Stansted (0) 1, Romford (0) 2 – Essex Senior League – Saturday 6th October 2024

Romford retained their unbeaten away record in the Essex Senior League after overcoming stubborn resistance from a Stansted side who exerted considerable pressure on the Boro goal in the closing stages without being able to force more than a consolation goal.

There was a scare for Romford in just the third minute when Andy Morris – part of a three man Boro back-line – was beaten on the right and Stansted’s Dan McCullock contrived to hit the bar from close range when the ball came in low across goal.

The first half was one of limited chances with both defences getting heads or feet in the way of promising efforts. Toheeb Elegushi cut in from the left and shot across the face of goal, while Kennedy Feyi ran onto a high ball but his attempt to bring the ball under control merely diverted it through to Stansted keeper Charlie Turner.

Andy Morris went into referee Mahdi Elhalawany’s book for what appeared to be merely a coming together with Stansted’s George O’Connor. On this, and other occasions, the home side’s vociferous protests at almost every Romford challenge seemed designed to provoke the referee into unnecessarily waving cards.

A half short on chances ended with Chris Millar drilling a low shot narrowly wide of Turner’s right hand post and in stoppage time a free-kick from McCullock was headed over the bar by O’Connor.

Boro wasted no time in going in front after the break however, as in the first minute of the second half Praise Ogbebor found Chris Millar wide on the right and although no one in a Boro shirt could convert, Stansted couldn’t clear either, and Millar followed up to score from six yards.

The lead might have been doubled in the 50th minute when Kennedy Feyi found space on the left but his cross found no one until a Stansted defender’s attempted clearance only reached Ogbebor, but he lifted his shot over the bar.

Aundre Spencer collected Boro’s second booking of the afternoon after 57 minutes when despite making no contact with his opponent, his lunging attempt to win the ball was deemed worthy of a caution. Spencer then saw a clearance picked up by McCullock but fortunately the ambition of the Stansted player over-reached his ability and the long range effort from a wide position drifted harmlessly wide.

Praise Ogbebor had a shot that stung the hands of Turner after 61 minutes, but Stansted went close to levelling the scores after 64 minutes when O’Connor’s low shot forced Qamil Dervishaj into a save with a Boro defender hacking clear after the ball ran loose.

Boro doubled their lead after 65 minutes. Toheeb Elegushi cut in from the left and although his shot across goal might have beaten Turner anyway, the Stansted keeper was completely undone by the ball bouncing just a couple of yards ahead of him.

The home side pulled one back seven minutes from the end of normal time when substitute Joshua Darby found space to run onto a through ball and clip it over the advancing Dervishaj. Stansted huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser but lacked the guile to unlock the Boro defence in which Eli Benoit was dominant in the air and generally exuded an air of calm confidence.

Romford: Qamil Dervishaj, Andy Morris (Kalum Bama, 69m), Eli Benoit, Arnold Mengi, Aundre Spencer, Jaiden Babalola, Toheeb Elegushi (David Oweridu 81m), Chris Millar (Hafeez Elegushi 63m), Kennedy Feyi, Brendan Ocran (Amaree Robinson-Jones 81m), Praise Ogbebor (Lucas Polyblank 71m)