Norwich United 4 (2) - (0) 1 ROMFORD Attendance 102 Plantation Sports Ground

Boro started the game in a positive manner and after Abdeen Abdul won the ball, Jonathan Adebayo's low shot was deflected inches wide in the sixth minute and from the resulting corner a clear handball by a defender was ignored by the referee in favour of a foul on the keeper despite no Romford player being anywhere near to him. Adebayo went close again moments later before a quick free kick in the twelfth minute allowed Chinedu McKenzie to cross and after the ball looped up off a defender, Chris Taylor reacted first and toe poked the ball towards goal but it went agonisingly wide of the far post. With Norwich's first venture into the Boro box the referee did not hesitate in pointing to the spot as a forward looked to have gone down very easy. Time Henery stepped up and smashed the ball home to give the hosts the lead in the eighteenth minute.

Romford should have been back on level terms straight away, but after Abdul raced onto a long ball over the top he could only fire high and wide of the goal. The visitors were still attacking with Taylor firing low towards goal before the home team started time wasting as early as the twenty-fifth minute and continued throughout the game, and this was aided by the lack of infill in the perimeter surround with spectators having to retrieve the ball almost every time it went out of play. Despite numerous chats by the referee towards the home players on the subject no yellow cards were produced and this just infuriated the Romford players and management. Kai Bichard fired over before Romford fell further behind in controversial circumstances in the forty-second minute after Taylor was clearly fouled off the ball, right under the referee's nose and from the clearance Romford had to concede a corner. It was taken short and worked well down the right wing before the low cross was swept home by Jamie Speller.

Romford knew a quick goal could change the game but it was Norwich who started the second half on top and Christy Finch forced Chafer into a good save before firing just wide minutes later. The hosts forced a corner that was headed towards goal and cleared off the line, but from the resulting cross Sam Watts headed Norwich's third in the fifty-second minute. With United stepping up the time wasting Romford winger Charlie Grimme-Yexley was booked after protesting to the referee who chose to ignore two Norwich players clearly kicking the ball away. Romford made a triple substitution bringing on Chris Barry, Jamie Dicks and Ayo Olukoga on and Barry went close, firing over after a good Boro move. Norwich extended their lead in the seventy-second minute when Nathan Stewart fired low into the corner before Olukoga grabbed a consolation goal for the Boro after Akwasi Marfo did well down the left wing and crossed to the midfielder who side footed the ball into the corner of the net for his first goal for the club. Another good Boro move, led by Marfo ended with Barry firing wide before Romford picked up more bookings, arguing poor decisions and time wasting. In the final moments Finch and Charlie Parrish had a mild clash, and despite it looking to be six of one and half a dozen of the other the referee jumped in straight away to show a straight red card to Parrish who simply could not believe only he had been sent to the dressing room.

Other results from lower down in the table went Romford's way leaving them eleven points off the relegation zone with a trip next Saturday across the water to Thamesmead.

NORWICH UNITED (2) 4 HENERY 18 (PEN), SPELLER 41, WATTS 52, STEWART 72

ROMFORD (0) 1 AYO OLUKOGA 79

ROMFORD: CALLUM CHAFER, RYAN BOSWELL, AKWASI MARFO, CHARLIE PARRISH, RYAN MALLETT, JONATHAN ADEBAYO, KAI BICHARD (CHRIS BARRY 64), CHARLIE GRIMME YEXLEY (AYO OLUKOGA 64), CHINEDU MCKENZIE, CHRIS TAYLOR, ABDEEN ABDUL (JAMIE DICKS 64) SUBS NOT USED STEPHEN REYNOLDS

YELLOW CARDS: CHARLIE GRIMME-YEXLEY 57, CHARLIE PARRISH 75, JAMIE DICKS 83, JONATHAN ADEBAYO 90+3

RED CARDS: CHARLIE PARRISH 90+4