Tilbury 4 (0) v Romford 1 (0) - Attendance 92

Play was well balanced in the first period with no sign of things to come with both sides having a number of free kicks, corners and penalty area scrimmages but being unable to make any serious use of them. It seemed that some points might possibly be on the cards for Boro when the half time whistle sounded with a 0-0- scoreline.

The elements were in Tilbury’s favour after the break with them having a strong end to end wind and a low setting sun at their backs which the Romford defence found difficult to cope with from the start.

It was not the elements, however, but poor defending which gave the home team the lead and the first of three goals inside a ten minute period when, on 48 minutes, the Dockers won a corner on the right from which Ben Bradbury was able to head home unchallenged.

A couple of minutes later the visiting defenders failed to clear a dangerous ball in their penalty area and Kayan Kaliper had plenty of time to choose his spot with a low shot into the net then the same player scored Tilbury’s third and his second some five minutes later when he was left unmarked to head in a left wing corner.

Romford, for their part, tried to get back into the game and seemed more cohesive after the midfield pairing of Remi Nelson and Martin Heed joined the fray as substitutes. Firstly a Torn Senghore cross from the left was volleyed over by Danny Jones and then Senghore himself shot wide after being the recipient of a Jones/Oxby move.

In the meantime the Dockers, benefiting from the confidence of their three goal buffer, seemed dangerous at every attack and gave themselves an apparently unassailable four goal lead on 77 minutes. A Boro appeal for offside just inside their own half went unheeded and no less than three home forwards found themselves free to bear down on their opponents goal with Bradbury being given the final task of completing his own brace of goals past a defenceless Neil Finn.

To their credit the visiting side never gave up trying with attacks down both flanks and just before the final whistle Chris Thomas reduced the deficit at last for them on 89 minutes, making up for his good scoring chance miss a few minutes earlier, when he scored close in from a low cross from the right by Jones.

Romford now go back to the drawing board to find the most suitable mix of players for their continuing search for some much needed league points and look forward to the return of a number of players from injury and the availability of two new striker signings.

Romford squad: Finn, Oxby, Kavanagh (Pearman 80), Taylor, Willis, Clayton (Nelson 60), Port (Heed 60), Jones, Thomas, Senghore, Burnett. Substitutes not used: Barry and Mulrooney (GK).

Boro’s next two Ryman One North games are at home to VCD Athletic this Tuesday evening October 27th and then away at Leyton on Saturday October 31st.