Clapton CFC (1) 1, Romford (2) 3 – Tuesday 26th August 2025 – BBC Essex Senior Cup First Round

A potential banana skin was avoided in the Essex Senior Cup as Boro eased past Clapton CFC to reach the Second Round with a fairly comfortable win.

Ellis Devereux converted a 29th minute penalty – one of three spot-kicks awarded on the night by referee Mungo Prior - to put Boro in front after Fabio Co had been tripped, although by that stage Boro ought already to have been ahead. In just the first minute Devereux was just unable to reach a low cross from Co, and Devereux then shot well wide. Ezra Agyri met Harry Honesty’s cross with a half-volley that went over and the same player shot across goal from Co’s pass, all within the first quarter of an hour.

Clapton’s best chance in the opening period was a free-kick from just outside the Boro penalty area that sailed over the bar, but Boro went close again when Teddy Desmond – who had moments before become the first of six Boro players booked by the somewhat overzealous referee – chipped over the bar after running onto Honesty’s header.

Devereux went close with a low shot just a couple of minutes before converting his penalty, but Boro doubled their lead after 36 minutes when Fabio Co was put through and found the net after sidestepping the keeper.

Five minutes before the break, Clapton went close when a forward – unidentifiable sadly due to the numbers on the backs of their heavily patterned shirts being impossible to distinguish more than a few feet away – shovelled the ball wide from a low cross. The home side did halve the deficit in first half stoppage time however, when Nick Reynolds’ challenge was deemed a foul and Mr Prior pointed to the spot for a penalty from which Azariah George-Lawal scored.

Reece McGovern almost scored just three minutes into the second half after his introduction as a substitute for Harry Honesty when he ran onto Co’s flick on but put his shot wide, however, but he marked his return to competitive football following a lengthy injury lay-off with Boro’s third goal after 55 minutes with a lovely finish after being put through.

Ellis Devereux headed straight at Clapton keeper Jack Francis from Co’s cross on the hour and a minute later Boro had the ball in the net when Harry Elsey headed in a corner, but Mr Prior saw an infringement that chalked the goal off.

In an open second half both sides took every opportunity to attack and from one of the home side’s forays into Boro territory they were awarded a 74th minute penalty, although from this correspondent’s view, Ola Sosanya appeared to have won the ball cleanly. After some pushing and shoving that followed the award, and in which Brad Davison was booked, Azariah George-Lawal stepped up to take the penalty but his kick was high, wide and none too handsome.

A free-kick just outside the Romford penalty area was sent wide of the post four minutes from the end and in the penultimate minute Boro were awarded an indirect free-kick for the rare offense of the goalkeeper handling a back pass, but Kris Newby’s shot was blocked.

So ends a run of five defeats and while it might have been against Step 6 opposition, it was just the morale booster that the club needed right now.

Romford: Bradley Davison, Ryan Sammons, Teddy Desmond (Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson 46'), Joe Damrell, Harry Elsey, Nick Reynolds (Ola Sosanya 45'), Ezra Agyiri, Harry Markatis, Ellis Devereux (Jake Gordon 65'), Fabio Co (Kris Newby 73'), Harry Honesty (Reece McGovern 46')