West Essex (1) 2, Romford (3) 4 – Friday 25th July 2025 – Essex Senior League

On the day we learned the sad news of the death of Romford legend Roy Sanders, it was fitting that much of Boro’s best play came on the flanks, from where Owen Bellamy and Ezra Agyiri both contributed goals on their competitive debuts.

Having run up a fairly comfortable half-time lead, Boro had to withstand considerable pressure from the home side after the break however, but although West Essex reduced the deficit to a single goal with 25 minutes still to play, Boro had the last word with a fourth four minutes into added time.

Boro opened the game on the front foot and created three decent chances inside the first ten minutes. Owen Bellamy was denied by a good block by West Essex keeper Lewis Edwards, Malakai Hyman went close with an overhead kick after Nick Reynolds’ long throw had been kept alive, and then Ola Sosanya headed a corner from Bellamy just wide.

West Essex defender Jack Martin volleyed narrowly over when Boro only partially cleared a free-kick, and the home side had the ball in the net after 18 minutes but the headed goal was ruled out for a foul.

Teddy Desmond’s excellent cross from the left drew a great save from West Essex keeper Edwards as he clawed away Harrison Georgiou’s header after 19 minutes, but three minutes later, Boro were ahead. West Essex’s Billy Jones attempted – unsuccessfully - to cut out Christian Adu-Gyamfi’s pass to Ezra Agyiri on the right, and the Boro forward ran on to drill a low shot into the bottom corner. On the half-hour, Agyiri turned provider, running on to Georgiou’s incisive pass and delivering a low cross that Adu-Gyamfi converted from close range.

Former Romford defender Bleron Ademi got one back for West Essex after 33 minutes when he headed in a free-kick – one of many too many that Boro conceded on the night – from the left, but Boro restored their two goal cushion after 40 minutes when Nick Reynolds headed home Owen Bellamy’s free-kick for his first goal in Romford colours since he netted in a 3-1 defeat at Coggeshall Town in February 2019. West Essex almost got another back in the last minute of the half, but fortunately for Boro the speculative effort from the touchline came back off a post.

Romford continued to create chances after the break; Agyiri’s cross found Bellamy, whose shot was blocked and Reynolds headed Bellamay’s free-kick over, but when Harry Elsey could only head a long free-kick into the Boro penalty area towards his own goal, and Brad Davison was unable to claim, Vanadiny Junior Mendes scored from close range after 70 minutes.

Having withstood pressure from the home side as they sought an equaliser, Romford put the seal on victory four minutes into added time. Ellis Devereux was put through by Agyiri, broke clear and squared the ball to Bellamy, who tapped in Boro’s fourth of the night to round off a very satisfactory opener to the season.

Romford: Bradley Davison, Harry Elsey, Teddy Desmond (Lewis Browne 64m (Jake Gordon, 71m)), Malakai Hyman, Nick Reynolds, Ola Sosanya (Harry Markatis, 51m), Darnell Bromfield (Ellis Devereux,71m), Harrison Georgiou (Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson, 64m), Ezra Agyiri, Christian Adu Gyamfi, Owen Bellamy