Romford (1) 2, Benfleet (0) 0 – Essex Senior League – Friday 23rd August 2024

This game featured an exceptional strike by Reece McGovern – making his first appearance of the season – for Romford’s second goal, but just as remarkably, a free-kick and booking conceded by Boro keeper Harry Girling for infringing the rarely enforced six second rule.

Girling’s caution came after 84 minutes when, having been beaten by a long range effort that soared over his head but which fortuitously for Boro, came back off the crossbar, he held onto the ball for too long and was booked and conceded a free-kick just inside his own penalty area. The set piece came to nought and Boro held onto three points and a clean sheet.

The goals that won the game for Boro were quite different in character. The opener, a first goal for the club by Andy Morris, wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but the second, from Reece McGovern (also his first in a Boro shirt), was exquisite.

Morris’s goal came after seventeen minutes and settled Boro’s nerves after chances had been missed at both ends. A corner from the right that was over-hit was retrieved by Chris Millar and when his lofted ball into the box was not dealt with by the Benfleet defence, Morris was on hand to help the ball over the line. Benfleet complained that goalkeeper Florent Gislette had been fouled before Morris netted but referee Richard Airey was having none of it.

Prior to Boro’s goal it was Benfleet who had come the closest to opening the scoring. In only the fourth minute, Boro were indebted to Kojo Feyi for a block that prevented a shot at goal, but were fortunate in the extreme in the seventh minute when Billy Carter planted a header against the crossbar from the first of a number of dangerous right wing corners.

Toheeb Elegushi was set up by Kennedy Feyi but could only divert the ball to Gislette but a good move at the other end involving Max Jobson and Mason Shave ended with the latter rolling a shot across the face of Girling’s goal.

Chris Millar went close after winning the ball in midfield and driving forward only to see his shot deflected away for a corner from which Morris scrambled Boro into the lead.

Romford had opportunities to stretch their lead; Elegushi’s shot was deflected for a corner on the half hour and in the penultimate minute of the half Praise Ogbebor’s shot met a similar fate.

Harry Girling had to be alert to push away a shot from range in the second minute of the second half and then after Arnold Mengi had been cautioned for a foul, Boro were relieved to see a dangerous free-kick floated into their penalty area evade everyone and run away for a goal-kick.

Nathan Nzinga Fuma had a shot kicked away by Benfleet keeper Gislette after 53 minutes but Boro doubled their lead after 64 minutes. Aundre Spencer lifted the ball over the Benfleet defence from the left and found Reece McGovern who curled his shot into the net past Gislette’s despairing dive (pictured by Bob Knightley).

Both sides continued to press for goals but the best of the chances were Jobson’s shot into the side netting for Benfleet and Lucas Polyblank’s well struck shot from outside the box for Boro that was only a foot or so wide of the target.

After the visitors had hit the bar with the shot that saw Girling subsequently booked, they were denied a very good chance to reduce the arrears in the last minute of normal time only to be denied by a superb last ditch tackle by Jacob Adeyemi.

The win lifts Boro – unbeaten after three league outings - into third place, level on seven points with three other sides, two points behind league leaders Woodford Town who still sport a 100% record.

Romford: Harry Girling. Aundre Spencer, Kojo Feyi, Nathan Nzinga Fuma (Jacob Adeyemi 57'), Andy Morris, Tom Salter (Lucas Polyblank 46'), Chris Millar(Izaih Antoine 73'), Abdishakur Farah (Reece McGovern 47'), Toheeb Elegushi (Arnold Mengi 46'), Praise Ogbebor, Kennedy Feyi.