Boro will be looking to put some recent poor results behind them tomorrow as Little Oakley come to Mayesbrook Park for an Isuzu FA Vase Second Round tie.

Little Oakley were playing Step 7 football in the Essex and Suffolk Border League when Romford were last in the Essex Senior League, and were still playing at that level until 2017, when they joined the Eastern Counties League First Division. Tomorrow’s game will be the first meeting between the two sides.

Brief History:

The current club was formed as Little Oakley War Memorial in 1947 and initially played in the Harwich & District League Junior League, then the Tendring Hundred League, the Colchester & East Essex League, and the Border League. In 1974, the name was shortened to Little Oakley, and between 1987 and 2017, the club were champions of the Essex and Suffolk Border League on six occasions. On winning the last of those championships, Little Oakley were promoted to the Eastern Counties League, finishing 14th and 7th in the two seasons they were able to complete before two seasons were abandoned due to covid.

In 2021-22 The Acorns, as they are known, were elevated to the Essex Senior League, and finished a respectable 6th in their debut season.

Last Season:

As well as finishing 6th in the Essex Senior League last season, Little Oakley had a very good run in the FA Cup. Having beaten ESL rivals St Margaretsbury in the Extra-Preliminary Round, they then won at Hertford Town in a replay, and then beat Kirkley & Pakefield to set up a 2nd Qualifying Round tie at Conference South side Chelmsford City, where they were beaten by the narrowest of margins, with City 2-1 winners.

Their FA Vase campaign was much shorter however, as they were beaten 3-0 at Long Melford in the 1st Qualifying Round.

Harry Mann was leading scorer for The Acorns with 21 goals in all competitions last season.

This season:

Little Oakley are currently fourth in the Essex Senior League, with nine wins from fourteen league games, two of which have come in the last week. Last Saturday they beat Stanway Rovers 3-2 and on Tuesday, were 2-1 winners over Sawbridgeworth Town. The Acorns are unbeaten in their last six games, their last defeat being a 3-2 home reverse at the hands of FC Clacton in mid-October.

In reaching this stage of the FA Vase, Little Oakley – who entered in the 2nd Qualifying Round – beat Park View on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes, and then won 2-1 at Godmanchester Rovers. Their first season in the competition was in 2017-18 when they were unceremoniously dumped out of the competition, 10-1 by Tower Hamlets. Prior to this season, the furthest The Acorns have reached was in 2018-19 when they beat Hadleigh United before exiting in a replay at Enfield.

There is no extra-time in the FA Vase, and the tie will be decided on penalties if the scores are level at the end of 90 minutes.

The winners of tomorrow’s tie will receive £900 from the competition prize fund, while the losers will receive £275.

Other Isuzu FA Vase ties involving Essex Senior League clubs this weekend are:

Tonight:
Dunstable Town (Spartan South Midlands League) v Enfield

Tomorrow:
Athletic Newham v Kennington (Southern Counties East League)
Lakenheath (Eastern Counties League) v Buckhurst Hill
Norwich United (Eastern Counties League) v Stansted
Saffron Walden Town v Leighton Town (Spartan South Midlands League)
Woodford Town v Fakenham Town (Eastern Counties League)

Romford’s Reserve side are in action on Saturday as they face Redbridge Reserves in the Len Cordell Memorial Trophy at Westlands, kick-off 2pm, while Boro’s Under 19 side are away to West Essex in the Essex Alliance League Division Four, and the Under 21 team are also away, to Dagenham United in the Essex Alliance League Division Three.