A clean sheet, three more points and a seventh consecutive league win made for a very satisfactory evening against fellow FA Vase Semi-Finalists, Great Wakering Rovers. But had two more goals been scored from a number of good chances and Boro would have moved above Woodford Town and into second place. With Tilbury dropping points again – The Dockers followed up a 4-0 defeat at Buckhurst Hill with a 0-0 draw at West Essex – there’s still a sniff of the league title for either Boro or Woodford Town if the league leaders continue to slip up.

Although Boro had more than enough chances to put this game to bed, failure to do so meant a somewhat nervy conclusion as Wakering created decent opportunities of their own and had they taken just one of them the points could easily have been shared. As it was, Sam Deering’s 24th minute goal was enough to secure maximum points.

The early exchanges were frantic with both sides rushing their passes and lacking composure. A good early interchange between Charlie Morris and Sam Deering ended with a pass that was too far ahead of Hassan Nalbant allowing Wakering keeper Daniel Blockley to mop up. Deering then put Finlay Dorrell through after 13 minutes, but the Boro forward was let down by his first touch and Blockley came out to claim the ball. Dorrell’s attempt to atone for his poor touch ended with him colliding with the Rovers keeper. Both players required treatment but while Blockley was able to continue, Dorrell had to leave the field to be replaced by Toheeb Elegushi.

Wakering’s first chance of note fell to Charlie Kendall, but his 21st minute shot sailed harmlessly over Jake Anderson’s crossbar and three minutes later Boro scored what would prove to be the winning goal. Sam Deering ran onto Jacob Wiggins’ through ball and chipped the ball over the advancing Blockley into the bottom corner, to the relief of all of a Romford persuasion, as at first it seemed that the ball might beat the post.

Boro then had four presentable chances that went begging. Morris had a shooting opportunity but his shot lacked power and Blockley saved comfortably and on the half hour he was put through by Nalbant but was foiled by Blockley’s block. Jamie Hursit’s cross was headed against the bar by Toheeb Elegushi and then Morris was denied again when having been found by Wiggins, his shot was deflected for a corner.

Rovers, who had had plenty of possession but few chances, went close to an equaliser after 40 minutes when a prodigious throw into the box was flicked on and Charlie Kendall’s header was tipped over the bar by Jake Anderson.
Hassan Nalbant had two efforts off target inside the first seven minutes of the second half but Rovers went close after 59 minutes when former Boro man Jake Gordon shot over the bar from 25 yards. Kris Newby conceded a free kick and picked up a yellow card for a foul just outside his own penalty area and when Jake Anderson had punched the resulting delivery clear, Anthony Martin put in a shot that narrowly cleared the Boro crossbar.

Both sides were finding it difficult to keep their shots below crossbar height; Martin had an effort for Rovers that was too high after 64 minutes, and after 66 minutes Charlie Morris, having cut in from the right, put his shot a foot or two over the bar.

Charlie Morris’s frustrating evening continued in the 68th minute when Hassan Nalbant and Toheeb Elegushi combined to provide him with a shooting opportunity, but although on this occasion he kept his shot on target, Blockley turned the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner, Morris had another chance, and again this one was blocked.

Wakering’s Craig Ferguson was yet another player to lift a shot over the crossbar, this after 74 minutes, and although Rovers continued to press for an equaliser, the main talking point of the remaining twenty minutes or so were the yellow cards that were dished out. Wakering’s Gordon was booked for a rather foolish challenge on Deering that seemed born of frustration while Boro’s Jamie Hursit and Ash Siddik were rather harshly booked for fouls (in Siddik’s case it was for his first challenge of note just six minutes after coming on as a substitute for Charlie Morris) and Jake Anderson was somewhat arbitrarily cautioned for time wasting.

Victory pushes Boro ever closer to a Play-Off place and puts something of a dent in Great Wakering’s chances of achieving the same.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Jamie Hursit, Danny Hurford, Kris Newby, Jacob Wiggins (Lee Hursit, 59m), Scott Doe, Charlie Morris (Ash Siddik, 83m), Darren Phillips, Hassan Nalbant, Sam Deering, Finlay Dorrell (Toheeb Elegushi, 17m). Unused subs: Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky, Amaree Robinson-Jones.