With four wins and a draw in their last six league outings, in-form Great Wakering Rovers will provide a stiff test for Boro tomorrow in the last game before Christmas. Rovers have beaten two of the division’s top sides in recent weeks, having won 3-2 at Woodford Town and then beating SOUL Tower Hamlets 4-0 last Saturday.

For Boro, last weekend’s draw against Benfleet was achieved despite the handicap of having to play over half the game with ten men after Christian Adu Gyamfi had given his side an early lead. Since then Boro have added to their squad with Henry Hart rejoining the club from White Ensign, for whom he scored in the recent 3-3 draw at Mayesbrook Park. Henry was previously with Boro between 2022 and 2023, when he made 27 appearances and scored one goal.

Previous Meetings:

With 44 previous meetings between the teams, Romford have played Great Wakering Rovers more than any other club since 1992, apart from Brentwood Town, whom Boro have played the same number of times. Over the course of those 44 games, honours are fairly even with Boro having won 22 to Rovers’ 18.

The first game between the clubs was in Romford’s debut Essex Senior League season of 1992-93 when a Gary Crampton goal after just 23 seconds of the match at Wakering gave Boro a 1-0 win.

The 2023-24 season saw Romford take on Rovers four times, winning the lot. In an Essex Senior League game at Great Wakering, Romford won 3-2 with Junior Luke, Jordan Sarfo, and Michael Turner, while one of Rovers’ goals was scored by Jake Gordon. The return league fixture, which was played at Rookery Hill, ended 1-0 to Boro with Sam Deering the scorer. The sides also met in the Essex Senior Cup at Mayesbrook Park, and after Boro had trailed 2-0 at the break, a Hassan Nalbant hat-trick followed Toheeb Elegushi’s strike to secure a 4-2 win. The final game between the sides that season was of course, the FA Vase Final, the result of which no one will need reminding of!

Since Romford’s success in the FA Vase Final, Rovers have won both games between the sides. In last season’s game at Mayesbrook Park, a goal from Harry Brown – who would briefly play for Boro later in the season – gave Rovers a 1-0 win and the return at Burroughs Park ended 2-0 in their favour as the hosts clinched a Play-Off spot, in which they would be beaten in the Semi-Final by Woodford Town.

This Season:

Currently sitting fifth with 35 points from 19 games, Rovers have been beaten only once at home so far this season, with local rivals Benfleet the only team to beat them there. Rovers began the season with four wins, a draw, and a defeat in their opening six league games, including a 6-1 trouncing of Saffron Walden Town, with Halstead Town the only side to beat them. Their last six league games have seen them replicate that from with only Little Oakley having beaten them.

Rovers have not struggled for goals this season, and as well as that 6-1 win over Saffron Walden, they have also put six past Wivenhoe Town, whom they beat 6-2 in the FA Vase, and past May & Baker, whom they beat 6-5 in an extraordinary Essex Senior Cup tie in which they trailed 5-1 from half-time until the 80th minute.

Having thumped Wivenhoe Town in the FA Vase, Rovers then beat Cannons Wood by a similarly hefty scoreline (5-1) before exiting 2-0 at Benfleet, who are now the Essex Senior League’s only representatives in the competition. The FA Cup saw Rovers beat Dunstable Town before losing in a Preliminary Round replay at Redbridge.

Leading scorer for Rovers so far this season is Harry Talbot, who has 11 goals to his name, although he has not found the net since the 1-1 draw with Barking five games ago.

Home Ground and How To Get There:

Since Boro have visited Burroughs Park so many times over the years, few fans will need reminding how to get there, but in any case: The full address of the ground is Burroughs Park, Little Wakering Hall Lane, Great Wakering, Essex, SS3 0HH. By road from Romford it’s about an hour’s drive, depending on traffic.

A journey by public transport will take about two hours and necessitates getting to Southend Victoria and catching the number 7 or number 14 bus.

Admission Prices:
Admission Prices at Burroughs Park are:
Adult £10
Concessions £6
Student £6
10-16 Year Olds £2

Programmes are online only.

This weekend’s Essex Senior League fixtures:

2pm Basildon United v Saffron Walden Town
2pm Buckhurst Hill v Sporting Bengal United
3pm Great Wakering Rovers v Romford
3pm Hullbridge Sports v Halstead Town
3pm Little Oakley v Hackney Wick