With five senior players unavailable for Boro, a Hornchurch side who had narrowly missed out on promotion were the favourites but neither team created many chances in the first half with the visitors' long ball tactics being easily dealt with by Romford while Hornchurch snuffed out any opportunities by the hosts.
A strong Paul Preston run early on lead to a foul, but Jamie Dicks' free kick was cleared in the tenth minute while a mistake from returning Boro winger Hayes Thomas gave Hornchurch a chance to counter attack, but just as they looked to be getting in a good position Thomas did well to make up for his initial error, seven minutes later.
In the twentieth minute a cross by former Boro centre back Nathan Cooper was headed straight at Richard Wray before ten minutes later another dangerous cross was headed over from close range by Kenzer Lee for Hornchurch.
A very late challenge on Wray by Cooper led to the only yellow card of the match and five minutes before half time debutant Will Green got on the end of a Chinedu McKenzie flick but could only fire over from a tight angle. Another player making his first appearance for the club, Jonathan Adebayo won the ball in midfield and sent in a shot that went straight at Hornchurch keeper Sam Mott in the forty-first minute and captain Dicks fired just over for the Boro on the stroke of half time.

Hornchurch, who are tipped by many to win the league needed to up their game, which they did as they dominated possession in the early part of the second half but Richard Wray in the Boro goal was again on hand to thwart any threat. His first great save came three minutes into the period getting down low while at the other end a cross nearly caught Mott out but the stopper back pedalled to tip the ball over the bar.
In the sixty-third minute a mistake in midfield gave Hornchurch the chance to get in on goal but Wray stood firm to make his second excellent save and quickly brought about his third great stop as a low cross found substitute Alex Bentley free at the far post, but the shot was beaten out.
Romford used their offside trap well and displayed some excellent counter attacks, and on one occasion after great skill down the right by Chinedu McKenzie the cross to the far post looked to be finding Adebayo but the Hornchurch full back just got his head to the ball to deny a certain goal, before Wray made his fourth and final world class save right on the line as a cross looked to be deflected beyond him.
In the final seconds of injury time Dicks sent in a free kick that keeper Mott flapped at, and just as Matt Toms seemed to be shaping to head Romford to victory he was clearly fouled, but amidst massive penalty appeals the referee had already decided that time was up and both teams had to settle for a point.

ROMFORD 0 (0)
AFC HORNCHURCH 0 (0)

ROMFORD: RICHARD WRAY, RYAN BOSWELL, PAUL PRESTON, TOM POTTER, MATT TOMS, JONATHAN ADEBAYO, RYAN MALLETT, JAMIE DICKS (C), HAYES THOMAS (CHRIS THOMAS 85), CHINEDU MCKENZIE (MICHAEL OGBOIN 89), WILL GREEN (ASHLEY BANKOLE 79) SUBS NOT USED CONNOR GOLDSTONE, GEORGE TUBEY