Brentwood Town extend their unbeaten league run to eight with a narrow 1-0 victory in a feisty affair against Romford at the Brentwood Arena.
Sam Bantick’s early goal was the difference between the two sides and a great penalty save by Ollie Bowles just before half-time was enough to hold on for another three points.
Brentwood grabbed an early lead in only the second minute as Jack Gardner switched the ball wide for Bantick to lift the ball over the Romford keeper from close range, for his eighth of the season.
‘The Blues’ nearly doubled their lead as Bantick battled on the edge of the box and cut a low ball across goal but Stanley’s out-stretched leg could not get on the end of it.
Romford almost equalised as Richardson squared the ball in the box to Hart whose shot on the turn hit the post and was cleared by Brentwood.
On the stroke of half-time O’Rawe made a tackle from behind on the edge of the box on Hart which the referee pointed straight to the spot.
Richardson stepped up to take the penalty but was emphatically saved down low to Bowles left to palm away and smothered the loose ball, to lead at the break.
Stanley nearly doubled Brentwood’s lead as a whipped in free-kick by Bantick was put on a plate for Stanley but hit the crossbar and away by Romford 65 minutes in.
Brentwood held off the onslaught from Romford to go just one point behind Wroxham in third with two games in hand.
Brentwood Town: 1 Ollie Bowles, 2 Jack Gardner, 3 Louis Baucutt, 4 Martyn Stokes ©, 5 Ryan O’ Rawe, 6 Robbie Rees (63), 7 James Love, 8 Daryl Robson, 9 Sherwin Stanley (86), 10 Marcus Milner (72), 11 Sam Bantick
Substitutes: 12 Shaun Beveney (72), 14 Adam Rooke, 15 Andrew Freeman, 16 Ryan Mcfarlane (86), 17 Danny Aldwinckle (63)
Romford Lineup: 1 Aaron Omond, 2 Robbie Norris (82), 3 Tyler Hayes, 4 Matt Toms, 5 jack Barry ©, 6 James Ishmail, 7 Jamie Dicks (72), 8 Abs Seymour, 9 Eddie Hart, 10 Tom Richardson, 11 George Cocklin
Substitutes: 12 Callum Ibe (72), 14 Nick Reynolds (82), 15 Nathan Cooper, 16 Sam Kemp, 17 Reece Tranter
Attendance: 98