Wednesday 1st October, 2025 | Buckhurst Hill 1-4 Romford | Essex Senior League Premier | Attendance : 108
By Harry Biggs
Buckhurst Hill FC returned to football under the lights at Roding Lane on Wednesday night but it wasn’t to be as they were beaten 4-1 by Romford FC in front of a good crowd.
After Saturday’s defeat to Halstead Town, manager Mark Williams made 4 changes to the starting eleven that ventured out in the league action on the weekend. Both full backs were changed with George Edwards unavailable and Liam Foster dropping to the bench, it made space for the first starts of Harvey Livings and Carter Ford. Alfie Harris returned to the XI after missing out on Saturday’s action and replaced Jack Johnson in defence. Tyler Dolan was only fit to make the bench so Alfie Padington had earnt himself a start for our clash against Boro. The bench looked strong with Banfield, Dolan, Lee Simpson, Foster and ‘new signing’ Arthur Massingham all ready to come off the bench. Arthur, who has been with us since a little child, has come through our youth system, been scouted by Arsenal and then returned to the club to play for our U18’s and Reserves alongside playing for Athletic Newham First Team in the Essex Senior League, where he is currently one of the league’s top scorers at just 18 years of age !
Onto the action now and inside the opening minute, The Stags had a brilliant opportunity where a cross had been delivered into the box but no one was there to attack it in a dangerous position. This would be a regular occurrence in the game unfortunately with Buckhurst Hill having many chances to win the game but those decisive chances weren’t taken.
The Stags went close again to opening the scoring in the eighth minute when a free kick from Harvey Livings on his first start for the club, went just over the crossbar with the visitors keeper nearly troubled by the effort.
Romford went close to taking the lead a few minutes later before a shot went inches wide of the post for The Stags to go ahead !
Romford went into the lead three minutes later when Christian Adu Gyamfi had the ball in the net for the visitors after some poor marking from Buckhurst Hill left Gyamfi free in the penalty area and all he had to do was head the effort into the back of the net.
Chances were still coming the way of us despite now being a goal down. This time Livings was there to deliver the ball into the box, which found the head of Harry Lusher, but his header would go just wide of the post in a chance that should’ve really turned out to be a goal.
The next chance gave us even more hope that a goal was coming. Callum Maltese was released through on goal with the ball at his feet and he was able to fire a shot at goal but the shot was saved by Davison and the rebound by Lusher was blocked off the line ! How we hadn’t equalised is amazing.
It wasn’t just that chance that had had the fans on the edge of their seats with exactly the same moment being repeated all over again. Harry Lusher was played through on goal on the counter attack as The Stags cleared a corner. The young striker had only the keeper to beat just like Maltese did but Lusher put his shot too near to Davison, whose foot was there to block the shot !
Later on in the game another chance arose for young Lusher when he was played through the Romford defence with a beautiful pass but yet again Davison was there to save the effort and put it out for a Buckhurst Hill corner, which we couldn’t capitalise on.
A minute later, Romford were awarded a penalty after Harvey Livings had brought down Romford’s Ezra Agyiri inside the penalty area and the referee had no hesitation to award the visitors with a penalty. Ramzi Mahmoudi stepped up for the visitors and dispatched the spot kick well, sending North the wrong way and doubling Romford’s lead.
The Stags had one more chance in normal time in the first half when Lusher missed a golden opportunity to put us ahead a minute before an effort for Romford went just wide of the post.
Play was stopped just before the break after there was a confrontation near the benches involving both teams and after a few minutes, the referee brandished two yellow cards, one for Romford’s assistant manager and the other for Archie Hammond.
Into added time in the first half and there was a big chunk of it, mostly involving more chances for The Stags to go ahead. A cross from Livings was held onto well by Davison and a shot by Maltese was saved by the Romford keeper as we approached the break.
Onto the second half of action and Mark Williams made a double substitution which saw the return of Josh Banfield, who missed the trip to Halstead last time out alongside Tyler Dolan, who also came onto the pitch for Archie Hammond and Alfie Padington.
The visitors went close to adding to their advantage after an in direct free kick struck the bar when North gave away the free kick for a back pass. Harry Lusher went close yet again to scoring against Boro but his shot was brilliantly saved by Davison.
The Stags kept pushing but still couldn’t seem to find a breakthrough. In the space of two minutes, a shot from Tyler Dolan was cleared off the line before a free kick from Harvey Livings skimmed the outside of the post !
Romford were able to make it 3-0 just before the hour mark when Christian Adu Gyamfi put the ball past North for the second time in the game and Boro were cruising to victory despite having minimal chances to take the lead compared to The Stags.
The next stoppage in the game saw another set of changes, this time a triple substitution with Ford, Livings and Lusher all replaced by Lee Simpson, Foster and a first appearance for 18 year old Arthur Massingham.
Christian North was called into action with less than twenty minutes to go after he denied Romford of a sure goal when he tipped an effort for the visitors round the post with a brilliant save.
A chance fell for Alfie Harris as we crept closer to the final whistle but still time to salvage something out of the game. Harris drove into the Romford box before firing an effort over the bar with the score still staying in Romford’s favour.
Two minutes later and things got worse for Buckhurst Hill when Teddy Desmond scored Romford’s fourth goal of the night and surely sealed the deal in terms of possible comeback for The Stags, which was definitely over by now.
Buckhurst Hill kept on fighting but couldn’t seem to find a way past the in from Davison in net for Romford. A free kick was put over the bar with eight minutes to play just before Davison saved a shot very well a minute after the set piece opportunity.
The chance finally came for Buckhurst Hill to surly find the back of the net when Reece Lee Simpson was brought down inside the penalty area after he was pulled back by a Romford defender and like the last decision, the referee had no hesitation and awarded a spot kick. Tyler Dolan stepped up to take the penalty and despite Davison getting a hand to it, there was too much power on the ball and Dolan got his goal and the first of the night for The Stags but was it too little too late ?
Since the goal, it looked like a switch had been flicked and it was all systems go for The Stags as they attacked the Romford goal like a swarm of bees !
Callum Maltese was the next to cause some trouble for Romford as he dribbled through the defence and entered the penalty area before unleashing a lethal shot with the inside of his boot but the unstoppable Davison pulled off a brilliant stop to deny Maltese.
Another chance came just three minutes later when a corner was delivered towards substitute Liam Foster, whose header was blocked but was able to find Maltese on the edge of the box, who again wrapped the ball towards goal with the inside of his boot only for it to go millimeters wide of the goal !
The final chance of the game fell to Tyler Dolan and unfortunately it really summed up our evening with luck. The ball was crossed into the box where it found the waiting personnel of Dolan, who headered the ball goal bound and out of nowhere Bradley Davison was there to tip the effort over the bar and kill the game with a magnificent save.
That was full time at Roding Lane and despite Buckhurst Hill controlling and having the most chances in the game, they were unable to punish a Romford side who really did take their opportunities.
TEAM :
North 🧤, Ford, Livings, Harris, Knight 🟨, Williams ©, Brocklebank, Maltese, Lusher, Hammond 🟨, Padington
SUBS NOT USED :
Banfield (46’ – Hammond), Dolan (46’ – Padington), Massingham (66’ – Livings), Lee Simpson (66’ – Lusher), Foster (66’ – Ford)
NEXT UP
Saturday 4th October, 2025 – Little Oakley FC (H) – KO 3PM – Essex Senior League Premier