ROMFORD 0 (0) - (2) 5 Aveley Attendance 91- Ship Lane

After the hard fought draw at Aveley a few weeks ago Boro now found themselves defending from the start as the visitors made all the early running. They had a goal disallowed for offside in the fifth minute and then missed a good chance after a goalmouth scramble, before forcing Boro keeper Michael Gooch to back pedal and tip a long shot over. The early pressure eventually told when from a corner Romford skipper Matt Frew could only head the ball into his own net.
This setback now seemed to shock the home team into action and they started to push forwards themselves, and Luke Stanley who was having a ding dong battle with ex-Boro favourite Jamie Dicks on the wing, cut inside and saw his fierce drive saved at full length by James Marrable in the Aveley goal. George Woodward had an effort fumbled by Marrable but Danny Cossington delayed his shot from the rebound and the chance was gone. It was to be the only mistake the keeper made all night in an outstanding performance. Aveley were still producing some fast breakaways and doubled their lead five minutes before the break when the Romford defence failed to clear a high ball which was headed back for Liam Nash to volley home.

Romford pressed well from the start of the second half and fashioned a couple of decent chances they could not capitalise on, but were then hit with two hammer blows in two minutes. Another ex-Boro man Paul Preston went down the right and crossed in to give veteran Aveley skipper Billy Holland and easy task to tap home before the lively Nash got his second of the match.
Four down with twenty eight minutes still to play looked ominous for Romford but they had no thoughts of throwing in the towel and showed amazing spirit to mount attack after attack and create a string of chances. Nick Reynolds set up Jake Giddings on the edge of the area but his left shoot shot came back off the post and Chinedu McKenzie and Luke Stanley both forced good saves from Marrable. McKenzie had another sight of goal but passed to Reynolds who seemed to be taken out by Marrable, but the referee was too far away to give the penalty. Boro's night seemed to be summed up when McKenzie and Joe Scott both impeded each other when either would have had a simple chance to head in. Romford inevitably paid dearly for all these missed chances when Holland got Aveley's fifth on seventy six minutes.
Chances still came and went at both ends and just before the end McKenzie became the second Boro player denied by the post before Joe Scott did great to win the ball and turn tightly in the area but then placed his shot over the gaping goal.

Both teams had produced some great attacking football on the night with Aveley deserving to take the points, but it should have been much closer and Romford can only reflect on so many missed chances.

ROMFORD (0) 0

AVELEY (2) 5 FREW O.G 20, NASH 40, 62, HOLLAND 62, 76

ROMFORD: MICHAEL GOOCH, RYAN BOSWELL, GEORGE WOODWARD, MATT FREW (ROBBIE NORRIS 67), TOM POTTER, DANNY COSSINGTON, JAKE GIDDINGS (JOE SCOTT 67), LUKE STANLEY, NICK REYNOLDS (LIAM BURGESS 67), CHINEDU MCKENZIE, AKWASI MARFO SUBS NOT USED HARRY CULHAM, GEORGE TUBEY