Two goals from Hassan Nalbant in the last fifteen minutes saw off the challenge of Little Oakley, but with leaders Woodford Town and second placed West Essex both winning, Boro remain third in the table.

The opening stages were very low key with neither goalkeeper called upon to make anything more than routine catches, although there were muted Boro calls for a penalty for handball when Hassan Nalbant’s cut back was blocked by Little Oakley’s Lewis Wood. At the other end, Little Oakley went close through Mason Lumley, whose low shot flashed across goal. There were two bookings for Boro within the space of two minutes; after 24 minutes Lee Hursit was cautioned for a foul and then Jayden Silcott-Brown went in the book for re-entering the pitch too early after receiving attention following a clash of heads.

The most significant incident of the opening half-hour was an unfortunate injury to Finlay Dorrell who was making his first appearance after a lengthy lay-off. The young Boro forward went down under a challenge in the penalty area and had to be stretchered off to be replaced by Toheeb Elegushi.

The last five minutes of the half contained more action than the previous forty. Little Oakley’s Adrian Cant went in the book for a foul on Jamie Hursit and from the resulting free-kick, Fowler saved Elegushi’s header. The visitors then broke quickly and Jack Dixson had to be quickly off his line to make an important block from Lumley. Boro also had a chance when Jayden Silcott-Brown’s shot was stopped by Fowler.

A good pass by George Cox found Elegushi, who in turn played in Nalbant, but his shot was blocked, but Boro’s pressure was rewarded in the third minute of added time as Ashaan Siddik was brought down in the box and Kris Newby stepped up to convert the penalty (below, picture by Bob Knightley).

The first half opened with a chance for Nalbant, who cut in from the right but had his effort blocked by Fowler, and then Siddik set up Nalbant for a shot that was comfortably gathered by the visitors’ keeper.

Jack Dixson made a good reaction save after 55 minutes, but he was powerless to stop Harry Mann’s equaliser on 59 minutes as the Little Oakley striker powered home an unstoppable volley from a right wing cross.
Kris Newby became the third Boro player to go into referee Patrick Yates’s notebook for a 70th minute foul, but the resulting free-kick was saved by Dixson.

Boro regained the lead after 74 minutes with a soft goal. Hassam Nalbant’s contact with the ball on the edge of the penalty area was far from clean, but the ball still made its way into the net, beating Fowler’s ineffectual dive. Little Oakley fashioned another chance for the dangerous Mann, but his shot on the turn was saved by Dixson after 76 minutes and three minutes later Nalbant made the game safe, shrugging off a challenge on the left, scooting past Fowler and shooting into the roof of the net (pictured below, by Bob Knightley).

Time still remained for Boro to pick up two more cautions – Bruno Gomes and Jamie Hursit were booked for fouls – and Gomes then pulled the ball back for George Cox, but his shot rose over the bar.

This wasn’t a game that will be talked about much in years to come, but three points come in all sorts of packages, and these may prove important indeed come next April.

Romford: Jack Dixson, Lee Hursit, Jamie Hursit, Kris Newby, Michael Turner, Darren Phillips (Scott Doe, 83m), Jayden Silcott-Brown (Bruno Gomes, 73m), George Cox, Hassan Nalbant, Ash Siddik, Finlay Dorrell (Toheeb Elegushi, 30m). Unused subs: Wayne Baker and Harrison Georgiou