Boro break home duck

30 October 2009

ROMFORD boss Paul Martin celebrated a first home win of the Ryman One North season in midweek - and the 4-2 victory over VCD Athletic could not have come at a better time.

An eighth successive defeat at Tilbury on Saturday had deepened the gloom at Boro, but they recorded a long overdue success at Mill Field, having taken just one point from four previous home league games.

Boro visit Leyton tomorrow (Saturday) and Martin said: "It was a much-needed three points and takes the pressure off a little bit. It was nice to see the boys with smiles on their faces.

"But it's only one win and we're not getting carried away. There were lots of positives -unlike Saturday's game when there were none -and I hope the confidence keeps going and we can get a run going.

"We still didn't look comfy at 3-1. The nerves were jittering a bit, but it's three points and the two teams below us got beat.

"Any team is beatable in this league, but I don't know what Romford team is going to turn up at the moment."

The hosts started brightly and took a deserved lead after 14 minutes when Martin Heed played the ball into the box for Torun Senghore to hold off a defender and lift over keeper James Tedder.

Remi Nelson could not convert Senghore's cross soon after and the new striker fired wide after cutting in from the right.

But Boro doubled their lead, after Neil Finn had saved from Gary Cook and Nick Hegley, when Paul Kavanagh and Nelson combined for Paul Burnett to steer his shot inside the post.

It was 3-0 in the 40th minute when Burnett's well-struck free-kick was deflected in by Paul Clayton, but VCD hit back before the break as Aaron Firth hooked the ball past Finn.

Boro weathered an early storm in the second half and Finn saved well from Gary Ward's close-range header before George Tubey lifted a shot over a gaping goal.

Burnett's cross was fumbled by Tedder and turned into his own net by Tom Bradshaw with 10 minutes left to make it 4-1, but Firth headed in Ward's cross for his second goal of the night and Ward had a late effort saved by Finn as Boro nerves jangled.

Romford: Finn, Port (Barry 84), Kavanagh, White, Clayton, Gammons (Tubey 65), Heed, Nelson, Thomas, Senghore, Burnett.

*THREE goals in 10 second-half minutes sent Romford on their way to a 4-1 defeat at Tilbury.

After a goalless first half, Boro fell behind when Ben Bradbury headed home unchallenged from a 48th-minute corner.

More poor defending by Romford allowed Kayan Kalipha time to place a low shot past Neil Finn soon after and he made it 3-0 after being left unmarked to head home a cross from the left.

Boro tried to find a way back into the game, with Remi Nelson and Martin Heed sent on to bolster midfield.

Torun Senghore's cross from the left was volleyed over by Danny Jones and Senghore shot wide himself after Jones and Richard Oxby had combined.

Tilbury went 4-0 up in the 77th minute when Bradbury beat Boro's offside trap to beat the exposed Finn.

But Romford netted a consolation goal in the last minute when Chris Thomas atoned for an earlier miss by converting a low cross from Jones.

Romford: Finn, Oxby, Kavanagh (Pearman 80), Taylor, Willis, Clayton (Nelson 60), Port (Heed 60), Jones, Thomas, Senghore, Burnett.