Great Wakering Rovers (1) 2, Romford (0) 0 – Essex Senior League – Saturday 5th April 2025

Despite an outstanding display of goalkeeping from Qamil Dervishaj, Romford were unable to contain Great Wakering on a day when the hosts clinched the last of the Play-Off places.

Rovers hit a post in just the fourth minute. A foul on a Boro player in midfield went unpunished and the home side broke through Callum Boylan. He fed Max Gnandi and his shot cannoned off the base of an upright. Boro cleared at the expense of a throw from which the ball was crossed into the penalty area for the unmarked Harrison Topliss to head home, only to be denied a goal by a linesman’s flag.

Wakering hit a post again after six minutes with the loose ball scrambled clear before Boro created what was to prove a rare opportunity after fourteen minutes; Jake Gordon’s diving header from Kris Newby’s free-kick went wide. A couple of minutes later, Rovers goalkeeper George Martin flapped at a Jordan Burnett cross but when the ball reached the edge of the penalty area, an under pressure Harry Markatis could only direct his shot wide.

Kris Newby was booked for what appeared to be a rather tame foul on Gnandi on the half-way line after 19 minutes and Rovers continued to exert pressure, forcing a goal-line clearance from Harry Elsey after 23 minutes. Rovers’ Bradley Martin was narrowly off target with a 27th minute shot after Shaye La-Rose (who made one appearance for Boro in 2023) had seen his free-kick headed partially clear. It was temporary reprieve however, as the goal that Rovers had been threatening came on 31 minutes when Bradley Bennett headed home from a left wing corner.

The second half was more of the same. Jake Gordon and Jordan Burnett worked manfully upfront but Boro were unable to retain possession in the opposition half for long enough to keep the pressure off the defence.

Qamil Dervishaj was quickly off his line to block a shot by Bradleigh Rowland after 51 minutes and just a minute later Boro were clearing desperately as Rovers sought a second goal. Dervishaj dived to punch away a free-kick from James White which was otherwise destined for the bottom corner after 53 minutes, but went one better in the 70th minute when Rovers were awarded a penalty.

Jayden Silcott-Brown tussled with a Rovers forward by the goal line and when both went to ground, referee Liam Dawson pointed to the spot without hesitation. Silcott-Brown was sin binned for his protests, the first player to receive that sanction in a Boro game since the visit to Takeley in the FA Vase way back in November, apparently making it the first incidence of dissent for more than 1,500 minutes!

Ben Search took the spot kick but Dervishaj guessed right, dived right, and parried the kick before blocking Search’s second attempt as well. Soon after, Blaise Uwandji went into referee Dawson’s book for what was, like Newby’s, a rather ordinary challenge.

Dervishaj saved well after 79 minutes before a rare Boro attack saw Burnett denied as Martin dived at his feet. Somewhat unnecessarily, the Rovers goalkeeper was awarded a free-kick for his save.

Rovers looked to have settled matters with a second goal when a long clearance put Boylan through after 89 minutes but Dervishaj came out to block, deflecting wide for a corner. In stoppage time Boro were reduced to ten men when Byron Humbles – just 15 minutes into his debut – brought down a Wakering forward who was bearing down on goal and from the resulting free-kick, Rovers did nab a second as Dervishaj was finally beaten when the referee’s near namesake Kingdon Dawson found the bottom corner of the net with a daisy cutter of a shot.

Romford: Qamil Dervishaj, Jayden Silcott-Brown, Toheeb Elegushi, Harry Markatis, Harry Elsey, Jordan Burnett, Sam Brogan (Byron Humbles, 75m), Jake Gordon, Blaise Uwandj (Darnell Ramsay 75m), Zinnel Royes (Prince Manuel Commodore, 46m), Kris Newby. Unused sub: Ross Elsom

Report: Mike Woods