ROMFORD 4-2 ROVERS

To label a match as a game of two halves may be considered a somewhat tired cliché, but there’s no better description for this game in which rovers, having been lucky to ahead by only two goals at the interval, lost in the Essex Senior cup tie that could have finished 6-4.

Hassan Nalbant became the first post-1992 Romford player to score four hat-tricks for the club with three quick fire goals, while Toheeb Elegushi – who terrorised the Great Wakering back line after his introduction as a second half substitute - scored the other. That outcome looked unlikely in the extreme at half-time as the visitors dominated the first half and will doubtless consider themselves unfortunate not to have led by more than two goals at the break.

With the wind behind us on a rainy evening, rovers were quickly on top, and they had a decent chance in just the first minute when a good run on the right by Callum Boylan ended with his shot being deflected over for a corner from which the rovers fashioned a shooting opportunity that was marginally off-target.

It took only until the eleventh minute for Rovers to go ahead however, as Harrison Topliss was on hand at the far post to convert a corner from the right wing. After nineteen minutes it could have been two as Callum Boylan found himself through on goal, but he rolled his shot wide of the Romford keeper's right hand post.

A fierce, long range drive by Kris Newby that was blocked on the edge of the penalty area was the best that Romford could muster as the visitors continued to dominate proceedings. After twenty-eight minutes Boro were indebted to Baker who came off his line to deny a breaking Wakering forward. Darren Phillips blocked the follow up before Baker completed the save by pushing the ball behind for a corner.

Romford continued to look all at sea and the rovers second goal after 36 minutes came as no surprise, although Joshua Simpson looked suspiciously offside as he ran onto a low through ball and doubled the rovers lead. It might have got better as the rovers carved through the midfield and created a gilt edged chance that Romford were grateful they missed, and then with possession lost, it took a vital save by the Romford keeper with his foot to keep the score respectable.

HALF TIME: ROMFORD 0-2 ROVERS

Romford made substitutions at half time and changed the direction of the game as Romford dominated the second half almost as comprehensively as rovers had dominated the first.

Romford scored and it came after 48 minutes. When Cox was fouled, the free-kick was taken quickly, finding Hassan Nalbant, and he laid the ball off for Elegushi to score with a low shot from eight yards.

Jacob Wiggins’s shot from outside the box was comfortably saved by Luis Shamshoum on the hour, but with 64 minutes played, Boro were level. Ashaan Siddik set up Hassan Nalbant for a shot that Shamshoum saved, and after Elegushi’s follow up was deflected wide for a corner, Kris Newby’s flag-kick was headed home by Nalbant.

Rovers almost regained the lead when Boylad somehow failed to make contact with a cross from the left, and from the resulting corner, Romford had to clear off their own line. Seventy minutes in, and Romford were ahead however, as Jacob Wiggins’ cross-field ball was pulled back by Newby, and Nalbant finished unerringly, high into the Wakering net.

Hassan Nalbant completed his second hat-trick of the season after 75 minutes, firing in a low shot from the edge of the penalty area after Toheeb Elegushi had hassled a Wakering defender into losing possession.

It could have been five after 78 minutes when Romford broke quickly, Elegushi running strongly from inside his own half only to be denied by Shamshoum when he seemed odds on to score, and then with ten minutes remaining, Nalbant out muscled a rover's defender and was only denied by a last ditch challenge.

Darren Phillips made an important block to prevent Rovers from reducing the deficit in the closing stages, but after a modest amount of stoppage time, rovers were out of the competition.

FULL TIME: Romford 4-2 Rovers