Cray’s hopes of home advantage in the play offs suffered a blow as they slipped to a disappointing single goal defeat to a resurgent Romford side who have all but guaranteed their league safety with this their fourth consecutive win.

Romford started the game on top, but they lacked the final ball to make their pressure count with Chris Taylor going closes firing wide across the face of goal.

Cray finally settled and got going after a quarter of an hour with Leigh Bremner and Aryan Tajbakhsh looking lively down the right.

Elliott Cox and Jamie Mascoll combined well to win The Wands a corner, but Jay Leader’s goal bound header was deflected wide.

Karl Dent shot wide soon after, but after a scrappy spell of play a silly foul just outside the Cray box gave Romford the breakthrough they needed.

A free kick led to a corner which was sent across goal by Jamie Dicks and tapped in at the back post by the unmarked James Ishmail.

Tom Anderson went close to making it two soon after, but Nicky Blue did well to save low down to his left.

After picking up the pace again a series of corners from The Wands late in the half came to nothing and it was Blue again who kept the score down when he saved well from Dick’s curling drive.

Cray started the second half much brighter, but despite long spells of pressure there was no end product as they were kept out by the solid Borough defence marshalled by Matt Frew.

On a rare break Michael Dixon sent a long range effort narrowly wide for Romford, before The Wands continued to press.

Dent saw a volley saved by Michael Gooch, Michael Freiter sent in a dangerous corner that somehow missed everyone in the six yard box and skidded out for a goal kick and Bremner was denied by Gooch when well placed in the box after good work from Dean Carpenter.

The game became scrappy and broken up by petty fouls with the visitors’ Greg Akpelle’s shot into the side netting the one effort of any note.

Late on Cray pushed again, Dent was harshly booked for diving as he stumbled under a challenge from Frew and Bremner shot wide, but there was no way through for Tony Russell’s side on a frustrating afternoon for the home side.

Whether this was a case of after The Lord Mayor’s Show for Cray following Tuesday’s win at Thurrock or just a case of Romford’s desire to escape the perils of relegation being greater was not clear, but this was not a classic and the management team will hope for a better showing next week away to Wroxham.

 

Cray: Blue, Cox, Basey, Leader, Payne (Powell 76), Dawson (Freiter 59), Roberts, Dent, Bremner, Mascoll (Carpenter 59), Tajbakhsh.

Subs Not Used: Faulkner, McKinlay.

Romford: Gooch, Bowell, Barry, Frew, Ishmail, Cossington, Dicks, Anderson (Paxman 90), Taylor, Dixon, Akpelle (McFarlane 82).

Subs Not Used: Reynolds, Mckenzie, Wray.

Goal: Romford – Ishmail 29mins.

HT 0-1 FT 0-1

Att: 151

Referee: Mr M Lowe