ROMFORD 4 (2) - (0) 2 Dereham Town Attendance 87 - Ship Lane‏

The Boro dominated play during the first half with Paul Preston coming close with a long range effort after only three minutes. Dereham should have been reduced to ten men on eight minutes when Ryan Imbert got on the end of a long ball and an Olly Willis handball stopped the striker when through on goal but despite stopping a clear goal scoring opportunity, the referee only produced a yellow card. From the resulting free kick Abs Seymour's low drive was well saved. Ryan Imbert, who was causing the back line all sorts of problems had a long shot saved before Paul Clayton sent a left foot volley just wide on twenty minutes. Jack Barry headed a corner just over two minutes later and Ryan Imbert unleashed a dipping drive moments later that skimmed the top of the bar. Romford finally opened the scoring on thirty-two minutes when the visitor's keeper missed a Hayes Thomas corner allowing Jack Barry to prod home. Three minutes later, and Romford were two goals to the good when Paul Preston was allowed to run a long way with the ball before finding Hayes Thomas who teed up David Ottley to whip in a cross that Jack Barry headed towards goal and after a fine save the Boro captain was fastest to react to the rebound and smashed the ball home. Nathan Cooper had a header cleared off the line and Ryan Imbert was only millimetres away from getting on the end of a Paul Preston cross.

Romford continued in the second half where they had left off and Ryan Imbert made it three, outmuscling the defender before sliding the ball past the keeper. The hosts then took their foot off the gas, allowing the visitors back in the game and an Adam Smith free kick hit the inside of the woodwork and bounced clear. Luke Tuttle did reduce the deficit on sixty-two minutes, heading home unmarked at the far post before both Scott Truman and David Ottley made fantastic last ditch challenges to keep Dereham at bay. Ryan Imbert won a penalty for Romford on eighty-four minutes after once again using his strength to get the wrong side of the defender Jay Eastoe-Smith, who tugged the forward back and was shown a second yellow card. Paul Clayton stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to settle the tie. There was still time for Dereham to get a penalty of their own which Tuttle easily despatched in the last minute, and at the other end substitute Nick Reynolds hit a post and Jack Barry missed a glorious chance to get his hat trick when his control let him down.

ROMFORD (2)4 JACK BARRY 32,35, RYAN IMBERT 47, PAUL CLAYTON 82 (PEN)

DEREHAM TOWN (0)2 TUTTLE 62, 90 (PEN)

ROMFORD: AARON OMAND, DAVID OTTLEY, PAUL PRESTON, SCOTT TRUMAN, NATHAN COOPER, PAUL CLAYTON, JACK BARRY, ABS SEYMOUR, RYAN IMBERT (NICK REYNOLDS 85), GEORGE COCKLIN (JAMIE DICKS 78), HAYES THOMAS (TOM RICHARDSON 67). SUBS NOT USED ATU NGOY, JAMES ISHMAIL.

YELLOW CARDS: PAUL CLAYTON 8, NATHAN COOPER 55, GEORGE COCKLIN 64.