With Hassan Nalbant cup-tied, Charlie Morris unwell, and Finlay Dorrell unavailable, Boro pushed Junior Luke into a more attacking position alongside Camilo Restrepo and Jesse Olukolu. And Restrepo, along with George Cox, was on the scoresheet as Boro led 2-0 with ten minutes of the second half played only for the visitors to pull one back and then score twice in a minute to progress to the final of the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy.

The game opened with a flurry of chances for both sides. Jack Marshall curled a shot over for FC Clacton and then Jake Clowsley’s low effort was saved by Jake Anderson before Henry Hart hit a low shot just wide for Boro, all inside the first three minutes. The visitors then had the ball in the net when Michael Okofor scored from a loose ball following a corner, but the goal was ruled out when the referee spotted the assistant’s raised flag.

Junior Luke fired in a shot from outside the box that bounced down off the crossbar tantalisingly close to the Clacton goal-line after eleven minutes, but the visitors promptly went up the other end and Anderson had to tip a shot from Charlie Collis over the bar from close range.

Clacton’s Jensen MacQueen was sin binned for dissent after fouling Olukolu, and Kris Newby’s shot from the resultant free-kick was spectacularly turned away for a corner by Luke Avenell. Clowsley was then booked for Clacton after another foul on Olukolu, before Restrepo shot just wide after a free-kick had been headed across goal to him.

Boro thought that they had gone ahead after 40 minutes when Michael Turner headed down Kris Newby’s corner, but George Cox used his hand to put the loose ball into the net and the goal was rightly chalked off. Clacton’s Chris Ribchester earned himself 10 minutes in the sin bin for berating referee Patrick Yates for his failure to issue a card to Cox for the handball.

Camilor Restrepo blocked a clearance and set up Jesse Olukolu for a chance that was blasted over the bar after 43 minutes, but in the first minute of stoppage time, Boro went ahead. Olukolu was fouled yet again, and Kris Newby’s free-kick came back off the crossbar to Restrepo, who fired home from eight yards.

Kris Newby (far right) fires in the free-kick that came back off the bar for Boro’s first goal.

Boro had a chance to double their lead just two minutes after the restart when Ribchester, who did not seem to have completed the full ten minutes in the sin bin, misjudged his header back to his keeper, but Avenell blocked Restrepo’s chip shot. After 55 minutes Boro did double their lead, however. Henry Hart won possession from Michael Turner’s long diagonal pass and laid the ball off to George Cox, whose low shot found the corner of the net.

On the hour, Clacton got one back when Marshall converted a corner despite Danny Hurford’s valiant attempt at a goal-line clearance.

Play became scrappy with Olukolu booked for delaying Clacton’s attempt to take a free-kick, while Clacton’s Okafor was yellow carded for one of the many fouls that he and his fellow defenders were prepared to commit to impede Boro’s progress.

Two goals in just over a minute sealed Boro’s fate. Charlie Collis fired home from just inside the box after 78 minutes and sixty seconds later Clowsley scored what proved to be the winner from a similar distance after a free-kick had been pumped forward, although whether he would have scored had Jake Anderson’s mobility not been impaired after the Boro keeper had been on the end of a couple of robust challenges, is moot.

Clacton’s Ribchester talked himself into a second visit to the sin bin with five minutes of the game remaining, and the final whistle was met with a number of players from both sides becoming involved in an altercation, while the Clacton goalkeeper seemed to have some sort of issue with the referee.

A disappointing result in Boro’s 21st cup tie of the season, and a place in the final to a Clacton side whose uncompromising and vigorous style of football is likely to win them more matches than it does friends. Boro meanwhile will be hoping that Jake Anderson is able to shake off the effects of his injury to face Southend Manor on Good Friday.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Henry Hart, Danny Hurford (Jack Glenister, 88m), Ryan Hervel, Michael Turner, Scott Doe, Jesse Olukolu, Kris Newby, Camilo Restrepo, George Cox, Junior Luke (Praise Ogbebor, 85m). Unused subs: Toby Barlow, Bleron Ademi, Jacob Wiggins.