Ten Man Boro Earn Important Point

Romford 1, Benfleet 1

Despite being reduced to ten men when full-back Teddy Desmond was harshly dismissed for a foul after forty-two minutes, a point was the very least that Romford deserved from a game that had seen them dominate the early stages. Even when down to ten men – and temporarily, nine after skipper Nick Reynolds was sin binned in the second half – at no point were Boro second best.

Romford took the lead after only three minutes. Flynn Hamilton’s cross from the left was headed clear, but when the ball was knocked back into the penalty area Christian Adu Gyamfi reacted first to tap it past Benfleet keeper Florent Gislette.

Former Boro player Jacob Wiggins then had a shot on the turn for Benfleet that went well over the bar, but Romford had opportunities to double their lead when Adu Gyamfi headed Lewis Browne’s over the bar, and Flynn Hamilton headed a cross by Greig Stewart narrowly wide.

Romford had the ball in the net after 39 minutes when Adu Gyamfi turned in Hamilton’s low ball from the left, but the raised flag of the assistant referee saw the strike ruled out for offside.

Play was stopped for several minutes when one of referee Jordan Whitworth’s boots became defective, and the referee was again the centre of attention when he red carded Teddy Desmond for a foul after 42 minutes, although the challenge seemed worth only a caution at most.

Max Jobson found the net with a header for Benfleet’s equaliser in the penultimate minute of the first half from a right wing cross, and Boro were relieved to see the visitors have a goal chalked off for an infringement in added time at the end of the first period.

Boro’s Flynn Hamilton picked up a clearance from Benfleet keeper Gislette in the first minute of the second half, but his long range effort failed to drop sufficiently and cleared the bar. Shortly after that, a superb tackle by George Cornwell won possession on the right and his pass found Lewis Browne, whose shot was deflected over the bar after 56 minutes.

Browne had a shot on the turn that went wide after 77 minutes and then Benfleet’s Jobson tried his luck with an overhead kick that went well wide, but the visitors went close to a winner in the third minute of stoppage time only to be denied by Brad Davison turning the ball away for a corner with an outstretched foot.

Next up for Romford is a trip to Great Wakering Rovers on the Saturday before Christmas and Boro then travel to Ilford to play Frenford on Saturday 27^th December, important games both, but after this determined performance, they will travel with optimism.

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