Boro progressed to the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round for the first time since 2014, producing an assured performance to beat Isthmian League North Hashtag United, whose cause was not helped when they were reduced to ten men after just five minutes.

Emmanuel Robe’s through ball found Jesse Olukolu, and he rounded Hashtag keeper Anthony Page, but his goalbound shot was handled by defender Billy Willis, who immediately received his marching orders. Olukolu took the penalty himself, but Page dived to his left to save.

Romford did not have to wait too long before going ahead however, as after 16 minutes Robe’s glancing header from Charlie Morris’s cross nestled in the back of Page’s net. Page was immediately in action again, having to scramble across goal to save from his own player when Danny Hurford’s cross from the left was deflected goalwards by Lewis Watson.

Hashtag showed that they were not going to let being reduced to ten men unduly affect them when Tom Anderson headed Kojo Apenteng’s free-kick just wide after 26 minutes, five minutes later, Apenteng hit the bar with a shot from outside the box.

The visitors equalised six minutes before the break when Boro lost possession in midfield and Emmanuel Okunja strode forward and shot low past Jake Anderson.

There was still time for Boro to fashion two decent chances before the break as Olukolu shot over from Robe’s pass, and then Robe found the side netting from Morris’s low cross.

Anderson was in early second half action as he pushed aside a shot from Hashtag’s Matthew Wooldridge after 50 minutes, but the next significant action was in the 65th minute as Morris scored his fifth FA Cup goal of the season when he powered home a shot from outside the box. It was Morris’s eighth in all competitions, already surpassing the seven that made Christian Adu Gyamfi Boro’s top scorer last season.

Defender George Allen found Olukolu, whose shot flashed across goal, and Hashtag went close when Toby Aromolaran cut in from the left and shot over, but it was Boro who scored again though Jake Gordon – his first for the club – with just two minutes left. Scott Doe’s ball out of defence found Gordon unmarked and he controlled well before slipping the ball past the advancing Page.

Charlie Morris hit a post as the game entered stoppage time, but it was Hashtag who scored the game’s final goal, seven minutes into added time when Aromolaran converted from close range. It was the last kick of the game and there was initially some confusion as to whether the goal had been given. It was immaterial; Boro had their place in the next round, and almost as importantly, £2,250 from the competition prize fund.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Toby Barlow, Danny Hurford, Camilo Restrepo, George Allen, Scott Doe, Jesse Olukolu, Jacob Wiggins (Bleron Ademi, 85m), Emmanuel Robe (Tyrese Sibanda, 73m), Alex Balisani (Jake Gordon, 65m), Charlie Morris. Unused subs: Martin Touhy, John Mbamarah