Aveley 3 (1) - (0) 0 ROMFORD Attendance 88 - Mill Field

Boro had the early territorial advantage and forced a succession of corners that they could not capitalise on before seeing the hosts take the lead from their first after fifteen minutes, when defender Michael Finneran rose above the defence to head home It was probably Romford's last visit to the Mill Field before Aveley's move to their new home and the wide expanses seemed larger than ever as the visitors struggled to create any chances with Chinedu McKenzie and Ryan Mallet having on target shots saved and blocked in the only dangerous attacks they were able to mount in the first half. Aveley were not much better but did seem faster on the break as they looked to extend the lead. Just before half time there was an unnecessary flare up when a routine foul by Chris Taylor for some reason caused the Aveley Manager to have histrionics and provoke some minor pushing and shoving which escalated when ex Boro keeper Lamar Joseph-Johnson ran fifty yards to get involved. He and Taylor both received yellow cards as things calmed down.

The second half was only a minute old when Aveley went two up after a misplaced Romford pass in midfield allowed the ball to be played through to Emmanuel Ighohorae who ran clear and stabbed home. The match now became a much better spectacle as Romford, playing with more urgency tried to get back into the game, and after some more corners had come to nothing they were desperately unlucky after seventy one minutes when a Jonathan Adebayo snap shot from well outside the penalty area flew past Joseph-Johnson but crashed against the crossbar. Boro made their substitutions, including a welcome return for Nick Reynolds who held the ball up well in attack but the game was put to bed in the seventy seventh minute when a good run and cross down the right by Nathaniel Gordon left another ex Romford man Abs Seymour an easy task to head home at the far post. Late on a Jamie Dicks Cross gave Will Green a sight of goal but his header was deflected wide and Romford continued their longest ever run without scoring a goal in league matches.

AVELEY (1) 3 FINNERAN 15, IGHORAE 46, SEYMOUR 77

ROMFORD (0) 0

ROMFORD: CALLUM CHAFER, RYAN BOSWELL, PAUL PRESTON, TOM POTTER, MATT TOMS, DANNY COSSINGTON (MATTHEW MITCHELL 65), RYAN MALLETT (WILL GREEN 65), JAMIE DICKS, CHINEDU MCKENZIE (NICK REYNOLDS 75), CHRIS TAYLOR, JONATHAN ADEBAYO SUBS NOT USED ASHLEY BANKOLE, STEPHEN REYNOLDS

YELLOW CARD CHRIS TAYLOR 41