Great Wakering Rovers (0) 2, Romford (0) 2 – Saturday 20th December 2025 – Essex Senior League

A point on the road against an in form side who occupy a Play-Off spot is a good result on the face of it, especially as Rovers had beaten Woodford Town and SOUL Tower Hamlets in their last two outings, but had Boro converted either of the two late chances that came their way, it would have been three points, not one.

The first half was full of energy from both sides, but possibly too frantic at times; chances were few and none too clear cut. For Romford, Flynn Hamilton had a shot in the very first minute that went wide and then, after a good interchange of passes around the edge of the home penalty area, he tried his luck with a shot that drifted wide in the 42nd minute.

A free-kick from 30 yards that was driven straight at Brad Davison, and a header from Harrison Topliss that landed on the roof of the net were among the few chances that Great Wakering had, although they did have the ball in the net with a header from a 38th minute free-kick, but their celebrations were cut shot by the raised flag of the assistant.

A shot from Greig Stewart that was comfortably saved by Wakering keeper Gene Ghag, and an off-target header by Christian Adu Gyamfi completed the count of first half chances.

The second half was more of the same with both sides looking to attack at every opportunity. After 52 minutes Davison saved well from Wakering’s Ben Search with Nick Reynolds completing the clearance and at the other end a minute later, Flynn Hamilton had a low shot saved by Ghag.

It was Hamilton who put Boro ahead after 55 minutes, collecting the ball in midfield, driving forward and placing a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of Ghag’s net. Boro had an opportunity to double their lead after 68 minutes when Gabriel Ipanga ended a good run with a pass to Lewis Browne who was denied by Ghag as he came off his line.

The home side levelled after 73 minutes. A long forward pass put Harry Talbot in space behind the Boro back line and he lifted the ball over the advancing Davison. Undeterred, Boro went back in front two minutes later. Ipanga found Browne and he slipped the ball into the path of Henry Hart, who coolly placed the ball past Ghag just eight minutes after coming on as substitute for Adu Gyamfi.

Boro’s lead was short lived however, as after 81 minutes Shaye La-Rose wriggled past a challenge on the goal-line and played the ball to Ben Search, who went down under a tackle to win his side a penalty. Davison blocked Topliss’s spot-kick, but was powerless to prevent the same player ramming the ball home after the rebound had landed at his feet.

Neither side were content to settle for the draw with Rovers hoisting high balls into the Romford area that the Boro defenders coped with admirably, but it was Boro who came closest to winning. Three minutes from the end, Hart found Ipanga on the left and he cut in and fired a shot that cannoned off Ghag’s left hand post, and in the second minute of stoppage time, Ipanga delivered a perfect cross to the well placed Riley Garrick, but his header went the wrong side of the post.

This was a hard-working, disciplined, and organised performance that would have ended with new boss Dan Brown celebrating the first win of his tenure had either of those two late chances been converted.

Romford: Bradley Davison, George Cornwell, Ryan Sammons (Kunle Adeyemi 86'), Harry Elsey, Freddy Cooper, Nick Reynolds (Gabriel Ipanga 67'), Greig Stewart, Louis Mathias, Christian Adu Gyamfi (Henry Hart 67'), Flynn Hamilton, Lewis Browne (Riley Garrick 86') Unused sub: Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson

Report by Mike Woods