With cup ties in various competitions having dominated recent fixtures, Romford have so far played fewer league fixtures than any other Essex Senior League side and have as many as four games in hand on four teams.

In Saturday’s Essex Senior League games, Frenford’s unbeaten start to the season ended when they were beaten 6-1 at Heybridge Swifts, while Sporting Bengal United – who have recently parted company with manager James Wakeling – became Great Wakering Rovers’ first league victims as Rovers won 4-0. Frenford’s defeat sees Barking (who beat Hackney Wick 3-0) move to within two points of top spot while Heybridge are third with two games in hand. Hutton, who were without a game, are the only side without a league victory so far this season.

Tomorrow night’s game at Halstead Town is also Romford’s first away game in the league since the opening day win at Basildon United. This lack of league action leaves Romford in 15th place in the league, while Halstead – who have played two games more than Boro – are in sixth spot with 12 points from six games.

Halstead – who were formed in 1879 – originally joined the Essex Senior League in 1980 but after eight seasons left the become founder members of the Eastern Counties League Division One, finishing second in their debut season to gain promotion to the Premier Division. After relegation, promotion, and relegation again over the coming seasons, they finished fourth in Division One South in 2021-22 and were promoted to the Essex Senior League after a Play-Off Final win against Buckhurst Hill. This is The Humbugs’ fifth season in the Essex Senior League with their best finish in recent season coming in 2025-26 when they came in eighth.

Previous Meetings:

There have been 19 previous meetings between Romford and Halstead Town and remarkably only eight of these have been league games. Of those, honours are exactly event with both teams having won three matches with two games drawn. Overall however, Halstead have the better record with 10 wins to Romford’s six, including six of the first seven meetings between the sides.

Boro’s first win over The Humbugs was in the first Essex Senior League game in 2022 which ended 3-1 thanks to goals from Tamberson Eyong, Camilo Restrepo, and Lewis Smith. Only one of the last six meetings has gone Boro’s way and that was last season’s Essex Senior League game at Mayesbrook Park when goals from Ibitayo Oyebola, Darnell Fuller, and an own goal earned a 3-2 win that was vital in the battle against relegation.

Romford’s last six visits to Halstead have seen four wins, a draw, and just one defeat. The wins included a 4-1 FA Cup victory in 2023 and a 5-2 Errington Challenge Cup win in 2024. Last season’s league game at Rosemary Lane ended in a 1-1 draw with Christian Adu Gyamfi scoring Boro’s goal.

This Season:

Halstead kicked off their league season with a defeat at Benfleet, but won their next four, at home against Hackney Wick, Sporting Bengal United, Great Wakering Rovers, and at SOUL Tower Hamlets, but their most recent game saw them beaten 4-2 at home by league leaders Frenford.

In the FA Cup, Halstead beat Haverhill Rovers in the Extra-Preliminary Round before losing 3-1 at Brantham Athletic, while in the FA Vase they fell at the first hurdle, losing 4-3 at White Ensign after leading 3-1 with half an hour remaining.

Halstead are something of a rarity in Step 5 football having had a fairly settled squad for some years now and players like Kane Gilbert, Jack Cherry, and Joel Older will be familiar names to Boro fans. They have this season added former Frenford player Correy Davidson to their roster.

Leading scorer for The Humbugs so far this season is Kane Gilbert, who has seven goals.

Home Ground and How To Get There:

Halstead’s home ground is Milbank Stadium, Rosemary Lane, Broton Industrial Estate, Halstead, CO9 1HR. At 44 miles from Romford, it’s about an hour’s drive.

Take the A12 to junction 19 and the Stansted Airport/Sudbury/Braintree/Chelmsford exit and follow the road onto Essex Regiment Way. At Sheepcotes Roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Braintree Road (A131). At Panners Roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto the A120 slip road to Halstead, and at Marks Farm Roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto the A131. Follow the A131 into Halstead and turn left into Butler Road, just after the Esso Petrol Station. Turn right into Chapel Street, then left into Rosemary Lane. Parking is available at the ground, but there is also a public car park in Butler Road.

This week’s Essex Senior League fixtures:

Apart from Boro’s game tomorrow, the only other Essex Senior League games scheduled for this week are Wednesday’s encounter between Sporting Bengal United and Heybridge Swifts at The Mile End Stadium (assuming the issues there have been resolved), and Friday night’s game in which West Essex are at home to Frenford.