ROMFORD 0 (0) - (0) 1 Canvey Island Attendance 167 - Rookery Hill

Although comfortably placed in mid table, Canvey looked like a team who had lost their last four games while Boro, with only one league win since September really should have gone into the break one or even two goals to the good. An even opening quarter hour, but then Ayo Olukoga put in a fierce long range which was turned over the bar by Canvey keeper Harry Palmer for the first of the many good saves he was to make and the resulting corner saw Danny Cossington's header cleared off the line. Khadean Campbell turned his marker down the left and sent in a low cross which Reece Hewitt thought he had hit home just inside the post but Palmer dived full length to palm it away. A Hewitt free kick from the left then found Cossington in the box but his header across the goal was just wide. And a few minutes later Campbell got clear through the middle but Palmer was out like lightning to intercept the Romford striker's effort. The visitors had had chances of their own which had mostly come after mistakes made by the Boro defence and then moments before half time the other goalkeeping Harry (Aldridge) had to make an excellent save from a Canvey forward before Cossington went close with yet another header.

Injuries picked up before the interval forced Romford to make two substitutions for the start of the second half with Nick Reynolds and Chris Taylor on for Cossington and Calvin Poku and neither team could seem to get going for a long period, cancelling each other out in midfield and creating little up front. Towards the end, the game started opening up more without either side looking convincing enough to break the deadlock. Boro's need for a win was the more desperate but it was looking that they might have to settle for a point which would have been something, as all the clubs just above them had lost their Saturday games but then came the last minute dagger to the heart. A low cross from deep out on the right was brilliantly anticipated by Canvey's Frankie Merrifield and his flick beat the Romford defence and Aldridge's despairing dive. Boro had been well beaten by leaders Bowers in midweek but this was a game where they could and should have taken the points after their first half performance.

Team: Harry Aldridge, Jonathan Nzengo, Toby Barlow, Malaki Toussaint, Ayo Olukoga, Danny Cossington (c) (Nick Reynolds 46), Philip Brown-Bampoe, Michael Mignot (Greg Akpele 61), Calvin Poku (Chris Taylor 46), Khadean Campbell, Reece Hewitt
Unused Subs: Nathan Joseph, Henry Fisher