Romford 2 (1) v 1 (0) Harlow Town – Attendance 114

Play swung from end to end with defences dominating but it was the home side which went closest in the first half when, on thirty minutes, Kurt Smith bore in on the right and hit the near post upright angle with the ball rebounding to safety.
The Boro were eventually rewarded for their efforts when, right on the half time mark centre back Jack Barry rose highest to head home an accurate Hussein Isa right wing corner.
In the second half Harlow looked a better side than they had in the first but the home defence always managed to block or clear any danger when it arose.
When it seemed that Romford were going to keep their opponents from scoring at all The Hawks won a penalty from an attack on the right on 80 minutes when a Boro defender was deemed to have handled a cross from the edge of the area although whether it was ‘ball to hand’ or ‘hand to ball’ was impossible to say as the ball was going so fast.
As it was the referee acceded to the visitors’ appeals and gave a spot kick which Mark Taylor drove hard and low past Elliott Anderson in the home goal to bring scores level at 1-1.
Romford weren’t finished yet though because from the kick off they went straight down the other end and, under pressure, the Harlow ‘keeper Bertrand Bossu spilled the ball which Smith took away slightly, turned and hooked right footed into the net from the narrowest of angles between Bossu’s despairing left hand lunge and the near post upright to put his side in the lead again at 2-1 – a first class poacher’s goal.
This further set back took the wind out of the visitors’ sails and Boro once more took control with Harlow reduced to occasional counter attacks which the home defence dealt with adequately.
Although the home side always looked the more dangerous there were no more goals so Romford gained revenge for their ‘first game of the season’ one goal away defeat with one of their better all-round performances of the season.

Romford squad: Anderson; Ottley; Kavanagh; J Barry ©; Toms; Mackin; Bingham; Odedoyin; Smith; Isa; Oates (Dicks 76). Unused substitutes; Reynolds; Lord and Gooch (GK).

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ALL THE DAY'S R1N LEAGUE RESULTS -

AFC Sudbury 1 1 Redbridge
Brentwood Town 1 2 Tilbury
Chatham Town (2) 1 1 (0) Maldon & Tiptree
Enfield Town 5 0 Ilford
Great Wakering Rovers 2 2 Cheshunt
Heybridge Swifts (0) 0 1 (0) Thamesmead Town
Leiston (2) 2 1 (1) Waltham Abbey
Potters Bar Town 2 3 Needham Market
Romford (1) 2 1 (0) Harlow Town
Waltham Forest 0 0 Soham Town Rangers
Ware (1) 1 2 (1) Grays Athletic