The visitors started strongest with Romford keeper Aaron Omand beating out three efforts inside the first twenty minutes before the hosts nearly scored with their first real meaningful attack. Twenty-six minutes were on the clock when Romford won the ball back in midfield and found Ryan Imbert on the edge of the box and the striker flicked the ball over the defender to the advanced Jamie Dicks, who had run from midfield but his attempted lob was then saved by the Aveley keeper who was quick off his line. Samuel Kemp was forced to limp off on thirty-one minutes and it was his replacement Reece Tranter who after running nearly the length of the pitch could only produce a weak effort straight at the keeper. On the stroke of half time David Ottely whipped in a free kick that missed everyone and the Aveley man between the sticks scrambled across to tip the ball wide.
On fifty-five minutes Aveley took the lead which was no more than their strong start to the half deserved when Romford failed to clear a free kick after allowing Spencer Harrison too much time, and he smashed the ball home. Two minutes later and a free header in the box bounced back off the post and as the ball was cleared to the other end Ryan Imbert found space after turning his marker and teeing up Tom Richardson to place the ball in the far corner to equalise for the Boro on fifty-eight minutes. Romford didn’t stay on level terms for long as on sixty-three minutes Junior Baker found space to head home from an Aveley corner. Reece Tranter and Jack Barry came close for Romford before on seventy-five minutes Tom Richardson nearly equalised when Reece Tranters cross found the forward but he just couldn’t get enough power on the header to wrong foot the keeper. Just as Aveley were beginning to sit back to defend their lead Romford virtually gave the visitors the three points when two defensive errors allowed Aaron Gayle the chance to put the game to rest and the substitute took his chance, leaving the very few Aveley supporters a happy walk back home.
ROMFORD (0) 1 TOM RICHARDSON 58
AVELEY (0) 3 HARRISON 55, BAKER 63, GAYLE 83
ROMFORD: AARON OMAND, DAVID OTTLEY, PAUL PRESTON, MATT TOMS, JAMIE DICKS, PAUL CLAYTON, JACK BARRY, GEORGE COCKLIN, RYAN IMBERT (NICKK REYNOLDS 72), TOM RICHARDSON (JAMES ISHMAIL 87), SAMUEL KEMP (REECE TRANTER 31). SUBS NOT USED SCOTT TRUMAN, ROBBIE NORRIS.