Essex Senior League Play Off Final, Monday 6th May
On a soggy Bank Holiday Monday (typical eh) I once again popped over to Corringham, and Rookery Hill, for the first ever Essex Senior League Play Off final, and it saw Romford host Sporting Bengal United with the winners taking their place in Step Four football for next season, so quite a big prize at stake for sure.
Hosts Romford were enjoying a very successful season, and this final began a week of three finals, they still had the Errington Challenge Cup final to come at Heybridge Swifts against Stanway Rovers on Wednsday, and then their season would end at Wembley of course in the all ESL final against Great Wakering Rovers, some week ahead then, but today was all about getting back to Step Four football for Boro.
They had fallen out of that level and down into Step Five after relegation two seasons ago, so they were looking to bounce back after two years out, but in their way stood a Sporting Bengal United side who were entering new ground here, they had never played Step Four football in their history, and it's crazy to think that at the start of last season they were a Step Six side after relegation from the ESL.
It's been a remarkable rise from the Bengal Boys, they deserve a lot of credit for what they have achieved since they were smashed 7-0 at Stanway Pegasus on the opening day of last season, and Steve Clark and co haven't looked back since, could they do the unthinkable and win back to back promotions via the play offs to book themselves a spot in Step Four next season, what a story that would be.
Romford obviously were not about to let that story play out though, they had the home advantage of course as they did finish above their opponents in the table, seven points above them and two places, the two league encounters though were very tight contests, the first one at Romford's then home ground of Mayesbrook Park saw a very entertaining 3-3 draw back in early September in roasting temperatures (fells a lifetime ago now!!!).
And in the return fixture at Mile End Stadium, Romford netted a 2-1 success in late February, so yes Romford had the slight advantage in terms of results between the two this season, but that would count very little in this contest today, I've said it many times over the last few days but play off football is unpredictable, and it's all on the day and who can hold their nerve the best, so what would happen here?
Romford had the two best openings in the opening half hour but saw one effort cleared off the line by Jay Knight before Finlay Dorrell then found himself in with a chance to give Boro the lead but saw visiting keeper Sidi Haidara produce a decent stop, but in the 32nd minute the visitors got themselves ahead when a lovely ball in from Steve Carvell found Knight who glanced a lovely header into the far corner, and the underdogs had their noses in front.
Romford tried to get back on level terms before the break, and they thought they had done this when Dorrell got in to lob an effort over Haidara and into the net, but the flag had gone up so the goal did not stand, Charlie Morris then thumped an effort against the post before Knight again cleared off the line for Sporting, Knight had certainly been involved at both ends and because of him the visitors held a slender lead going into the half time break.
The first fifteen minutes of the second period though was to be crucial in deciding this contest and who won promotion, Bengal so nearly grabbed a second goal moments into the second half when after a Rian Patel effort had been saved by Jake Anderson, Carvell attempted to bundle the ball home but Junior Luke managed to get the ball off the line and away from danger.
However, Bengal were not to be denied a second goal in the 55th minute when a lovely cross from the left by Timi Joseph found Joe Gregory who sent a header beyond Anderson into the far corner, and then just three minutes later disaster for Anderson who totally misjudged a punt up field, seeing the ball bounce over him and leave him in no mans land as Patel ran onto the ball and had the easiest of tasks to slot into the empty net, cue mass celebrations amongst the visiting contingent, surely it was game over now.
Boro had an almost impossible mountain to climb now, but they gave themselves a sniff of an unlikely comeback when Dorrell swept home from inside the box after good work from Darren Phillips with 63 minutes on the clock, and Dorrell then had a golden chance to pull another one back but somehow headed over from inside the six yard box, had they have found a second goal things may have got interesting.
Sporting though managed to hold their opponents at arms length as Boro tried to apply pressure and find a way back into the contest, they were susceptible to the counter attack though as they were pushing players forward, but on the occasions Sporting did break on them, they could not capitalise.
The longer the game went on though Boro began to realise it wasn't going to be their day and Sporting could now touch promotion, and sure enough after several minutes of stoppage time, the whistle went and Sporting had made history for their community club by achieving what seemed impossible two seasons ago, back to back promotions, an amazing story for them, just shows you what is possible if you put your mind to it.
Commiserations to Romford who miss out on promotion this season, they do have the Errington Challenge Cup Final to come on Wednesday, oh and the small matter of a date at Wembley this weekend against GWR in the FA Vase Final, not a bad consolation prize that eh.
Full time Romford 1 Sporting Bengal United 3
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