Romford continued their New Year revival with a 3-1 home win against local rivals Redbridge and in doing so maintained their fifth place in the league table.

It was the Motormen who had the first chance of note when, on four minutes, Kevin McCleod burst through only to put his attempt over the home crossbar.

The home side responded shortly afterwards when Ben Turner headed wide from a right wing corner from Paul Kavanagh.

On seventeen minutes Boro took the lead from the penalty spot. Joe Pearman attacking on the left was wrestled down in the area and Kavanagh converted low down into the right hand corner of Elliott Justham’s net.

Redbridge equalised just ten minutes after this when a long ball forward caught the Romford defence napping and during the resulting kerfuffle in the home penalty area Chris Benjamin found himself clear to choose his spot and score with a low shot.

Nothing much of note happened during the succeeding period until the 33rd minute when a long cross from Richard Oxby on the right found Pearman who worked his war round his marker and coverted right footed inside the visitor’s right hand upright.

After this, prior to the half time break, Boro had a couple of chances with Turner heading wide from a Rikki Mackin right footed free kick on the left and Alex Read shooting over the top from a long forward ball also from Mackin while a promising Motormen attack ended up in the hands of home keeper Adam Rafis.

As the second half proceeded both defences dominated and it was 79 minutes of play before the first attack from either side note with Romford’s Read hitting over the visitor’s bar with a snap shot from an Oxby right wing cross and just after this, at the other end, substitute Julian Edwards blazed wide from a McCleod left wing cross.

Kurt Smith came on for Read on 81 minutes for the Boro and It was he who more or less made the game safe for the home side with just four minutes of the ninety to go when he latched on to a high ball forward from Petrit Elbi and accurately lobbed an advancing Justham to take the score to 3-1 at which it remained for the rest of the eight minutes of play.

Report courtesy of www.romfordfc.com