Woodford Town (0) 1, Romford (2) 2 – Friday 5th September 2025 – Essex Senior League

Exactly an hour after signalling the start of the second half, referee Justin Wiseman called time on a Romford performance that ended the home side’s 100% start to the league season and gave Boro their second league win of the campaign.

Romford were ahead inside five minutes as Flyn Hamilton placed his shot between Manny Agboola’s left hand and the post and increased their lead after 40 minutes when Nick Reynolds headed home from Manny Ogunrinde’s left wing corner (see main picture).

Between those goals, both teams had chances. Woodford went close to an equaliser after twelve minutes when Brad Davison pushed Dimi Christou’s corner onto his crossbar and Boro cleared, and after twenty minutes a dangerous break on the left ended with Woodford’s David Gokou firing over. Davison was harshly penalised for holding the ball for more than eight seconds after saving from Ollie Sotoyinbo, but he appeared to be prevented from clearing by a Woodford player’s proximity; the ensuing corner came to nothing.

Davison then saved superbly from Sotoyinbo after 26 minutes, but Boro were denied a second goal when Kahlil Kirwan-Mead cleared off the line three minutes later while Teddy Desmond went close when he headed against the bar.

Flynn Hamilton had a shot blocked in the first minute of the second half before Woodford were reduced to ten men on the hour when Luke Steele was shown a second yellow card. Play switched from end to end with Ezra Agyri looking dangerous on the right, but Woodford were continuing to press, although Boro’s defence - in which George Cornwell and Charlie Hare were making their first starts - held firm. Until the 75th minute that is, when David Gokou-Siakouri found space on the left and placed the ball past Davison.

Boro had the ball in the net shortly afterwards only for a linesman’s flag for offside to cut short the celebrations before Davison had to dash from his line to save at the feet of a Woodford forward.

In the second of fifteen added minutes at the end of the half, Davison was booked for time wasting as he went to retrieve the ball from the running track to take a goal kick and shortly afterwards a melee near the technical areas ended with Kris Newby being shown a red card.

There was still time for Boro to create chances to put the game to bed. Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson shot over in the twelfth additional minute and then Christian Adu-Gyamfi’s shot ran agonisingly wide of a post, but Boro had to clear from corner two minutes later to preserve their lead before Mr Wiseman finally brought proceedings to an end.

A fine win, but unfortunately Boro will now have to wait three weeks before being able to build on victory with no league games scheduled for the next two Saturdays due to Hackney Wick and Buckhurst Hill’s involvement in cup ties.

Romford Bradley Davison, George Cornwell (Ryan Sammons 87'), Teddy Desmond, Joe Damrell (Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson 70'), Charlie Hare, Nick Reynolds, Ezra Agyiri (Harry Elsey 82'), Shad Ngandu, Jake Gordon (Ellis Devereux 62'), Flynn Hamilton (Christian Adu Gyamfi 62'), Manny Ogunrinde

Report by Mike Woods