Tilbury 1, Romford 2

RESURGENT Romford, who are setting the pace, alongside Woodford Town, at the top of the Essex Senior League, recorded their first win in ten years at Chadfields on Bank Holiday Monday – but were made to sweat in the closing moments after Olly Miles concerted a penalty for the Dockers.

Chances for either side were few and far between in the early stages, the only action of note being shots from Seedorf Mendes and Harrison Georgiou that Anthony Page in the Tilbury goal had little difficulty in saving. He was less comfortable when Hassan Nalbant went round him after 14 minutes, but the ball was cleared by a Tilbury defender as Nalbant played it across goal.

A strong run by Tilbury's Harry Hope ended with a shot that Scott Doe easily blocked after 15 minutes and then Hope's team mate Jack Hayes tried a mightily ambitious effort from long range that ended well wide of the Boro goal.

Half an hour in and Michael Turner headed evergreen Kris Newby's free-kick narrowly wide, but the defender went one better with a stunning goal after 32 minutes. Lee Hursit's free-kick from the left was met by a Tilbury head, but the ball travelled only as far as Turner, 12 yards out to the right of goal, and the Boro central defender unleashed an unstoppable left foot shot past the motionless Page.

Romford took the lead into the break and doubled it five minutes after the restart when Newby delivered a corner and although Turner's powerful header was cleared by a Tilbury defender, the assistant referee signalled that the ball had crossed the line before he did so.

Tilbury picked up the pace in the last third of the match and began to seriously trouble their visitors, but they spurned a couple of good chances.

Dockers were eventually rewarded after 88 minutes when Macauley Joynes's cross was adjudged to have been handled by Newby and Miles converted the spot kick.

There was still time for Tilbury to lose Hope - sin binned for dissent when he lost his head in the 89th minute when the referee awarded a drop-ball after Newby's free-kick had struck him and turned over possession - while in the 93rd minute Gomes might have made it three but was foiled by Page after being put through by Morris.