Romford’s interest in the Essex Senior Cup came to an end as Hornchurch moved up a gear after the break and showed why they currently lead the Isthmian League Premier Division.

The first half was absorbing rather than thrilling, and apart from Adalberto Pinto’s goal that separated the teams at the break, the highlight was the meteor - part of the Quadrantid meteor shower - that streaked across the sky in the early stages of proceedings.

Romford were marginally the more dominant side in the early exchanges, with Lewis Smith firing a free-kick from just outside the box over the angle of post and bar after six minutes, and the same player only denied a run at goal by what appeared to be a handball by Hornchurch’s Nathan Bertram-Cooper ten minutes later.

Having broken up a Hornchurch advance, Bleron Ademi came forward with the ball after 18 minutes and found Camilo Restrepo whose run was halted by a foul thirty yards from goal, but from the resulting free-kick, Lewis Smith’s shot was blocked and failed to trouble former Boro keeper Lamar Johnson between the posts.

Boro went ahead after 26 minutes. Billy Willis – who featured briefly against Boro for Hashtag United in the FA Cup back in September (he was sent off after conceding a fifth minute penalty) – was fouled on the right touchline. Smith delivered an excellent cross from the free-kick, and Adalberto Pinto was on hand to head the ball into the bottom corner of Johnson’s net.

Boro had a decent chance to increase their lead after 29 minutes when Restrepo’s through ball found Emmanuel Robe, but he was forced wide and Johnson tidied up as Robe tried a square pass.

Hornchurch asserted themselves more as the half progressed and Ola Ogunwamide had a powerful shot saved by Jake Anderson after 31 minutes, while the Romford wall had to stand firm to block a free-kick, awarded after Anderson had played the ball twice with his hands in his own penalty area. The half concluded with Anderson holding on to another shot from outside the box, this time from Jack Munns.

Anderson was in action early in the second half as Hornchurch came out of the blocks in determined fashion. Ademi’s foul – for which he was booked – gave Munns a chance to shoot for goal from a free-kick, but Anderson was equal to it.

Hornchurch’s Charlie Stimson went into referee Dean Skipper’s book for a foul on Pinto, and after 64 minutes, a rare Romford chance saw Smith end a mazy run with a shot that clipped the top of Johnson’s crossbar.

Hornchurch were asserting themselves more and more now, and they inevitably equalised after 72 minutes. Tobi Joseph got his head to one of a series of corners that the visitors won during the second half, and despite the best efforts of the Boro defence to keep it out, the ball found its way over the line.

Anderson had to beat away a shot from Ellis Brown after 76 minutes, and then Boro needed to desperately defend another Hornchurch corner, but after 80 minutes Urchins got their noses in front. There was some debate about who should have had possession from a drop ball, awarded after a Boro player was injured in his own penalty area, but control went to the visitors, and from the cross that was played in, Stimson got a touch to divert past Anderson.

Hornchurch rounded off proceedings with a third goal four minutes from the end when Anderson parried a low shot from outside the box, but Hornchurch’s Tobi Joseph was on hand to pick up the rebound and set up Ellis Brown for an easy finish.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Billy Willis, Danny Hurford, Jacob Wiggins, Scott Doe, Bleron Ademi, Emmanuel Robe (George Cox, 46m), Adalberto Pinto (Tyrese Sibanda, 84m), Lewis Smith, Alex Balisani (Jack Glenister, 63m), Camilo Restrepo. Unused sub: Jamie Hursit