Sporting Bengal United (1) 2, Romford (1) 2 – Tuesday 24th February 2026 – Essex Senior League

Fewer than 60 seconds were on the clock when Romford took the lead, but despite creating a number of further early chances, it wasn’t until the 70th minute that Boro found the net again, by which time Sporting Bengal had levelled. Then, with the first of six added minutes played at the end of the second half, Bengal levelled again and Boro had to settle for a point.

Boro’s start could not have been better. Nick Reynolds hoisted a long ball that Christian Adu Gyamfi headed on to Matthew Price, who flicked the ball over a defender however, as he shaped for a shot another Bengal defender intervened but could only direct his header across the penalty area into the path of Owen Bellamy – playing his first game for Boro since August – and his right foot shot beat Arshak Sargsyan at his left hand post.

Boro then a had a number of chances to increase their lead. Price had a shot from 30 yards that Sargsyan saved after six minutes and then he shot wide a minute later from Flynn Hamilton’s pass. Christian Adu Gymfi was inches away from converting Freddie Cooper’s cross after 12 minutes, and with a quarter of an hour played, Price had the ball in the net from Hamilton’s rabona pass only for an offside flag to deny him a goal.

As a frantically paced first half continued it was Sporting Bengal who were the more composed team, preferring to pass on the ground rather than rely on long balls as Boro were doing, and they had the ball in the net after 31 minutes through the dangerous Darnell Fuller (who was arguably the best player on the pitch) only for an offside flag to save Boro.

Christian Adu Gyamfi prodded Harry Elsey’s throw just wide after 37 minutes, but Sporting Bengal levelled after 41 minutes. Brad Davison spilled a low cross from the right and when Harry Elsey miskicked as he tried to clear, Fuller took advantage to tap into an empty net.

Bellamy and Price both had shots that went wide in the opening minutes of the second half after Louis Matthias had replaced Flynn Hamilton – who had not been feeling well, even before the start – but although Boro were still creating chances, Sporting Bengal always looked dangerous, especially when Fuller was involved on the left.

Matthew Price shot over in the 56th minute from Cooper’s pass when he might have been expected to find the target, but Boro retook the lead after 70 minutes. Adu Gyamfi appeared to be fouled as he burst into the box, but a corner rather than a penalty was the decision, and from Mathias’s dead ball kick, Teddy Desmond rose highest to head past Sargsyan.

Sporting Bengal were far from beaten however, and Fuller had a shot deflected wide after 72 minutes and with five minutes remaining Keiron Southgate put the ball in the car park when he perhaps should have tested Davison. Between those chances Teddy Desmond shot over the bar after Price had intelligently dummied Adu Gyamfi’s pass, but Boro had a glorious opportunity to put the game beyond Bengal’s reach in the final minute. Owen Bellamy ran the full length of the pitch but when a shot was called for, attempted to find a colleague with a square pass and the chance went begging. Bengal then broke quickly and scored through Timi Joseph’s shot from the left which Davison got a hand to but could not keep out.

The result keeps Boro four points above the drop zone but still too close for comfort.

Romford: Bradley Davison, Owen Bellamy, Teddy Desmond, Rhian Fowler, Harry Elsey, Nick Reynolds (Jack Hurley 83'), Greig Stewart, Freddy Cooper (Joe Damrell 65'), Christian Adu Gyamfi, Flynn Hamilton (Louis Mathias 46'), Matthew Price Unused subs: Henry Hart, Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson