross.

Alfie Harris had a pop at goal from outside the box for Buckhurst Hill that was well wide as the half drifted to a conclusion with the only other incident being a full-blooded challenge by Adalberto Pinto for which nothing more than a free-kick was awarded with Buckhurst Hill expecting a card to be shown.

The second forty-five minutes was largely a catalogue of Romford chances. Michael Bakare forced Dervishaj to turn his shot round a post in the opening minute of the half and the Buckhurst Hill keeper blocked Sam Deering’s effort after 70 minutes. Dervishaj once again denied Boro after 75 minutes, turning Pinto’s header from Ash Siddik’s cross over the bar. In the last minute of the half, Michael Bakare’s headed Sam Deering’s cross just wide.

Until this point Buckhurst Hill’s best chance of the half had come on the hour mark when a free-kick into the penalty area resulted in a melee in which Jake Anderson was injured and the home side’s Ethan Daniels was booked. There was a sting in the tail however, as with three minutes of stoppage time played Yousef Yacine got free on the right, went past the advancing Anderson and slipped the ball home to give the hosts the points.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Junior Luke, Remi Sutton, Michael Bakare, Darren Phillips, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky, Lee Hursit (Kris Newby, 58m), Adalberto Pinto, Hassan Nalbant, Sam Deering, Finlay Dorrell (Ash Siddik, 32m). Unused subs: Jacob Wiggins, Danny Hurford, Charlie Morris.