Romford (0) 0, Ilford (1) 3 – Saturday 24th January 2026 – Essex Senior League

Football can be a game of fine margins and had the three Boro efforts that hit the Ilford crossbar been fractionally lower, then the outcome of this game might have been different. It wasn’t to be however, and Ilford – beaten just once in their previous 15 outings – deservedly left Mayesbrook Park with all three points to maintain their spot in the Play-Off places.

The visitors had an opportunity in the very first minute when Ahmed Dousa got past Brad Davison but fortunately for Romford, was driven wide and his shot from an acute angle went across goal, and Boro then went close when Ilford keeper Wilkinson Boateng used his feet to deny Lewis Browne.

Boro first struck the bar after 16 minutes when Christian Adu Gyamfi conjured a shot out of nothing that crashed off the Ilford crossbar and over, and the visitors capitalised on that let off by scoring their first after 24 minutes. Romford managed to clear a dangerous right wing cross that came in from Maksym Trush but when the ball reached Louis Hiobi, the defender - who played four times for Romford in 2019 and netted the opening goal in Ilford’s FA Vase win against Boro in August - strode forward and scored with a shot that found the back of the net thanks in no small part to a deflection that wrong footed Brad Davison.

Ilford’s Michael Adu – who had two free-kicks from dangerous positions blocked by the Boro wall – went close after 35 minutes with a shot that went wide and a minute later Daniel Izekor was put through, rolled the ball past Davison, but hit a post. Nick Reynolds headed Flynn Hamilton’s free-kick against the Ilford crossbar after 41 minutes as a generally poor first half, which had largely been controlled by Ilford, wound to a conclusion.

The second half opened with Davison making a terrific save from a corner that was headed goalwards before Ilford had two players booked in the space of two minutes. First, Michael Adu was cautioned for a foul on Hamilton and then Andy Greenslade was booked for dithering too long over a throw-in, and in an eventful opening to the second period, Ilford netted again after 54 minutes. Brad Davison did well to save the initial goalbound effort, but when the ball sat up kindly, Ilford’s Adu reacted first to head home.

Play switched from end to end with both sides creating opportunities. On the stroke of 60 minutes Ryan Sammons was set up by Adu Gyamfi and had his shot saved at the second attempt by Boateng, but Boro were relieved to see Emmanuel Wazola shoot just wide after being set up by Greg Akpele after 71 minutes.

Romford introduced Sonny Dutton in place of Lewis Browne and the striker who appeared for Boro a couple of times last season was played in after 73 minutes but was denied when Boateng blocked his low shot and Ilford broke quickly only to be denied when Boro cleared off the line.

Romford struck the frame of the goal for the third time in the afternoon after 82 minutes when Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson was well found on the right and cut in before firing a left foot shot that had Wilkinson beaten but which rebounded to safety off the crossbar. Salt was then rubbed into Boro wounds in the sixth minute of added time as a low ball in from the right found the defence stretched and Michael Okafor tapped home.

Boro were well off the pace here and can have no complaints about the result, but had those chances that hit the bar gone in, who knows what might have been?

Romford: Bradley Davison, George Cornwell (Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson 76'), Teddy Desmond, Harry Elsey, Freddy Cooper, Nick Reynolds (Louis Mathias 67'), Ryan Sammons, Rhian Fowler, Christian Adu Gyamfi, Flynn Hamilton (Kunle Adeyemi 89'), Lewis Browne (Sonny Dutton 56') Unused sub: Jake Gordon

Report: Mike Woods