Ilford (1) 2, Romford (0) 0 – Essex Senior League – Saturday 15th November 2025

After dominating the opening stages of this game, Romford found themselves a goal down after 28 minutes when Ilford’s Joel Appiah curled a shot round Brad Davison from the edge of the penalty area. When the same player headed his side’s second goal after 65 minutes, there proved to be no way back for Boro.

Playing in a much more up tempo manner than of late, Boro were out of the blocks quickly and in just the second minute Gabriel Ipanga had a shot turned round the post for a corner by Ilford keeper Wilkinson Boateng. Tellingly, it wasn’t until the 67th minute that Boateng was forced into a save of any significance as for all their possession, Boro lacked a cutting edge to create chances against a well disciplined Ilford defence.

Even in the early stages in which Romford enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, it was Ilford who had the better opportunities to score. After 23 minutes Daniel Izekor found himself in space a was only denied by Davison coming off his line to save with is feet before Appiah netted his side’s first goal. Three minutes later and Boro were relieved to see a shot fly over the crossbar after Shaike Kamara had delivered a good cross from the right and then Davison was again off his line to deny an Ilford forward with Nick Reynolds tidying up after the ball had run loose.

Romford continued to see plenty of the ball but rarely looked like posing a threat to the Ilford goal with Flynn Hamilton’s 38th minute shot that Boateng fielded comfortably the only effort that was on target as the first half drew to a conclusion with Davison having to save from Izekor, Kamara, and Appiah in the half’s final five minutes.

Twenty minutes after the restart, Ilford effectively wrapped up the points with a second goal. Maksym Trush chased what appeared to be a lost cause on the left and put over a cross that Appiah headed home.

A flurry of substitutions by both sides rendered the remainder of the match somewhat disjointed and chances were few. Davison was largely untroubled while his opposite number in the Ilford goal was called into action only infrequently. Christian Adu Gyamfi had a shot beaten away by Boateng after 67 minutes and then headed wide from Ryan Sammons’ corner, while Lewis Browne had one shot stopped by the Ilford keeper and another blocked by a defender.

Both sides had shots that went well over their respective crossbars in the closing stages, but with Ilford content that their job was done and Romford unable to make any inroads, that was that for a game that sees new manager Dan Brown’s reign begin with defeat.

Romford: Bradley Davison, Harry Elsey, Nick Reynolds (Charlie Hare 78'), Joe Damrell, Ryan Sammons, Louis Mathias, Gabriel Ipanga (Kevin Musimami 60'), George Cornwell (Lewis Browne 85'), Flynn Hamilton (Makhi Johnson 70'), Christian Adu Gyamfi, Teddy Desmond. Unused sub: Mayowa Ogunyemi

Report by Mike Woods