Having been unable to add to the lead given by Hassan Nalbant’s tenth minute goal, Boro had to settle for a point after conceding an 88th minute equaliser. A draw was a fair result, with both sides creating chances and Boro having to dig deep to withstand considerable second half pressure from the home team.

Romford had good early chances with George Cox having a header tipped over the bar by Halstead keeper Jack Cherry in the very first minute, and then Kris Newby volleyed over from the resulting corner. Toheeb Elegushi was denied at close range by Cherry and then Ashaan Siddik fired a shot narrowly over the bar after playing a one-two with Hassan Nalbant. But Boro didn’t have it all their own way in the opening exchanges, and keeper Jack Dixson made an important intervention to divert a left wing cross away from an onrushing forward.

Hassan Nalbant’s ninth goal of the season put Romford ahead after 10 minutes. A quick break by Boro saw Nalbant and Siddik both have shots blocked before the ball ran to the Nalbant whose low shot found the corner of the net.

After Boro’s early dominance, it was the home side who fashioned the more dangerous chances for the rest of the game however, with Joel Older proving especially dangerous, and his low cross from the left after 17 minutes somehow eluded everyone in the Romford penalty area, and after 19 minutes and 22 minutes he put in shots that went wide.

Lee Hursit had a free-kick blocked by the Halstead wall, but the home side nearly capitalised when Jack Dixson did not gather Henry Hart’s header back to him and the Boro keeper had to block the loose ball to prevent an equaliser. Dixson was then called upon to save a low shot from Adebolu Adeyemi after 36 minutes, and with stoppage time looming, he got down well to claim a low cross from Older.

(Picture by Alan Blackholly,)

Halstead had two quick corners at the start of the second half, and the home side were denied by a combination of Michael Turner and Jack Dixson after 53 minutes, and then Dixson saved from Older after 59 minutes.

The home side had the ball in the net after 69 minutes, but the goal was chalked off for a foul on Dixson, who had the ball headed out of his hands, and after 72 minutes Halstead’s Kane Gilbert curled a free-kick wide after Michael Turner was penalised for a foul, for which he was booked.

(Picture by Bob Knightley)

Hassan Nalbant was denied by Cherry as Romford created a rare chance after 81 minutes but Boro then had to concede first a throw and then a corner – from which Julian Simon-Parsons shot wide - as Halstead threw men forward in search of a leveller.

Photo by Alan Blackholly

It seemed that Boro might hold on for maximum points, but with two minutes of normal time remaining, the home side scored a deserved equaliser when Joe Older lifted the ball over Dixson.

Jacob Wiggins, booked for a routine foul after 74 minutes, saw red in the first minute of added time for another foul on the edge of Boro’s box, but fortunately the free-kick was fired over the bar. Halstead’s Kane Gilbert was perhaps fortunate only to receive a yellow after a challenge on Harrison Georgiou after three minutes of additional time, and Older went into the referee’s notebook for a poor challenge.

Romford might have sneaked a win in added time when Charlie Morris was denied by a block by Cherry, but Boro had to be content with a point in the end.

Romford: Jack Dixson, Henry Hart, Jamie Hursit, Kris Newby (Jacob Wiggins, 64m), Michael Turner, Lee Hursit (Harrison Georgiou, 85m), Ashaan Siddik (Jayden Silcott-Brown, 61m), George Cox, Hassan Nalbant, Darren Phillips, Toheeb Elegushi. Unused sub: Bobby Dailly