Barkingside 0 (0) - (1) 2 ROMFORD Attendance 165 - Oakside

Romford nearly opened the scoring on eleven minutes when a Jack Barry cross was deflected goalwards by a Barkingside head but the ball drifted fractionally wide of the near post. Another deflected shot, this time by Abs Seymour was saved at full stretch by former Romford keeper Chris Clark, one of six ex Boro players in the Barkingside squad. A harsh yellow card was given to Gabriel Oniretti of Barkingside before Ryan Imbert unleashed a pile driver that flew just over on thirty-five minutes. Oniretti then lost control of the ball and slid in to recover it but could only upend Jamie Dicks and received his second yellow card, followed by a red and Barkingside were down to ten men. This was the fourth occasion Romford had faced ten men and previously hadn't won any of those matches but this became a good chance to lay to rest that stat and Reece Tranter got the goal the visitors needed on half time when after receiving the ball from Jack Barry, curled it into the bottom corner using the outside of his right boot from twenty yards.

Despite their disadvantage Barkingside were determined to get back into the game and only the bar denied Steve Carvell on fifty-five minutes when the midfielder hit a thunderous strike from thirty yards. Eddie Hart twice went close for the Boro before they got their second goal on sixty-three minutes when Paul Clayton picked out a pass to Reece Tranter and the youngster pulled the ball back for Ryan Imbert to fire home. Romford then eased off a little allowing Barkingside too much time and the spirited hosts missed numerous chances to reduce the deficit and made Romford keeper Aaron Omand work hard to keep a clean sheet. In the end though Romford hung on and managed some dangerous attacks of their own as they closed out the game for another three points.

BARKINGSIDE (0)0

ROMFORD (1)1 REECE TRANTER 45, RYAN IMBERT 63.

ROMFORD: AARON OMAND, JACK BARRY (DAVID OTTLEY 69), JOE OATES, JAMES ISHMAIL, MATT TOMS, PAUL CLAYTON, JAMIE DICKS, ABS SEYMOUR, RYAN IMBERT, EDDIE HART, REECE TRANTER (NICK REYNOLDS 74). SUBS NOT USED ATU NGOY.

YELLOW CARDS: ABS SEYMOUR 20.