Benfleet (3) 3, Romford (0) 3 – Tuesday 8th April 2025 - Essex Senior League

When Gianni Frankis netted Benfleet’s third goal after only half an hour, a sixth straight defeat – and possibly a hefty one – looked inevitable, but an inspired second half display saw Romford rescue a point despite being reduced to ten men just a minute before Jayden Silcott-Brown’s equaliser.

The first half was frustrating for Boro. A number of potentially promising attacks foundered and three times Benfleet surged forward to score. Sansom Adelaja shot across goal and Jake Gordon volleyed over after Jayden Silcott-Brown’s cross from the right had been headed out inside the first ten minutes, but the home side went ahead after eleven minutes. A cross from the left was headed back across goal and Jayden Oshitola was on hand to score.

Jake Gordon shot wide for Boro after surging forward and Silcott-Brown was put through and rolled a shot agonisingly wide of the far post, while at the other end Joel Bevan skied a shot over the bar from outside the box before Benfleet doubled their lead in the 27th minute. Another cross, from the right this time, was headed against a post and former Boro player Lucas Polyblank scored from close range.

On the half hour it was three when Gianni Frankis tapped home from a low cross and it might have been four had the same player not shot narrowly wide after 33 minutes. Shell shocked Boro were still creating chances however; Jordan Burnett had a shot blocked, Jake Gordon’s on target shot was deflected wide and Harry Elsey had a header cleared at the far post from the resulting corner.

The second half opened with Dervishaj having to make a low save after Boro had conceded possession from their own goal kick but after 50 minutes, Jordan Burnett handed his team a lifeline when he curled a shot from the corner of the penalty area into the top corner.

The goal injected new life and belief into Romford. Benfleet were rarely an attacking threat thereafter as Boro continually put the home defence under pressure. Harry Elsey headed a corner from Kris Newby narrowly wide before Blaise Uwandji reduced Benfleet’s lead with his second goal for the club after 58 minutes, firing home after Kris Newby’s corner had not been cleared.

The game belonged to Boro at this point: Prince Manuel Commodore was put through and only denied a shot by a last ditch tackle, then Commodore put Adelaja through for a shot that went across goal. Commodore, who was giving the Benfleet defence a torrid time, was denied by a save by Florent Gislette, who only just got across to palm away the shot and from the resulting corner, Jake Gordon shot over again. Harry Elsey was only just beaten to the ball in the air by Gislette from Newby’s corner after 74 minutes and immediately afterwards, Adelaja was denied by Gislette as he chased Commodore’s through ball with both he and the keeper injured in the process.

Kris Newby was clearly fouled on the edge of the box after 81 minutes but to add insult to injury, was red carded for his pains when referee Nathan Kitteridge – who apparently neither saw nor heard the clear contact - took exception to the Boro manager’s complaints. If Benfleet thought that this set back would take the wind out of Boro’s sails, they were to be disappointed in the 83rd minute when Jayden Silcott-Brown was put through, and having nicked the ball round the advancing keeper, levelled the scores with a shot into the roof of the net.

Some draws feel like defeats; some – like this one, the fourth time that Boro have recovered from a three goal deficit to earn a point since 1992– seem like wins, and the result must put the team in good heart ahead of Friday’s game against landlords Barking.

Romford: Qamil Dervishaj, Ivan Imasuen, Ross Elsom (Byron Humbles 54'), Jake Gordon, Harry Elsey, Jayden Silcott-Brown, Darnell Ramsay (Prince Manuel Commodore 56'), Samson Adelaja (Zinnel Royes 66'), Jordan Burnett , Blaise Uwandji Unused sub: Olakunmi Sosanya