ROMFORD 3 (1) - (2) 4 Brentwood Town Attendance 109

The ground was left in a stunned silence when former Romford striker Alex Read rifled home a free kick in the fifth minute of injury time to earn his team victory when only minutes before they looked to be heading for defeat.
On a cold evening with frost gradually building on the pitch, this local derby started at a very slow pace with the game’s first real chance falling to Read on fifteen minutes but his shot was well saved by Atu Ngoy who also did well to palm the rebound from Abs Thompson away for a corner. Three minutes later and Read got his first of the night racing on to a headed through ball straight from a Romford goal kick before slotting home. Read had a free kick well saved by Atu Ngoy, before on thirty minutes Kurt Smith equalised for Romford. Lewis Francis received the ball out wide before cutting in onto his right foot and sending a deep cross into the box. Both Kurt Smith and keeper Reece Ottley jumped but missed it and the ball hit the foot of the post before Smith recovered first to poke home. Former Romford midfielder Abs Seymour nearly restored Brentwood's lead in the thirty-third minute but his shot was saved by Ngoy as was the follow up by Thompson. Brentwood did get their second goal on forty minutes when Ryan Doyle's free kick eluded everyone and sneaked in at the far post. There was still time for one last Romford attack and after getting on the end of Kurt Smith's flick Lewis Francis fired a rasping drive against the cross bar and Brentwood took a deserved lead in at half time.
Romford were much the better team in the second half with Tom Richardson having a shot saved early on. Then a moment of controversy when from a Romford free kick the ball fell to Ben Jones who's shot was blocked, but when the rebound fell to the small forward he was clearly fouled yet somehow the referee who was already having a pretty poor and very inconsistent game gave a foul against the Boro man.
Brentwood who had looked dangerous on the break nearly added a third when a neat counter attack ended with Atu Ngoy pulling off a fabulous low save denying Steve Butterworth.
On sixty minutes Romford got a deserved equaliser when Kurt Smith turned and ran in on goal. Just as he shot the Brentwood defender got back to block but the ball span up in the air and was fantastically volleyed home with his left foot by captain Jack Barry playing a more advanced role than of late.
Darren Blewitt went close with a header and Read shot wide for Brentwood but it was Romford attacking more regularly now and after a Nick Reynolds head down Ben Jones appeared to be running away from goal, but a neat turn and shot was deflected past Ottley and into the goal. Romford had seen out the rest of the game well when Lewis Payne miskicked in the ninety third minute and Butterworth ran through to score a dramatic equaliser and two minutes later Read scored the winner from a free kick to keep Brentwood's promotion push on target and see the Boro slip to a fourth straight and this time heartbreaking, defeat.

ROMFORD 3 KURT SMITH 30, JACK BARRY 60, BEN JONES 85.

BRENTWOOD TOWN 4 READ 18, 90+5, DOYLE 40, BUTTERWORTH 90+3

ROMFORD: ATU NGOY, JAMES ISHMAIL, JAMIE DICKS (GEORGE WOODWARD 41), LEWIS PAYNE, MATT TOMS, PAUL CLAYTON, JACK BARRY, TOM RICHARDSON (NICK REYNOLDS), KURT SMITH (BILLY HUNT), BEN JONES, LEWIS FRANCIS.