Both sides made extensive changes to the line-ups from Wednesday’s Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy tie, and this game lacked the intensity of that encounter. At times Romford were completely dominant, at others the ascendancy was with West Essex, but this game was not as close as the score suggests.

The visitors suffered an early blow when defender Emmanuel Oluwole limped off after just three minutes, and early play flowed from end to end, with both sides looking dangerous on the break. Boro had a couple of chances as the game settled down, with Jesse Olukolu grazing the foot of one post with a low shot, and Emmanuel Robe having a shot beaten away by West Essex goalkeeper Arthur Le Blond. At the other end, a sustained period of West Essex possession ended with Callum Bloss shooting straight at Billy Lawlor.

The goal that Boro’s play merited came after 27 minutes. A diagonal ball to Jesse Olukolu allowed the Boro winger to get to the by-line and pull the ball back across goal where Lewis Smith’s touch diverted the ball to Charlie Morris at the far post, and Boro’s leading scorer had a simple tap in.

West Essex went close to an immediate response when Bloss struck a low free kick in the 31st minute that Lawlor was pleased to divert for a corner. As if spurred by that, Romford doubled their lead after 34 minutes. Tambeson Eyong chased what looked like a lost cause on the right flank and found Olukolu, whose run into the box ended with a trip that sent him sprawling. Kris Newby stepped up and despatched the penalty with his usual assurance, pictured below by Alan Blackholly.

Good pressure exerted on the visitors’ defence set up a shot for Robe that was just too high after 40 minutes, but after 43, it was three. George Cox found Jesse Olukolu, who ended his jinking run with a shot into the roof of the net.

Smith was on the end of a good move involving George Cox and Charlie Morris that required Le Blond to save well as the second half opened, and after 62 minutes a strong run by Camilo Restrepo was only ended by a good block by the West Essex goalkeeper (below).

Romford were seeing plenty of the ball without being penetrative enough, and West Essex grew into the game more and more as the second half progressed. A foul by Tambeson Eyong on the edge of his own penalty area after 69 minutes gave Oliseh Okunguni a sight of goal, and his low free-kick crept in at Lawlor’s left-hand post.

A fracas by the touchline three minutes from the end saw Jacob Wiggins pick up a yellow card and foreshadowed what would come after the final whistle, and with the game entering the first minute of added time, Boro skipper Scott Doe was unfortunate to divert a cross from the left into his own net. Boro might have paid for their missed opportunities had the game gone on longer, but referee Adekola Adeyemi concluded matter shortly after that goal, only for the final whistle to prompt an outbreak of hostilities between the two teams that thankfully was short-lived, if ill tempered.

Romford: Billy Lawlor, Tambeson Eyong, Danny Hurford, Kris Newby, Scott Doe, George Allen, Jesse Olukolu (Jake Gordon, 59m), George Cox (Camilo Restrepo, 57m), Emmanuel Robe, Lewis Smith (Jacob Wiggins, 81m), Charlie Morris. Unused subs: Martin Tuohy, Alex Balisani, Bleron Ademi, Toby Barlow.