Boro boss Steve Butterworth made ten changes from the side that played in the FA Cup tie at Potters Bar Town – only Jake Gordon started in both games – with Tom Stephens making his debut, and Emmanuel Kouassi, Oskar Plusa, and Henry Hart making their first starts from the bench.

Both sides had early chances, although Romford’s were the clearer cut. Emmanuel Robe shot wide after being set up by Lewis Smith, Alex Balisani shot wide of the same post and Robe had a shot blocked by Kasper Ignatuick in the West Essex goal.

At the other end, Billy Lawlor saved well from Tyler Morgan’s shot from out side the box, but back came Boro and Smith shot over after good work by Robe.

After 38 goal-less minutes, two came along inside the next two, one for each side. First Emmanuel Robe was well found by a crossfield ball by John Mbamarah, and he strode forward before – to borrow from the vernacular – larruping the ball past Ignatiuk. The lead last only until the 40th minute as Tyler Morgan strode down the left, crossed low, cutting out keeper Billy Lawlor and leaving Marlon Ortiz with the simplest of tap-ins.

West Essex took the imitative in the early stages of the second half, and looked the more likely to score. Three times Billy Lawlor was forced into diving saves to his right to keep Boro level, while the best that Boro could muster was a shot from substitute Oskar Plusa that was comfortably saved.

A foul on Plusa on the edge of the West Essex penalty area set up Jacob Wiggins for a shot that found the side netting, while at the other end Henry Hart had to clear off the line after a ball back to Lawlor had put the Boro keeper under pressure.

The game looked to be drifting towards a penalty shoot-out when Boro were awarded the last of a string of corners in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Alex Balisani floated the ball in from the left and Emmanuel Robe’s glancing header found the net to set up a 2nd Round tie at Halstead Town.

Romford: Billy Lawlor, Thomas Stephens (Henry Hart, 72m), Toby Barlow, Jacob Wiggins, Bleron Ademi, John Mbamarah, Emmanuel Robe, Alex Balisani, Martin Tuohy (Emmanuel Kouassi, 59m), Lewis Smith (Oskar Plusa, 59m), Jake Gordon (Tyrese Sibanda, 23m)