ROMFORD (0) 0 - 1 (1) Witham Town Attendance 97

Boro's best period of the match was probably the first 15 minutes which they spent camped in the Witham half with Billy Hunt and Matt Toms putting chances just over the bar and the Witham keeper making some good stops and getting up well to punch clear a very dangerous Kurt Smith cross.
Witham then broke away for their first chance and for almost the rest of the half it developed into a very entertaining, open game with both teams playing some good passing football and creating dangerous chances. In the 37th minute Nick Reynolds was clearly fouled in the area but the ref appeared unsighted and three minutes later there was disaster for Romford and as it turned out, the game as a spectacle when Atu Ngoy saved well from a long shot but could not hold the ball, and the rebound was hit home by prolific ex-Boro striker Rob Whitnall.
Unfortunately, as predicted by some Boro fans who had attended the match at Witham in December, the second half descended into a niggly stop, start affair with Witham shutting up shop to defend their single goal advantage and taking the lead from their bench team by surrounding the ref and appealing wildly every time a Romford player made a tackle.
Romford's best chances to equalise came in the earlier part of the half with Billy Hunt taking the ball ball just too wide after a lovely through pass by Nick Reynolds and then heading a cross just over. They probably came nearest in the 69th minute when Kurt Smith's cross shot just shaved the far post after his powerful run into the area.
Boro skipper Jack Barry had been booked in the 61st minute for a tackle which looked far worse than it was and for the second time against Witham this season was dismissed after a second yellow card in 82nd minute. This allowed Witham to push a bit further forward and run down the clock for a slightly fortunate victory.

ROMFORD 0
WITHAM TOWN 1 WHITNALL 40

ROMFORD: Atu Ngoy, James Ishmail, Jamie Dicks, Jack Barry (c), Matt Toms, Paul Clayton, Lewis Payne (David Ottley), Michael Sammut, Nick Reynolds (Lewis Francis), Billy Hunt (Tom Richardson), Kurt Smith.
Unused Substitutes: Chris Clark, Mark Lord

Yellow Card: Matt Toms (29), Jack Barry (61)
2nd Yellow Card: Jack Barry (82)

Match Report by Phil Redwin