The Mile End Stadium pitch must be one of the longest in the Essex Senior League – even the heftiest of clearances will struggle to reach the half-way line – and on this afternoon the surface was gluey enough to prevent fluid football and slippery enough to make it difficult for players to keep their feet. The net result was a game that was high in effort but low in quality but at the end, Boro brought home three valuable points from East London that take them to within one goal of second place.

Clear cut chances were few in the opening 45 minutes. Darren Phillips had a header from an early Danny Hurford corner cleared, while Jake Anderson made two smart saves in the fifth minute, first blocking a shot from Bengal’s former Boro striker Christian Adu Gyamfi, and then pushing Daniel Pepple’s follow up shot round the post. From the resulting corner - taken by another ex-Boro player, Steve Carvell - Adu Gyamfi headed over.

Kris Newby had a long shot comfortably saved by Bengal keeper Sidi Haidera, and then good Romford pressure created an opportunity for Hassan Nalbant to cross, but Charlie Morris headed just wide.

Bengal’s Carvell was yellow carded for disputing a foul throw decision that went against his team, an offence of dissent for which sin bins were introduced, but which have fallen into outright disuse by referees who now prefer to manage dissent differently.

Charlie Morris set Finlay Dorrell up for a 27th minute shot that Haidera pushed round the post in a rare chance, after which the next incident of note was a yellow card for Bengal’s Pepple for a poor challenge on Danny Hurford.

The home side had a glorious chance to open the scoring after 41 minutes when the ball – which looked to be going out but stayed just the right side of the touchline – was swung in from the left and was excellently controlled by Adu Gyamfi, but with the goal apparently at his mercy, he blasted the ball over the bar. It was a miss his team would rue in the second minute of first half stoppage time. A corner on the right – the award of which had been disputed by the argumentative Carvell – was lofted to the far post by Danny Hurford, finding Charlie Morris, whose header across goal was forced across the line with Remi Sutton claiming the last touch.

The second half opened with Charlie Morris having a chip for goal cleared by Murad Khuteladze and from his clearance, the home side broke quickly, setting up Adu Gyamfi for a run at goal that had the Boro backline waiting for an offside flag that never came and allowed the Bengal forward to slip the ball past the advancing Anderson.

Khuteladze headed Carvell’s corner narrowly over the Romford crossbar after 52 minutes and again the home side would have cause to rue a miss as Boro scored what would prove to be the winner after 54 minutes. Kris Newby swung a cross in from the right, Hassan Nalbant prodded the ball goalward with a defender valiantly trying to clear. The assistant on the stand side of the pitch flagged – perhaps to indicate that the ball had crossed the line – but with the ball running loose, Charlie Morris made sure by slamming it into the net from a matter of a yard or so.

Adu Gyamfi fired a shot into the side netting for the home side and Nalbant shot wide when well placed a moment later, and then Finlay Dorrell set up Kris Newby for a shot that Haidera pushed away for a corner.

Finlay Dorrell was yellow carded after not getting a free kick – for simulation or dissent? - it was hard to tell, and Dan Spinks was booked shortly afterwards after disputing a foul throw. Substitute Jacob Wiggins was booked for a foul three minutes into the five minutes stoppage time played, although the reaction of the Bengal player to the challenge seemed more than somewhat exaggerated.

Bengal came close to an equaliser after 82 minutes when a booming cross from the right was knocked back across goal for the well placed Tanvir Ahmed, but his shot flew harmlessly over.

Five and a bit minutes of stoppage time were played at the end of what was by no means a classic game of football, but which garnered three more points for Boro to keep the pressure on second placed Woodford Town.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Danny Hurford (Jacob Wiggins, 69m), Junior Luke, Remi Sutton, Ash Siddik (Toheeb Elegushi, 69m), Darren Phillips, Lee Hursit (Jaiden Babalola, 84m), Kris Newby, Hassan Nalbant, Charlie Morris, Finlay Dorrell. Unused subs: Mike Faulkner, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky