Romford (0) 2, Benfleet (1) 3 – Saturday 29th August 2026 – Essex Senior League

Late goals by Matt Blake – on his debut off the bench – and Ekow Owusu-Boakye (his first for the club) proved insufficient to rescue a point for Boro after Benfleet had run up a three goal lead before the hour mark.

Boro had ample possession throughout, but lacked penetration while Benfleet took full advantage of the chances that came their way. The goals from Blake and Owusu-Boakye had the visitors clinging on at the end, but as the match became increasingly disjointed and fractious in the closing stages, they held on to claim all of the points.

Benfleet had the game’s first clear chance with Lamar Johnson having to kick away a shot by Billy Purdy after three minutes, and from the ensuing corner Romford broke quickly but when Fabio Vieira found the net from Aron Gordon’s pass, the raised flag of the assistant referee saw the goal chalked off for offside.

Viera’s cross from the right after he had been set free by Flynn Hamilton’s pass eluded everyone in the penalty area after eight minutes, but Benfleet went close after 15 minutes when Mason Shave’s overhead kick went wide. Freddy Tandon headed over following a corner on the half hour, but after 35 minutes, Benfleet went ahead. Alfie Whiteaker was afforded too much space on the edge of the Romford penalty area, and when the ball was worked across to him from the right, he placed a deft shot past Johnson.

The second half was only six minutes old when Benfleet doubled their lead. Tommy Sykes cut in from the right and curled a wind assisted shot over Johnson’s head. Romford’s cause was not helped when Alfie Leach was sent off after 55 minutes. Booked for a foul in the first half, Leach handled the ball on the halfway line and was shown a second yellow card to become the second Boro player sent-off in consecutive home games.

Matters got worse for Romford in the 58th minute when Benfleet netted their third. A midfield coming together had the majority of the players anticipating the referee’s whistle, but when none was forthcoming, Sykes took possession to run through and score.

Boro finally got on the scoresheet after 71 minutes. An excellent pass by Owusu-Boakye to Delphin Moorat on the left allowed the Boro full-back – who had not long replaced Teddy Desmond – to make strides into the Benfleet penalty area and his cut back was met by Matt Blake, Boro’s signing from Southend United, with a side-foot shot that beat Florent Gislette at his right-hand post.

Further chances fell Benfleet’s way with a free-kick swung in from the right being diverted onto a post, and when Moorat’s clearance failed to find a Romford player, Billy Carter took aim but shot wide.

Boro bagged a second after 86 minutes when Blake’s ball across the box from the left found Owusu-Boakye, who drilled a low shot past Gislette. Hopes of retrieving a point from a 3-0 deficit, as Boro had done against White Ensign last season, were dashed as Benfleet saw the game out as it ended with a number of visiting players going down and staying down after innocuous challenges.

This was Romford’s first defeat in a competitive game this season and hardly ideal preparation for the FA Cup tie at Harleston Town next Saturday, where Boro will have to play as they did in the last half an hour against Benfleet rather than how they did in the first 60 minutes.

Romford: Lamar Johnson, Greig Stewart, Teddy Desmond (Delphin Moorat 61'),Alfie Osborne, Freddy Tandon (Jake Barlow 61'), Alfie Leach, Aron Gordon (Ben McCrow 60'), Ekow Owusu-Boakye, Flynn Hamilton (Jaxon Brown 55'), Matthew Price, Fabio Vieira (Matt Blake 58')