Harleston Town (3) 3, Romford (0) 1 – Saturday 5th September 2026 – FA Cup First Qualifying Round

Few teams recover from conceding three times inside the opening 20 minutes; Romford couldn’t after a calamitous opening spell when they did just that at Harleston to exit this season’s FA Cup competition.

The home side had a shot on target in just the third minute, although Joel Wilson’s effort from outside the box was easy pickings for Boro keeper Lamar Johnson. Not so after six minutes however, as Jake Reed’s effort from 20 yards found the corner of the net via a deflection that took it beyond Johnson’s reach.

Before the dust had settled on the first goal, Harleston had a second, Reed scoring again as he side-footed home a cross from the left. If that wasn’t bad enough for Boro, it was three after 19 minutes when Josh Durham converted a penalty for a foul by Boro defender Julius Nwike, who was booked.

By the end of a first half that everyone with a Romford connection will want to forget, Nwike had been joined in referee Kahlan Sannerude’s notebook by Ekow Owusu-Boakye for a foul and Jaxon Brown for not retreating the required 10 yards at a free-kick. At least no further goals were conceded, although Bertie Oliver came mightily close to a fourth for the home side when he put the ball inches wide of the right-hand post from a low cross.

Romford failed to get anything on target in the first half, the best they could muster being a shot from Jaxon Brown, whose effort was blocked by a Harleston defender in the 45th minute, and even after that the home side had a further chance when Johnson had to divert Reed’s shot for a corner in the second added minute.

Romford’s second half performance was an improvement, although Harleston continued to create chances and the one goal that Boro did manage proved to be no more than a consolation.

Harleston appeals for a penalty after 51 minutes fell on deaf ears, and with 63 minutes played Joel Wilson forced a save from Johnson, but generally Boro had more play and more possession as the game wore on, but managed just one goal from their efforts.

That goal came after 68 minutes. Fabio Vieira's corner from the left was flicked across goal and Prince Sikiru prodded it home at the far post. It came just after Vieira’s introduction after 66 minutes, and the winger added more pep to Boro’s play, firing one shot wide and just failing to get on the end of Greig Stewart’s cross after 76 minutes.

For all that Boro had a decent amount of pressure, it was Harleston who had the better chances in the second half. Josh Durham shot wide from outside the box, and as the game entered added time, Reed had two chances to add a fourth goal, rolling the ball wide of a post after being put through and then shooting wide a moment later.

So ends this season’s FA Cup campaign, but before we wheel out the cliché about concentrating on the league, the FA Vase is next for Boro with a visit to Burnham Ramblers next Saturday.

Romford: Lamar Johnson, Ben Sargent, Teddy Desmond, Alfie Osborne, Julius Nwike (Prince Sikiru 55'), Freddy Tandon (Jake Barlow 46'), Aron Gordon, Ekow Owusu-Boakye (Matt Blake 46'), Jaxon Brown (Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson 83'), Greig Stewart, Ben McCrow (Fabio Vieira 66'), Unused subs: Delphin Moorat, George Sapsford

Report: Mike Woods