Tilbury 2 (1) - (0) 1 ROMFORD Attendance 93 - Chadfields

With several members of the squad unavailable, Boro were surprised by Tilbury with an early sixth minute goal when an attack was not cleared properly and the ball was allowed to be crossed back in. Emiel Aiken, who always seems to have a good game against Romford was unmarked in front of goal and gave Chafer no chance with a precise header into the bottom corner. The visitors mostly had the better of the rest of the half but neither team could fashion much in front of goal with Romford's best effort coming from Chris Taylor who shot narrowly over the bar after an intricate passing move set him up.

The second half was a much more exciting spectacle and Romford started strongly with an equaliser looking likely until out of the blue the referee awarded Tilbury a penalty for an offence only he saw, that mystified players and spectators from both sides. The spot kick was hit low and hard to Chafer's left but he got down brilliantly to palm it past the post. Spurred on by the fact that justice had been done, it was only a short time later on the hour that the equaliser did come and it was started and finished by Greg Akpele who had been involved in most of Romford's good moves. His pass was helped on down the left wing by Ayo Olukoga to Abdeen Abdul, but from his cross the stretching Taylor could only hit the ball high into the air. When it eventually came down the ball was headed back out to Abdul who this time put in a low cross that the keeper spilled out into a ruck of players with Akpele getting in first to score from close range.

Finally back on level terms Romford were again looking the most likely and top scorer Chinedu McKenzie went agonisingly close after a great run down the left before cutting inside to beat a couple of defenders and shoot inches past the post. He then had the ball in the net but saw it correctly ruled out for offside, and a short time later nearly caught the keeper out with a snapshot from outside the box. It had been all Romford, but in the eighty ninth minute the Dockers hit them with a sucker punch when a low cross from the left that really should have been cut out, found it's way to substitute Michael Salako who crashed it in via the crossbar. Romford pushed forward desperately in a vain search for the equaliser but there was still time after a Tilbury break and the ball hitting a Boro hand in the box, for Chafer to distinguish himself again with another, even better penalty save that was blasted high towards the top corner by ex-Boro man Kurt Smith.

So Romford's fine recent run came to an end with Tilbury leapfrogging over them in the table.

MATCH REPORT BY PHIL REDWIN

TILBURY (1) 2 AIKEN 6, SALAKO 89
ROMFORD (0) 1 Greg AKPELE 60

ROMFORD: Callum CHAFER, Ryan BOSWELL, Akwasi MARFO (Sam COE 87), Charlie PARRISH, Tom POTTER, James ISHMAIL(c) (Jack BROWNE-SYKES 82), Ayo OLUKOGA, Greg AKPELE, Chinedu MCKENZIE, Chris TAYLOR, Abdeen ABDUL
SUBS NOT USED: Will GREEN, Richard WRAY,

YELLOW CARDS: Akwasi MARFO 69, Ryan BOSWELL 83