Preview: Can depleted Bloods defeat hungry Boro?



                    Current Saffron Walden Town player/assistant manager Sam Deering was signed from Romford.


It has been a whirlwind 12 months for Romford FC.

Finally a stadium to call their own, Rookery Hill in Corringham, one of the most exciting Step 5 squads in recent memory, 3-0 victory in the FA Vase final in May 2024, it seemed as though Boro could do no wrong.

Fast-forward to February 2025, influential manager Dan Spinks left for Saffron Walden mere weeks after Wembley glory, and took no fewer than nine players and assistant John Hughes with him, The Boro are back sharing with Barking at Mayesbrook Park after it transpired that there were critical issues with the lease at Rookery Hill, and their attempt to retain the Vase was foiled in the earliest possible round by Takeley.

Saffron Walden Town, on the other hand, had just lost long-serving manager Jason Maher for a second time over the summer before replacing him with Spinks, influential Romford players including Hassan Nalbant, Sam Deering, Adalberto Pinto and Darren Phillips were brought up to North-West Essex and a bright start saw them as high as second in the Essex Senior League standings.

But, as we’ve seen with Romford, nothing is a formality. Phillips, Nalbant, Pinto and several other players decided to leave for pastures new, Spinks was forced to step down, citing ‘personal reasons’, and the two-man team of Hughes and Deering are hauling The Bloods kicking and screaming into the playoff positions despite boasting a squad severely depleted by injuries and player unavailability.

Some Romford fans have seemingly not forgiven Spinks for stepping down, or Walden for taking so many important players, and are quite possibly silently chuckling to themselves that it has not worked out as Walden hoped. But former captain Kris Newby has worked wonders since taking over and although Romford find themselves outside the playoff picture, there is plenty to be hopeful for at Romford.

Now onto this weekend and the pick of the Essex Senior League fixtures. The highly-anticipated reverse fixture at Catons Lane in October saw Walden lead at half-time before a Romford rally saw them run out 3-1 victors, but the setting is different and both squads have had upheavals since then. That being said, both sets of supporters would love to get one over the other, and Mayesbrook Park could see a cracking spectacle on Saturday.

 

Predicted XIs:

Romford: Anderson, Babalola, Mengi, Reid, A. Morris, Ashworth, C. Morris, Park, Moses, Robinson-Jones, Artmeladze.

Saffron Walden Town: Askew, J. Hursit, Modeste, Eyong, Skelton, Turner, Ofori, Fischer, Green, Cobblah, Knott.

Final score prediction: 2-2

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