Heybridge Swifts 0 (0) v Romford 1 (1) – Attendance 119

Romford scored the one and only goal of the game in the eighth minute when they attacked down the right and Hussein Isa, bringing the ball across his opponents’ penalty area, decided to shoot instead of taking up his passing opportunities and found the home net just inside their left hand upright.

Thereafter play was equal for the rest of the half with Heybridge hitting their visitors’ crossbar from long range being the nearest they came to scoring.

The Boro had to make an enforced substitution around the thirty minute mark when Ricki Mackin came on to replace Chris Sullivan who had a hamstring injury.

In the second half the home side dominated proceedings as they endeavoured to get back into the game but their visitors defended well with ‘keeper Elliott Anderson, in particular, making some critical saves as he had also done in the first half.

As play developed it was the crossbar that once again came to Romford’s aid when Luke Callander’s athletic overhead kick thundered back into play from it and was cleared to safety and with the usual substitutions happening for both sides the game finally came to a conclusion with play continuing to pulsate at both ends

Romford squad: Anderson, Ishmail, Dicks, J.Barry, Toms, Clayton © Bingham, Sullivan, Odedoyin; Smith (Reynolds 80), Isa, Oates. Unused substitutes: Kavanagh and Lord.

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Full list of R1N results:

AFC Sudbury 1 0 Brentwood Town
Cheshunt 0 0 Soham Town Rangers
Grays Athletic 3 2 Ilford
Heybridge Swifts 0 1 Romford
Leiston 4 0 Chatham Town
Needham Market 3 1 Harlow Town
Potters Bar Town 1 1 Great Wakering Rovers
Redbridge 1 1 Thamesmead Town
Waltham Abbey 1 1 Maldon & Tiptree
Waltham Forest 2 5 Tilbury
Ware 2 3 Enfield Town