Romford (0) 1, Basildon United (1) 1 – Saturday 25th October 2025 – Essex Senior League

Despite the twin advantages of playing against a team reduced to ten men from the 33rd minute onwards, and with the wind at their backs after the interval, Boro again failed to take maximum points from a home league game and had to settle for a point against The Bees.

The sending off came after thirty-three minutes when Emmanuel Shana – who had earlier been booked for failing to retreat 10 yards at a free-kick – was shown a second yellow for simulation. At that point his team led 1-0 after Basildon had scored from the first meaningful attack of the game with just six minutes played. Shana played a hopeful ball into the Romford penalty area and when Boro failed to clear decisively, the ball fell kindly to Ellis Sullivan, who rolled his shot past Brad Davison’s right hand.

Although the wind was against them, Boro fashioned some decent openings in the first half. A long throw by Nick Reynolds was fumbled by Basildon keeper Enos Duah after twenty minutes and as the ball ran loose, two shots were blocked by covering defenders. Ezra Agyiri then shot wide and Duah was subsequently forced into a close range block as Kevin Musimami swung a boot at a loose ball in the six yard box, although in truth, it was little more than a half chance.

Nick Reynolds was cautioned for a foul after 37 minutes and from the free-kick, Basildon’s Ellis Sullivan struck the bar. Romford continued to create chances however, with Teddy Desmond’s cross headed down by Agyiri only for Flynn Hamilton’s outside of the boot effort to go narrowly wide after 40 minutes, and then in the first minute of stoppage time, Joe Damrell was just off target with a low shot before the final chance of the half fell to Musimami, who headed Agyiri’s cross wide of the post.

Musimami had better luck in the first minute of the second half however. After a Boro corner was only partially cleared, Flynn Hamilton’s low cross squirmed free of the grasp of Basildon keeper Duah allowing Musimami to prod the ball over the line from less than a foot.

Basildon’s Mitchelle Ward came close to restoring his side’s lead when his 59th minute free-kick hit the Boro crossbar, but thereafter it was pretty much all Romford. Flynn Hamilton’s shot after 78 minutes was parried by Duah with no one in a blue shirt able to follow up, and Hamilton again went close after 78 minutes when Duah had to dive full length to turn his shot away for a corner.

Ryan Sammons had a shot from outside the box that was unfortunately well wide of the target after 84 minutes and in the penultimate minute of normal time, Emmanuel Balogun had a shot easily gathered by Duah. Boro might have won it in the final minute when Blaise Uwandji got on the end of a cross by the outstanding Hamilton, but Duah clutched the header out of the air, but a winner would not come.

This was Romford’s seventh home league game without a win, but remarkably the result – and others elsewhere – lifts Boro one place in the table to sixteenth, but after Athletic Newham’s victory over Frenford, Boro are now one of just three sides yet to win on their home turf.

Romford: Bradley Davison, Ryan Sammons, Teddy Desmond (Blaise Uwandji 46'), Joe Damrell, Harry Elsey, Nick Reynolds (C)(Charlie Hare 46'), Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson (Kunle Adeyemi 46'), Makhi Johnson (Emmanuel Balogun 76'), Kevin Musimami (Jake Gordon 65'), Flynn Hamilton, Ezra Agyiri

Match report by Mike Woods