Another Final For Boro

Saffron Walden Town (1) 2, Romford (2) 4 – Errington Challenge Cup Semi-Final – Monday 22nd April 2024

When Walden’s Stan Leech reduced Romford’s lead to a single goal with two minutes of normal time remaining, the prospect of extra-time loomed but a fourth Boro goal in stoppage time from Toheeb Elegushi removed that possibility and booked a place in the Final against Stanway Rovers, who beat Woodford Town 4-1 in their Semi-Final tie.

This was no cagey cup tie, both sides were focussed on attack but it was Boro who were more clinical in their finishing although with a little more fortune in front of goal, the margin of victory might have been greater.

Saffron Walden’s Solomon Ofori – who looked dangerous throughout – had the first effort at goal, a first minute overhead kick that had insufficient power to unduly test Wayne Baker, but eleven minutes in Romford took the lead. A defence splitting pass by Amaree Robinson-Jones found Finlay Dorrell and he crashed his shot past Jarvis Monk in the home goal (cover picture by Bob Knightley.

Baker stuck out a foot to save from Olly Miles on the quarter hour, but after twenty minutes Boro doubled their lead. Ash Siddik’s pass found Luke Foster, who was brought down as he ran into the penalty area. Kris Newby despatched the spot-kick.

The home side forced a series of corners as they sought a way back into the game, but they failed to unduly test Baker until they were fortunate to halve their deficit after 33 minutes when Finlay Dorrell deflected the ball past his own keeper.

Foster then had to make an important clearance from a low cross played in from the right, but Boro would surely have scored again had Dorrell not been halted when seemingly in a position that even VAR would have been unable to justify as offside.

In a full-blooded game, Walden’s Mohammed Ahad Amir and Boro’s Jaiden Babalola were both booked for fairly routine half-way line fouls in a first half that drew to a close a few seconds shy of the regulation 45 minutes.

There was much pressure from the hosts in the second half, but as with the league game at the same venue back in November, a lot of this consisted of hopeful crosses into the Boro penalty area; actual shots at goal were scarce. Joni Vukaj – whose socks looked as though they had been attacked by a plague of moths – put a shot over the Romford crossbar after 47 minutes, but it was Boro who scored next. Finlay Dorrell got clear on the right and when his low cross was not dealt with by George Powell, the ball fell for Darren Phillips whose low shot from eight yards found the net after 57 minutes.

Scott Doe made an excellent and vital tackle to deny Ofori a shooting opportunity after 65 minutes, but Boro hearts were in mouths after 71 minutes as Wayne Baker dashed from his line and brought down Leech wide on the Boro left. The home side’s vociferous appeals for a red card cut no ice with referee Kane Smith however, and only a yellow card ensued. Ryan Melaugh tried his luck from the free-kick, but his shot passed harmlessly over the bar.

Romford had chances to put the tie beyond Saffron Walden’s reach; Ash Siddik volleyed just wide from Kris Newby’s cross and Lee Hursit was a whisker away from a spectacular goal when he volleyed a Walden clearance narrowly wide. With two minutes of normal time remaining however, the home side were offered some hope when Doe headed back to his keeper, but Baker’s clearance cannoned off Leech who was able to run the ball into the net.

The prospect of an additional half-an-hour was dismissed four minutes into stoppage time. Newby’s crossfield pass found Toheeb Elegushi who, despite being encouraged to take the ball into the corner, cut inside and fired a low shot past Monk to keep his record of scoring in all of Boro’s Errington Cup ties this season.

Romford: Wayne Baker, Luke Foster (Junior Luke, 53m), Danny Hurford, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky, Kris Newby, Scott Doe, Jaiden Babalola, Ash Siddik (Lee Hursit, 74m), Hassan Nalbant (Darren Phillips, 53m), Amaree Robinson-Jones (Toheeb Elegushi, 79m), Finlay Dorrell (Charlie Morris, 74m)