At one stage on Saturday afternoon, when Romford were trailing against SOUL Tower Hamlets, scores elsewhere meant that Boro had slipped to third from bottom in the real-time league table. Thanks to the point won at Parsloes Park and Sporting Bengal’s defeat at Hullbridge Sports, by 5pm, Boro were sixteenth.

Both ends of the Essex Senior League table are very competitive this season. At the top just seven points separate the top four and of those teams, SOUL Tower Hamlets have three games in hand on leaders Little Oakley, who are currently experiencing a minor wobble with just one point earned in their last two games against sides in the bottom four. Although Frenford are adrift at the bottom with just 15 points, just five points separate the five teams above them and those teams include both Romford and tomorrow night’s opponents, Sporting Bengal United, which makes this fixture an important one for both clubs.

Tomorrow night’s game has been switched from the Mile End Stadium to Mayesbrook Park following a spate of postponements at the ground that Sporting Bengal share with SOUL Tower Hamlets, so even though for Boro fans it will be familiar territory, season tickets are NOT valid.

Previous Meetings:

Tomorrow will be only the fifth ever game between Romford and Sporting Bengal United and only the second away fixture. Boro’s sole previous away game was in February 2024 at Mile End when goals from Remi Sutton and Hassan Nalbant earned a 2-1 win with Bengal’s goal scored by Christian Adu Gyamfi. Earlier in the season, in the first ever meeting between the sides, the points had been shared at Mayesbrook Park in a 3-3 draw in which Michael Turner and Hassan Nalbant, with a brace, were the Romford scorers.

The sides met for a third time that season in the Play-Off Final at Rookery Hill in May 2024 when Sporting Bengal clinched promotion to the Isthmian League with a 3-1 win, which was again the score when Bengal came to Mayesbrook Park earlier this season.

Current Form:

Sporting Bengal are currently seventeenth in the table, one place and one point behind Boro but with two games in hand and their recent form has seen them win three of their last six. Those wins came at Little Oakley and at Basildon United, where they won 5-2 despite trailing 2-0 after 37 minutes, and at home against Frenford. Prior to that win against Frenford they had lost eight of their previous eleven league games.

At home, Sporting Bengal’s form is if anything, worse than Romford’s. Like Boro, they have won just once at home (against Basildon United) and drawn twice, losing the other seven. Away from home they have won five times with three of those victories – against Boro, Frenford, and Athletic Newham – having been on 3G surfaces.

This week’s Essex Senior League fixtures:

Tuesday 24th February:
7.45pm Harwich & Parkeston v Great Wakering Rovers
7.45pm Hullbridge Sports v Barking
7.45pm Sporting Bengal United v Romford
7.45pm West Essex v White Ensign

Wednesday 25th February:
7.45pm Woodford Town v Benfleet