Over the years, Witham has rarely been a happy hunting ground for Romford, with just two points earned in six visits since 2012, so Boro were grateful to return home with their first point of the season from this game.
Romford had early chances. A free-kick from Inesh Sumiththran flashed narrowly over the bar, and then a low cross by Nathan Joseph caused confusion in the home penalty with no one able to get a touch before Malaki Toussaint picked up the first booking of the evening for a rash challenge as Witham broke. This set the tone for the evening, with Romford accumulating four yellow cards, and Witham two, in a game that was rarely over-physical. Harry Aldridge in particular will feel aggrieved to have been booked for second-half time wasting, a decision that seemed especially fussy from the referee, whose performance was patchy, to say the least.
A long free-kick into the box by Toby Barlow caused some problems for the home defence, but Romford were denied the corner that they vehemently claimed. Barlow was then lucky to get away with a blatant shirt pull on a Witham forward, whose shot flew well over the bar. Given the referee's performance, it's difficult to say whether he played an advantage or simply missed the incident.
Five minutes before the break, Romford were ahead. Nathan Tabora and Charlie Little were involved in the build up, and from Nathan Joseph's cross, the ball fell to Tabora, whose shot across goal found the far corner. Witham keeper Rhys Madden - he of the famous 2015 Storm Barney assisted goal back in 2015 - will probably feel he might have done better as the shot seemed to go through his arms.
Witham pushed for an equaliser after the break, and had an early chance when a dangerous low cross eluded everyone in the Boro penalty area, while moments later Witham's Oliver Bell was narrowly off target with a free-kick. In between, a long free-kick by Barlow was spilled by Madden, and Michael Agboola's overhead kick crept narrowly wide with Charlie Little unable to get the touch that would have put Boro two up. Agboola then headed narrowly wide from a corner, but Boro were grateful to Harry Aldridge as he then clawed away a header from Bell.
An equaliser seemed on the cards as the home side piled on the pressure, and it came after 75 minutes when a corner from the right was headed home by Bugg, and Witham nearly hit Boro with a sucker punch a couple of minutes later when Bowers headed narrowly wide.
Reece Tranter joined the fray in the final minute and nearly made an immediate impact, but his shot from range went the wrong side of the post, leaving Boro to settle for their first League point of the season.
Romford: Harry Aldridge, Inesh Sumiththran, Toby Barlow, Michael Agboola, Malaki Toussaint, Danny Cossington, Nathan Tabora (Jacob Turk, 83m), Antonius Anastasios (Reece Tranter, 90m), Jimmy Cox (Keiron Owusu, 79m), Charlie Little, Nathan Joseph. Subs not used: Rashaad Ogun, Dhilan Thandi.