Cheshunt 2 (2) - (2) 3 ROMFORD Attendance 105

Romford were fastest out of the blocks and from a Kurt Smith free kick they received a fourth minute penalty when the Cheshunt defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. Lewis Francis stepped up and smashed the home. Moments later and it should have been two but after a goalmouth scramble the ball did not quite cross the line from Jack Barry's effort. On eleven minutes full back James Ishmail surged forward and hit a ferocious shot that swerved and dipped towards goal but the Cheshunt keeper Obey Murefu did well and tipped it over the bar. From the resulting corner Romford did get their second when the ball dropped to Matt Toms who turned and fired the ball home from eight yards. That was as good as it got in the first half for Romford as the next thirty five minutes were one way traffic from Cheshunt who were assisted by a strong gale. Atu Ngoy in the Boro goal saved well from Lee Brenann on twenty minutes and Corey Whitley shot wide after good work on the right. Joe Clemo let fly from distance but his shot dropped just over before Whitley finally reduced the deficit after a mistake in defence, shooting home after being set up by Courtney White in the thirty-fifth minute. Three minutes later it was all square when Clemo cut in from the left and his shot took a wicked deflection past the stranded Atu Ngoy before Romford held out for the rest of the half.
Romford now with the wind behind them did to Cheshunt what had been done to them in the first half and set up camp in their half. Jack Barry's long range effort was superbly saved by Murefu on forty-seven minutes and Lewis Francis skimmed the bar from a free kick three minutes later. Kurt Smith tried to lob the keeper after intercepting a poor clearance but his attempt sailed over the bar. However Romford did get their reward when after a neat one-two between Nick Reynolds and Kurt Smith the latter ran through and calmly fired the ball home via the far post to send them into ecstasy. A Tom Richardson volley was saved by Murefu and Nick Reynolds shot wide from a Jamie Dicks cross and was also inches away from a Kurt Smith cross after a fantastic move by the Boro. With just the one goal lead Cheshunt were always in the game and Jamie Dicks headed off the line on seventy minutes and Atu Ngoy saved well from White when one on one. Murefu produced another fine save from Tom Richardson's volley after good set up play by Billy Hunt and despite some late pressure from the Ambers, Romford held firm to see out the remaining minutes of the game and win themselves a well-earned three points.

CHESHUNT 2 WHITLEY 35, CLEMO 38,
ROMFORD 3 LEWIS FRANCIS 4 (PEN), MATT TOMS 11, KURT SMITH 55

ROMFORD: ATU NGOY, JAMES ISHMAIL, JAMIE DICKS, JACK BARRY, MATT TOMS, LEWIS PAYNE, TOM RICHARDSON, LEWIS FRANCIS (ALFIE HILTON 65), NICK REYNOLDS (MICHAEL SAMMUT 81), BILLY HUNT, KURT SMITH. SUBS NOT USED DAVID OTTLEY, JOE OATES, CHRIS CLARKE

YELLOW CARD: TOM RICHARDSON

MATCH REPORT BY GARY REDWIN