On a wet night and on a pitch resembling something from the 1970’s Romford looked to bounce back from five consecutive league defeats, but after battling well all game they ultimately fell just short of earning a valuable point. Manager Paul Martin brought in four new players for the game and could not fault anyone’s commitment to the cause as the team fought hard on a bog of pitch. Conditions for both teams stopped anything that could resemble flowing football and chances at either end were few and far between. New keeper Rob Budd did well in the fifteenth minute to deny Emmanuel Osei as the forward raced through and tried to round him but the ball fell kindly to Charlie Ruff who's shot looked to have given Hertford the lead only for Aaron Waters to head the ball off the line. Both teams were restricting each other to long range efforts but on the half hour Mario Gjini beat three men down the right wing before pulling the ball back to Chiduben Onoakwi but his curling effort was pushed behind for a corner. Osei shot wide for the host’s after bundling his way through while Onoakwi fired straight at the keeper when well placed for the Boro. Right on half time Hertford won a soft free kick that was whipped in but headed over the bar by Ruff.

Romford looked more of an attacking threat in the second half and straight after the break Onoakwi controlled a ball forward before teeing up Harry Daly who fizzed a shot inches wide with the keeper unmoved. Brett O’Connor did well for the hosts when receiving the ball on the right wing but after cutting in, his left foot drive was pushed out by Budd and Romford cleared the danger. Despite some good build up play in sticky conditions neither side really created anything that you would call goal threatening and anything that was on target was easily dealt with by both number ones. Near the end of the game Romford sensed victory but could not find the final ball after getting in good positions but then in the third minute of injury time Hertford broke down the left and a low cross held up perfectly in the conditions for Philip Lowen to poke home after just getting ahead of his marker. It was devastating for the Boro but similar solid performances in the coming weeks should soon bring the right results.

HERTFORD TOWN (0) 1 LOWEN 90+3
ROMFORD (0) 0

ROMFORD: ROB BUDD. AYO OLUKOGA, SAM MVEMBA, DANNY COSSINGTON, AARON WATERS, NATHAN OKOYE (BEN CLARKE 79), KAI HEATHER, UKA POWELL (MAX AUSTIN 76), CHIDUBEN ONOAKWI, HARRY DALY, MARIO GJINI (JONATHAN NZENGO 67) SUBS NOT USED CHRIS TAYLOR & ANDREW TIRANHU