Play-Off Agony For Boro

Romford (0) 1, Sporting Bengal United (1) 3 – Essex Senior League Play-Off Final – Saturday 6th May 2024

Boro’s Play-Off Final ended in defeat but no disgrace. Ample chances were created, but a combination of narrow misses and stout defending kept Boro at bay.

Things might have been different had Finlay Dorrell not been on the wrong side of some dubious offside decisions, and while criticising officials in defeat may smack of sour grapes, the offside flag that denied Dorrell an equaliser after 42 minutes was so egregiously wrong that it beggared belief. Don’t take my word for it, a number of impartial witnesses – off duty referees – were of the same view.

Romford made a positive start and created three decent chances inside sixty seconds. First, after eleven minutes, Charlie Morris flicked the ball in from the right and Hassan Nalbant’s effort was cleared for a corner, from which Sam Deering delivered the ball to Adalberto Pinto, but his header was cleared off the line with Morris shooting wide when the ball ran loose.

Morris was again provider after 27 minutes when he put Finlay Dorrell through but an offside flag – the decision was marginal at best – denied Boro. Dorrell was then foiled by Bengal keeper Sidi Haidara after half an hour before the visitors took the lead with their first clear opening after 32 minutes. The ever dangerous Steve Carvell crossed from the right and Jay Knight flicked a header past Jake Anderson.

Junior Luke became the first player booked when his foul on Rian Patel displeased referee George Barker after 36 minutes, but after 42 minutes, Boro looked to have levelled the scores. Jake Anderson launched a clearance downfield, Finlay Dorrell was clearly some yards onside when Anderson released the ball, but possibly deceived by Dorrell’s pace, assistant referee Michael Wallace flung his flag aloft as the young Boro forward lifted the ball over Haidara. It was, to put it mildly, a very poor decision.

Haidara then went into the referee’s notebook for a foul on Sam Deering outside the box, and in the second minute of stoppage time, Charlie Morris hit a post with a fierce close range shot. Deering then delivered a corner which Remi Sutton met with a good header that was cleared off the line.

Junior Luke was forced into a goal-line clearance at the start of the second half, from which Romford broke quickly with Dorrell taking Deering’s pass but shooting over, but Boro’s task became infinitely harder when Bengal scored twice in three minutes.

After 54 minutes a well flighted cross from the left was met by a glancing header from Joe Gregory, and after 57 minutes a long clearance bounced over the advancing Anderson presenting Rian Patel with an unmissable open goal.

A foul by Gregory on Amaree Robinson-Jones earned the visiting forward a yellow card, and as Boro pressed they were rewarded with a goal after 63 minutes. Darren Phillips laid the ball off to Finlay Dorrell and his shot from just inside the box flew into the net. On the 70th minute mark Boro went agonisingly close to a second. Amaree Robinson-Jones did superbly on the right to get to the byline and put over a cross; Finlay Dorrell met it with a firm header that was just too high.

Damilola Olusesi was booked for a foul on Kris Newby, although play restarted with a throw in rather than a free-kick, and Boro were denied a plausible shout for a penalty when Deering looked to have been tripped in the penalty area. Referee Barker waved play on.

Sam Deering appeals in vain for a penalty. Picture by Bob Knightley

Kris Newby’s 79th minute shot was deflected and required Haidara to tip the ball over the bar as Boro strived for a second, and on the cusp of full time a splendid forward run by Junior Luke ended with Sam Deering shooting over.

In the fifth of a scant six minutes added time –double that would have been reasonable, given the frequency and length of second half stoppages – Darren Phillips was booked for a foul on Bengal’s Tanvir Ahmed.

The first leg of Boro’s treble attempt ended with Jake Anderson disconsolate, although Boro’s first choice keeper has nothing to reproach himself for having contributed mightily to the team’s success this season, but his distress spoke volumes for the standards he, his team-mates, and management have set themselves.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Junior Luke, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky (Darren Phillips, 57m), Scott Doe, Remi Sutton, Kris Newby, Adalberto Pinto (Ash Siddik, 82m), Sam Deering, Charlie Morris (Amaree Robinson-Jones, 57m), Hassan Nalbant, Finlay Dorrell Unused subs: Danny Hurford, Lee Hursit

Report by Mike Woods