First defeat in four for Boro

Cheshunt 3 Romford 1

Boro saw their three-game unbeaten run come to an end in Ryman One North yesterday.

Manager Paul Martin made changes to his starting line-up, with one eye on the Bank Holiday Monday meeting with Grays, as he gave a debut to youth-team keeper Michael Gooch, 18.

Leading scorers Kurt Smith and Jack Barry were left on the bench, but Boro began well and Joe Oates set up Wola Odedoyin on 19 minutes, whose final ball could not find a Romford shirt.

Struggling Cheshunt took the lead on the half hour when Ryan Wade’s speculative shot beat Gooch.

But the young keeper made a good save to deny Sam Bantick before the break, while Nick Reynolds saw a shot deflected over for the visitors.

Cheshunt doubled their lead early in the second half when a long clearance downfield by keeper Obey Murefu was misjudged by Jamie Dicks, allowing Wade to run through and beat Gooch for his second goal of the game.

Barry was sent on for Joe Bingham and saw a cross tipped over after good work by Ricki Mackin, then headed just wide from Hussain Isa’s cross just past the hour.

Cheshunt moved 3-0 up, though, when a cross into the box was deflected past Gooch by one of his own defenders.

The home side were reduced to 10 men when Andrew West was shown a straight red card for his angry reaction to a challenge by Smith.

Boro pressed in the closing stages and Joe Oates had a shot cleared off the line, before pouncing on a loose ball — after Smith had collided with Murefu — and curling home a consolation.

Smith and Isa combined well in injury time, but Murefu would not be beaten again and a frustrating day for Romford ended with Odedoyin being shown a red card after the final whistle.