ROMFORD 1 (1) - (1) 1 Phoenix Sports Attendance 103 - Ship Lane

Things did not look too good for Boro during the first half hour as the visitors dominated possession while playing a high tempo game, winning the ball back quickly and springing numerous counter attacks. It was a diagonal ball over the Boro defence in the fifteenth minute that allowed Sports to open the scoring as Billy Medlock raced clear before smashing the ball past Callum Chafer. Romford were reduced to long range efforts while at the other end a carbon copy of the first goal nearly produced Phoenix's second, but this time striker Theo Fairweather Johnson could only angle his shot across the goal before Danny Cossington was on hand to clear in the twentieth minute. After being run ragged for thirty-one minutes Romford earned a throw down the left wing that was sent into the box. The defender could only help in flicking the ball on to Ryan Boswell who with a quick turn fired towards goal but the ball went inches over the bar. That chance gave the home team belief and suddenly it was a different game as straight from the goal kick Ryan Mallett won the ball back and charged at the home defence but his shot was blocked and the ball fell kindly to the keeper. It was all square though in the thirty-eighth minute when a ball into Boswell was passed back to Mallett who spotted Chris Barry charging on from left back and with the defender through on goal, he unselfishly picked out Nick Reynolds at the far post and the striker made no mistake, firing home via the post. Two minutes later and Romford were nearly ahead when a free kick found Charlie Portway alone at the far post but the keeper made a save with his feet to deny the forward. Right on half time and a pass back across the goalmouth was intercepted by Portway but his poke towards goal hit the upright and his shot from the rebound was saved again by the keeper who was single handedly keeping his team in the match.

The second half continued in the same way as the end of the first with Romford well on top and Portway was just unable to get on the end of a through ball five minutes after the restart as the keeper was quick off his line. A long ball three minutes later, this time from keeper Chafer saw Preston ghost past the back four but his touch was slightly heavy and once again Sports keeper Phillips was quick to stifle the attack. In the sixty-third minute the Boro earned a free kick down the right wing that was taken quickly and as the ball was pulled back to the edge of the box Mallett hit a low drive that hit the post and as the rebound fell to Portway his effort was blocked with a hand and went out for a corner. Three minutes later and another penalty shout in the box was turned down even though this looked much more obvious as the ball was clearly diverted with the arm by former Romford skipper Jack Barry, before unlucky Boro had their third appeal rejected in seven minutes even though this was the clearest of them all. A good move allowed Boswell to scamper his way past his man and drive into the area and his low cross was out of the reach of the keeper giving Portway the simplest of chances before he was shoved from behind and bundled over, but somehow the referee waved play on yet again. Despite their dominance Romford had Chafer to thank near the end when he made a smart save and Romford really had to settle for the draw as Hayes Thomas was injured and with all substitutes already used, he had to spend the last six minutes upfield unable to run properly.
Before the game a draw would have looked a good result on paper, but on reflection Romford will be slightly disappointed not to have got all three points and will be very happy with their performance in an entertaining match against high quality opposition.

ROMFORD (1) 1 NICK REYNOLDS 38

PHOENIX SPORTS (1) 1 MEDLOCK 15

ROMFORD: CALLUM CHAFER, RYAN BOSWELL (WILL GREEN 75), PAUL PRESTON, DANNY COSSINGTON, TOM POTTER, JONATHON ADEBAYO, RYAN MALLETT, HAYES THOMAS, NICK REYNOLDS (CHINEDU MCKENZIE 75), CHARLIE PORTWAY, CHRIS BARRY (ASHLEY BANKOLE 80) SUBS NOT USED RICHARD WRAY, JAMES ISHMAIL

YELLOW CARDS RYAN MALLETT 45, JONATHON ADEBAYO 72, TOM POTTER 86