Romford (1) 1, Benfleet (1) 1 – Saturday 13 December 2025 – Essex Senior League

When Benfleet levelled the scores in the penultimate minute of the first half, just two minutes after Teddy Desmond had been harshly sent off, it seemed that the fates were conspiring against Boro, but a gritty second half performance secured a valuable point.

Romford made an ideal start, scoring after only three minutes. Flynn Hamilton’s cross from the left was initially headed clear, but when the ball was knocked back into the penalty area Christian Adu Gyamfi reacted first to tap it past Benfleet keeper Florent Gislette.

The visitors had an almost immediate chance to reply, but former Boro player Jacob Wiggins’ shot on the turn went well over the bar. Romford then had opportunities to double their lead: Adu Gyamfi headed Lewis Browne’s cross from the left over the bar, and Flynn Hamilton headed a cross from the other flank by Greig Stewart narrowly wide.

Romford had the ball in the net a second time after 39 minutes when Adu Gyamfi turned in Hamilton’s low ball from the left, but the raised flag of the assistant referee saw the strike ruled out for offside.

A somewhat unusual incident saw play stopped for several minutes when one of referee Jordan Whitworth’s boots became defective, and without a replacement of his own, he had to borrow one from the Romford bench. The referee was then the centre of attention again when he red carded Teddy Desmond for a foul after 42 minutes. Desmond’s challenge was probably worthy of a yellow card, but did not seem to involve excessive force or even be dangerous, but referee Whitworth’s card was out of his pocket even as the echo of his whistle died away.

The resulting free-kick was headed wide by Benfleet’s Dickinson, but his team mate Max Jobson found the net with a header via a cross from a similar position while Boro were still adjusting to the absence of Desmond at left-back. From another free-kick – given for a foul by Nick Reynolds – Benfleet had the ball in the net again in the second minute of added time, but on this occasion it was Boro who were saved by the assistant flagging for offside.

Despite their numerical disadvantage – and which, at one point, became a two man handicap when Nick Reynolds was sin binned after 58 minutes – Romford gave at least as good as they got in the second half.

Benfleet keeper Gislette came out to clear after 48 minutes but could only find Boro’s Hamilton on the left, whose long range effort failed to drop sufficiently to find the net and cleared the bar. A superb tackle by George Cornwell won possession on the right and his pass found Lewis Browne, whose shot was deflected over the bar after 56 minutes.

Browne had a shot on the turn that went wide after 77 minutes, but when Benfleet counter attacked, the Boro defence had to work hard to prevent the visitors going ahead. Benfleet’s Jobson tried his luck with an overhead kick that went well wide, but the visitors went close to a winner in the third minute of stoppage time only to be denied by Brad Davison turning the ball away for a corner with an outstretched foot.

Although this result means that Boro end their home fixtures in 2025 without a home win in the current season, this was a performance to take heart from ahead of a tough game at Great Wakering Rovers on the Saturday before Christmas.

Romford: Bradley Davison, George Cornwell, Teddy Desmond, Harry Elsey, Freddy Cooper, Nick Reynolds (Ryan Sammons 71'), Greig Stewart, Louis Mathias, Christian Adu Gyamfi, Flynn Hamilton, Lewis Browne (Danny Hanson 86') Unused subs: Kunle Adeyemi, Gabriel Ipanga

Report by Mike Woods