It’s no exaggeration to say that Romford could have been out of sight by half-time, creating enough very good chances to have been six up at the break.

On a scorching hot afternoon, George Cox and Hassan Nalbant had Boro 2-0 ahead within 20 minutes, and then Jayden Silcott-Brown had three or four decent chances to increase the advantage that he failed to take. Such profligacy can sometime come back to bite teams, but the expected second half onslaught from FC Clacton failed to materialise, although they had a few half chances, and it wasn’t until the 94th minute that they denied Wayne Baker – deputising for the injured Jake Anderson – a clean sheet.

Junior Luke was involved in the game’s first two significant moments. After only two minutes he delivered a cross from the left that was destined for Jayden Silcott-Brown until it was diverted away, but a minute later another cross from the left by Luke was laid off by Harrison Georgiou for George Cox to crash home a shot from ten yards.

George Cox celebrates his goal. Picture: Bob Knightley

Silcott-Brown was on the end of terrific pass from Lee Hursit after seven minutes and delivered a hard low cross that no Boro player was able to get on the end of when a shot at goal might have been a better option. Another fine pass by Georgiou set up Charlie Morris after ten minutes, but Clacton keeper Avenell saved, and then Hassan Nalbant, and Morris again, had shots saved in short order.

Silcott-Brown shot wide after 19 minutes, but after 20, Hassan Nalbant – whose tussles with the Clacton defenders saw him frequently manhandled without reward – doubled Boro’s lead when he was put clear on the left and flashed a low drive past Avenell’s left hand.

A free-kick on the edge of the Boro penalty area gave Clacton their first sight of goal after 26 minutes, but Charlie Collis had his shot blocked, and when he retrieved the ball and crossed from the right, Mekhi McKenzie could only head well over the crossbar.

Silcott-Brown was put through by Nalbant but shot over after 34 minutes, and after 41 minutes the Boro winger shot wide after again being set up by Nalbant. Nalbant was yet again the creator when he provided Charlie Morris with a shooting opportunity after 42 minutes, but the difficult chance saw Morris shoot over.

Another Clacton free-kick was saved by Baker with the loose ball being fired over as the game entered the 50th minute of the first half, with stoppages for the players to take on fluids the main reason for the added time.

As expected, Clacton started the second half on the front foot and won an early corner that Michael Okafor headed over Baker’s bar. Nine minutes into the second half, Clacton’s Jake Clowsley was yellow carded for one of the numerous fouls perpetrated against Silcott-Brown, joining Jenson Mulqueen who had been cautioned for a similar offense in the first half. Boro’s Lee Hursit collected a yellow card for a foul in midfield, and was later joined in referee Kola Adeyemi’s notebook for delaying the restart of play after being caught offside. But this was by no means a dirty game, played in a good spirit and well refereed.

Nalbant cut in from the right but shot well over the bar after 59 minutes, and after 64 minutes there was a chance for the visitors, but Teddy Collis shot tamely into the side netting, and another equally tame shot – by Clacton’s McKenzie this time – was comfortably dealt with by Baker after 78 minutes.

Three minutes from the end of the regulation 90, Clacton’s Jack Marshall shot over the bar, and in the 90th minute itself, Hassan Nalbant converted a penalty (pictured below by Bob Knightley) after Bobby Dailly – making his debut from the bench after finally receiving his international clearance – was pulled back.

Dailly might have marked his first game in a Boro shirt with a goal, but his attempt to lift his shot over Avenell ended with the ball clearing the crossbar in the fourth minute of added time. Boro paid for that miss by conceding less than a minute later when Teddy Collis found the bottom corner. The muted celebrations from the Clacton players told the story of a team well beaten.

And they were even more well beaten when Hassan Nalbant completed his hat-trick in what was by now the 99th minute. Toheeb Elegushi was brought down as he ran at the Clacton defence, but a well played advantage gave Boro the chance to put in a low cross that Nalbant tapped in from very close range to seal a convincing win and a return to the top of the Essex Senior League table.

Romford: Wayne Baker, Jamie Hursit, Junior Luke, Lee Hursit, Michael Turner, Scott Doe, Jayden Silcott-Brown (Toheeb Elegushi, 86m), George Cox (Bobby Dailly, 78m), Hassan Nalbant, Harrison Georgiou (Sonny Shilling, 86m), Charlie Morris (Ashaan Siddik). Unused sub: Henry Hart.