After starting the season with two wins, newly-promoted Southwold suffered a third straight defeat on Saturday.

As was the case in the fixtures against Woodford and South Woodham Ferrers this was another tight encounter which Wold narrowly came out on the wrong side of.

It was a wet, windy day on the Common and the hosts should have made more of the conditions, which the visitors did not like but got used to as the game went on.

Southwold went ahead 7-0 towards the end of the first half with a try from Jonny Mayall converted by Luke Wade. Romford & Gidea Park got a penalty just before half-time to reduce the arrears.

Just into the second half the visitors scored a converted try to take it to 7-10 but it wasn't long before Southwold got a penalty that Wade slotted over to level the scores. The visitors had a player red carded towards the end for a spear tackle but Southwold failed to take advantage and conceded a decisive converted try.