Martin looking for more

ROMFORD’S Paul Martin could hardly hide his delight as his side moved up to third place in Ryman One North with last night’s 2-0 victory over Grays.

Andy Edmunds gave Boro an early lead with a somewhat fortunate strike, with Paul Kavanagh’s late penalty sealing the points against Julian Dicks’ side at Mill Field.

And Martin wants his side to keep pushing, saying: “We’ve got 22 points now, which we didn’t get until Christmas or New Year last season.

“We only need another 18 to reach our first target, but I want us to go for the play-offs and I don’t see why we can’t.

“We’ve got to look at taking it on. There are a lot of hard games still coming up. We’ve got Heybridge, East Thurrock, Waltham Abbey and Great Wakering and there are no easy games this year.

“We’ll get a sticky patch, every team does, but hopefully we’ll be able to respond, get through winter and still take points off teams.”

Edmunds broke the deadlock in the eighth minute, when Paul Kavanagh’s crossfield pass picked him out on the right and his hard-hit centre flashed past Stuart Robinson in the Grays goal.

“The finish was a little bit lucky,” said Martin.

“It was a very good move, though. Kav pinged a 60-yard ball out to Andy and he tried to drill it in hard and low, but the wind took it a bit and it ended up in the top corner.

“We didn’t have this luck last year and you need that if you’re going to win things.”