Little Oakley (1) 3, Romford (1) 1 – BBC Essex Senior Cup 2nd Round – Tuesday 22nd October 2024

Romford bowed out of a second cup competition in five days as Darren Mills – as he had in the earlier league game at Barking – proved influential for the hosts with a second half display in which he scored one and made one.

Early play was concentrated in the Little Oakley half as Romford spread the play, passing and moving to stretch the home defence. Possession was not converted into clear chances however, and it was the home side that went ahead, albeit against the run of play.

Connor Hogan had a fifth minute shot that went just wide of Little Oakley keeper Michael Bett’s right hand post and two minutes later Jake Gordon shot over after a good run by Jaiden Babalola had created the opening. Gordon then created a shooting opportunity for himself, but his effort lacked power and was comfortably gathered by Bett.

Harry Girling was called into action for the first time after 16 minutes as he had to push a shot from Daniel Rowe round the post, but Boro went straight up the other end, however, when Jaiden Babalola was put through, Bett came out of his penalty area to clear in the nick of time.

Just over half of the first period had elapsed when Little Oakley went ahead. Harry Girling made an excellent save, turning George Davis’s shot round a post for a corner, but when the ball was played in low from the resulting set piece, Boro failed to clear and Reece Keating was on hand to fire into the roof of the net.

Girling was again in action after 35 minutes when a free-kick was not cleared and the Boro keeper had to make an important block. Five minutes from the end of the half, Boro were deservedly level. Amaree Robinson-Jones spun away from his marker and delivered a dangerous low cross from the left that found Jaiden Babalola and the Boro midfielder scored with a shot from eight yards that went through the legs of Oakley keeper Bett.

There was little to cheer for Boro after the break, as despite continuing to see plenty of the ball, they could not create chances to test the Little Oakley keeper. The home side’s direct style of play and quick breaks from defence bore fruit at the beginning and end of the second period.

After 52 minutes Darren Mills scored from just inside the Romford half with a well placed shot that found Girling off his line after Romford had been caught in possession going forward, and in the final minute Mills dispossessed Boro’s last man, Kalum Bama and put Daniel Rowe through to score the third.

Between those goals it was the home side who looked the more likely to score with Girling saving well from Bobby Rea, again after Mills had created the opening, and the Boro keeper later had to make an important block to prevent Oakley scoring what would have been their third, although this delayed them doing so by a matter of only seven minutes.

A disappointing end to a game that had started brightly for Boro and lessons to be learned no doubt before Saturday’s much anticipated trip to play Saffron Walden Town.

Romford: Harry Girling, Andy Morris, Eli Benoit (Leandro Alva 71'), Lucas Polyblank, Derek Feyi, Jake Gordon (David Owiredu 63'), Arnold Mengi, Connor Hogan, Amaree Robinson-Jones (Toheeb Elegushi 63'), Jaiden Babalola (Kalum Bama 71'), Praise Ogbebor.