Ryman Div 1N: Romford 2 Brentwood 3
Romford lost a five-goal thriller to rivals Brentwood in the Ryman One North to end their home campaign with a disappointing defeat.
Beaten 4-2 at Dereham on Saturday, Boro were 2-0 down at half time before they fought back as Matt Toms halved the deficit,.
But Joe Oates wasted the opportunity to equalise from the spot before Brentwood added a third to ensure Jamie Dicks late strike was a mere consolation.
The visitors made the better start and opened the scoring after just 11 minutes through former Redbridge striker Jacob Cleaver, who got on the end of Martyn Stokes’ superb long ball and fired brilliantly past Atu Ngoy.
Chris Barry finally tested away keeper Sam Cole with 30 minutes gone, but his free kick was easily saved before a melee was sparked.
Romford skipper Jack Barry gave away a foul and then came together with Alex Akrofi, which sparked a commotion between various players from both sides.
As Barry received a talking to by referee Chris Phillips, Ngoy and Akrofi went head to head and several Boro players had to pull the keeper away to difuse the situation.
Play resumed shortly afterwards and the delay seemed to inject some energy into Romford as Paul Clayton and Oates missed opportunities.
Cleaver was brought down by Ngoy just outside the box, but fortunately for the home side the keeper only received a yellow card.
Although the resulting set-piece came to nothing, Brentwood did double their lead a minute before the break through Akrofi.
Former Hornchurch midfielder James Love picked out his team mate and the forward calmly slotted into the corner to make it 2-0.
Ngoy was replaced by Aaron Omand at the break and Romford reduced the arrears on 51 minutes as Toms got the final touch after Nick Reynolds flicked goalwards.
Omand spared himself some embarrassment as he tipped Matt Hall’s long range effort out for a corner after poorly kicking to the Brentwood man.
And from the resulting set-piece, the ball again broke to Hall and this time David Ottley denied him on the line.
Although Romford were playing with much more confidence now, it was the away side who created the next chance and Cleaver really should have added to his tally. Love again played a wonderful through ball but Cleaver completely miscued with just Omand to beat in goal.
Romford were handed the perfect opportunity to level when skipper Barry picked out Reynolds and he was brought down by Brentwood’s Cole.
The keeper made amends, though, as he saved Oates’ penalty to preserve Brentwood’s lead.
The visitors sealed the three points when Akrofi ran through and scuffed his effort past Omand, but again Romford came back.
Substitute Dicks volleyed into the net just as six minutes were added on, but despite the additional time Romford were unable to find a late equaliser.
Romford: Ngoy (Omand 46), Ottley, Woodward, Ishmail, Toms, Clayton, C Barry (Dicks 52), J Barry, Reynolds (Richardson 71), Imbert, Oates.
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