Corinthians 0 Romford 4 - Visiting skipper Shannon Simpson nets brace to help her Romford side to all three points at Stambridge Memorial Ground

Essex County Women's Football League Premier Division, Sunday 28th January

I decided to pop over to Stambridge on the last Sunday in January for a Essex County Women's Premier match up between hosts Corinthians & visitors Romford, this was an important game at both ends of the division too.

The hosts were sitting second bottom in the division and only four points clear of bottom side Tigers, so points in this one could put more daylight between themselves and the bottom side and enhance their fight against relegation, they were level on points with the side above them too (Leigh Ramblers) and in fact they were only four points off sixth placed Toby, so they were not to far off being pretty much mid table.

Romford on the other hand were at the opposite end of the table, sitting third and trying to keep tabs with the top two sides (Chelmsford City & Frontiers) and they began the afternoon in third spot and two points behind second spot and eight points off leaders Chelmsford, so three points here was paramount for the visiting side if they wanted to keep tabs on the ones above them, and also increase the gap to fourth placed Stanway Rovers & fifth placed Bowers & Pitsea Reserves, who were four points behind Romford heading into today's games.

The game on paper at least suggested an away win then, but the hosts had began 2024 in positive fashion, winning a thriller at Leigh Ramblers 5-4 in the final minute before grabbing a 0-0 draw with Hutton Reserves although those sides were in and around themselves so there was no denying that today's test would be a much tougher one for sure, Romford had dispatched Hutton Reserves 3-0 before thrashing Tigers 4-0 away, so the visitors had also began 2024 in very positive fashion too.

Now the two sides had met back on bonfire weekend at Noak Hill Sports Complex and Romford ran out 2-0 winners in that contest, with goals from Raquel Mezquita & Chloe Eastwell settling that one, and after only eight minutes Romford had already matched that scoreline as they dominated the early exchanges, they took the lead after only two minutes when skipper Shannon Simpson managed to get through to slot past hosts keeper Zoe Brown and into the net.

And just six minutes later the visitors doubled their lead when a free kick swung into the box was turned past their own keeper by a defender, and at this point you feared for Corinthians as they were being totally outplayed and had not come out of the dressing room so far.

To their credit though the hosts did fight their way back into the contest, maybe not by goals, but at least in determination and spirit, and they did manage to force a save from the visiting keeper (one of three in the game I think as they swapped who was in goal a couple of times in the second period to allow the ones who were in goal to have spell on the pitch!!! This was because their regular keeper wasn't available so some took turns in goal, which is fair enough) but that was really the only real chance the hosts mustered in the opening forty five minutes. Tanya Holley was their main threat and did an awful lot of chasing and running, mainly to no avail sadly.

Romford's pace up front continued to trouble the hosts although they did as well as they could and actually did well against them for large parts, Samantha Koski & Simpson were the main threat for the visitors along with Sharmari Crawford, and on more than one occasion hosts keeper Brown had to be alert to thwart them from going further ahead.

The second period was a lot more competitive and although Romford did continue to look dangerous, especially on the counter attack, Corinthians did muster a few more openings than what they had done in the first period, they did have a golden chance to pull one back when a mix up between defender and keeper saw the hosts prod wide when it looked certain they would score, but despite a more improved hosts in the second half Romford always looked in control.

Simpson & Co continued to threaten, and with nine minutes to go they grabbed a clinching third when a ball across the area was missed and it seemed the chance had gone, but Venetia Stuart (I think as she was wearing the number four shirt although I am almost certain she was in goal in the first period, but who knows!!!) managed to strike a decent left footed effort into the net, and ran off celebrating wildly as it was her left foot, so assuming she doesn't score many with that boot.

The hosts continued to try and find at least a goal to cheer even though the game was lost, and they almost had a spectacular moment when substitute Katie Whiter-Chapman struck a wonderful effort from range and saw it cannon back off the crossbar, it would have certainly been the goal of the game for sure, but it wasn't to be, and then three minutes from time Romford managed to add a fourth when skipper Simpson netted her second of the game by slotting past Brown after getting in on goal, and cap a decent afternoon for the visiting side.

Full time Corinthians 0 Romford 4

Let's look at what else happened in the division today as their were three other games that took place, and how that affects the table:-

Chelmsford City 4 Bowers & Pitsea Reserves 1

Leigh Ramblers 1 Frontiers 3

Toby 1 Hutton Reserves 3

Leaders Chelmsford City made it ten wins for the league season after defeating Bowers & Pitsea Reserves, they maintain their six point lead a the top as second placed Frontiers also won with their road victory at Leigh Ramblers. It means it's as it was for the top three, and Romford's win also opens the gap to fourth to seven points now.

Defeat for Corinthians means they remain second bottom but will be pleased that Leigh Rams lost, although Hutton Reserves did build a three point gap to Leigh and Corinthians after they won at Toby, who themselves are now just a point above today's opponents.

That's all for my latest blog, thanks for reading.