Boro fans have seen many Jekyll and Hyde performances from their team over the years, and this was another one. Having clawed their way back to parity from two goals down at the break, Boro then conceded two penalties, lost Scott Doe to his second red card of the season, and ended losing by the odd goal in seven to a Clapton side that must have thought that Christmas had come early.

Initial proceedings suggested a fruitful afternoon for Romford. Kris Newby was narrowly off target from long range, Lewis Smith was denied by a fine tip over by Clapton keeper Alex Reed, Danny Hurford also had a shot saved by Reed, and Shomari Barnwell burst through only to see his shot kicked away for a corner, all within the first twelve minutes.

Almost inevitably then, the home side scored with their first meaningful attack, Khyreece Smith-Reid converting a low right wing cross from close range after 15 minutes. Back came Boro and Camilo Restrepo had a low shot saved, and then Emmanuel Ogunrinde, who impressed on his debut on the right flank, ended a great run with an effort that Reed was grateful to save.

Then of course, the home side doubled their lead after 29 minutes when a free-kick chipped to the far post was headed down and Danny Hurford inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net in his attempt to clear. A minute later, and Scott Doe was yellow carded for a foul, which became more significant after the interval, and Boro manager Steve Butterworth was red carded as the teams left the field at the break.

The Romford manager would have been frustrated, as were many of the Boro supporters in the modest crowd, at the interpretation of the offside law by the assistant referee on the side where the team benches were located; Romford were adjudged offside so many times – in both halves, but especially in the first – that the law of averages suggests that not all could have been correct.

The second half opened in the best possible fashion for Boro with Emmanuel Ogunrinde reducing the arrears within sixty seconds of the restart as he intercepted a header back to the Clapton keeper and slipped the ball past him. Ten minutes later and Ogunrinde was off target with a shot after being set up by Barnwell. Adalberto Pinto had a 30-yarder tipped over by Reed after 59 minutes, Reed saved from Restrepro and then Clapton had to defend desperately to deny Ogunrinde after Reed had dropped Pinto’s cross.

The was only one team in it when Pinto powerfully headed home Lewis Smith’s corner to level the scores after 64 minutes, but having done the hard work, Boro were punished as the game entered its last half-hour. Scott Doe was adjudged to have fouled a Clapton forward just inside a crowded Boro penalty area, and was shown a second yellow. The resulting penalty was brilliantly saved by Jake Anderson, low to his left, but it was only a temporary reprieve as after Pinto had headed one effort off the line, a low shot from the edge of the box by Leon Wildman found the net. It got worse for Boro as Sharn Quinn converted an 80th minute penalty, awarded for a foul by Jake Anderson, although in truth there was minimal contact if any between the Boro keeper and the Clapton forward who was not only already in the process of going to ground, but was heading more in the direction of the corner flag than the goal.

Five minutes into stoppage time Shomari Barnwell – who failed to hit the target in the four games he played for Boro back in 2015 – pulled one back with an outside of the foot finish from an acute angle. Had the amount of stoppage time played been calculated in the same manner as it is currently at the World Cup – the time spent retrieving the ball from the outer reaches of the running track alone probably amounted to five minutes – Boro might have had the opportunity to salvage a point, but it was not to be.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Kris Newby, Danny Hurford, Jacob Wiggins (Jack Glenister, 83m), Billy Firmin, Scott Doe, Emmanuel Ogunrinde, Adalberto Pinto, Shomari Barnwell, Lewis Smith (Jamie Hursit, 75m), Camilo Restrepo (Jake Gordon, 75m). Unused sub: Steve Butterworth.