Thurrock 6 (2) - (1) 2 ROMFORD Attendance 128 - Ship Lane

Romford and Thurrock were well balanced early on until out of the blue Lewwis Spence let fly from thirty yards and the ball dipped wickedly underneath the bar to give the hosts the lead on nine minutes. Five minutes later and the lead was doubled when Romford failed to clear and Leslie Thompson pounced to put the ball into the net. Straight from kick off Loui Hazelwood hit a shot from the half way line and forced the Thurrock keeper to furiously back pedal and just manage to tip the ball over the bar at full stretch. From the resulting corner Jack Barry was first to the ball in the crowded box but his header flew not too far over the bar. On the half hour Romford were back in the game when Loui Hazelwood picked the ball up just outside his penalty area and took it forward thirty yards, before placing a fantastic pass behind the defender but perfectly for Tyrone Scarlett running in from the left who also showed some skill by dinking the ball over the onrushing keeper and into the back of the net. Just before half time Romford were inches away from an equaliser when Loui Hazelwood stepped up to a free kick forty yards from goal and with everyone expecting a cross, hit the ball with the outside of his boot, curling his effort away from the stranded keeper but just the wrong side of the post.

Into the second half and Aaron Omand had already produced a good save before he was forced into a second, but this time the rebound fell kindly to Thompson after a goalmouth scramble and he poked home on fifty-three minutes. Six minutes later and it was four for Thurrock after a quick counter attack when Spence hit the ball into the bottom corner to get his second of the game. Romford had not given up and on sixty-one minutes Jack Barry produced a great through ball to Ryan Imbert who cut in and shot low into the corner to grab his twelfth goal of the season. On seventy-one minutes Ross Wall made it five for Thurrock before a Ryan Imbert effort summed up Romford's season when he outjumped the host's keeper from a corner but his powerful downward header bounced up and hit the bar before going over. Thurrock made it six eight minutes from time when substitute Jordan Clarke beat the offside trap and shot low into the net. Romford had given the promotion chasers a tough battle but had been punished by some ruthless finishing which produced the rather lop sided score line.

So with Cray winning again Romford fell into the relegation zone, and with only three games remaining must pick up some points, starting with Saturday's home match against Thamesmead who they have already beaten away this season.

THURROCK (2) 6 SPENCE 9, 59, HARRISON 14, 53, WALL 71, CLARKE 82

ROMFORD (1) TYRONE SCARLETT 30, RYAN IMBERT 61

ROMFORD: AARON OMAND, SAMUEL KEMP, JAMIE DICKS, JAMIE BYRNE, NATHAN COOPER, JACK BARRY (JOE SCOTT 78), LOUI HAZELWOOD, JAMES ISHMAIL (TOM LAMB 85), RYAN IMBERT, TYRONE SCARLETT, CALLUM IBE (JOE EWENSON 78) SUBS NOT USED ROBBIE NORRIS,