Camilo Restrepo’s seventh goal of the season earned Boro three points on the road, and revenge for the home defeat against Little Oakley a couple of weeks back.

The early stages of the game were frantic, with much energy but little poise from either side. There were early chances though, with a second minute cross from Charlie Morris causing havoc in the home defence. Jake Gordon was in the thick of things trying to get a decisive touch, but was crowded out. At the other end, a good break on the right by Nyan Mesuria created an opportunity that Boro only cleared at the expense of a corner.

Adalberto Pinto then burst through the middle after a good combination between Kris Newby and Charlie Morris had set him up, and the Boro midfielder was denied only by a last-ditch clearance.

After twenty minutes, Boro went ahead in what proved to be the decisive moment of the game. Restrepo and Gordon combined well on the left with the former finding space in the penalty area and, with the ball running kindly, Restrepo prodded the ball home from ten yards.

Little Oakley’s Harry Harvey became the first man to collect a yellow card from referee Ben Kelly for a foul on Morris on the half way line, and building from the free-kick, Boro fashioned a chance that saw Pinto’s goalbound shot from the edge of the box deflected for a corner after 34 minutes.

Little Oakley created little from what possession they had, and their best chance of what remained of the half fell to full-back Rory Harman, whose header from a corner on the right went wide of goal.

Little Oakley’s John Thain was booked for a foul inside the first five minutes of the second half, and from the resulting Boro free-kick, Scott Doe had an effort blocked and Pinto shot over the bar. Morris then set up Restrepo for a shot that keeper Billy Lawlor parried with Morris unable to keep his shot from the loose ball under the bar as Romford pushed for a second goal.

Although possession was fairly even in the second period, it was Boro who were creating the better chances and after 71 minutes Jake Gordon was first to the ball as Doe cleared, but his shot – from a difficult, bouncing ball – rose just over the bar. Two minutes later however, Bleron Ademi had to be alert to head a dangerous Little Oakley cross over his own crossbar in one of the home side’s rare dangerous attacks.

Little Oakley’s Harvey was perilously close to an own goal as he desperately headed Jake Gordon’s cross for a corner after 77 minutes, while the last decent goalscoring opportunity of the match fell to Gordon with three minutes remaining. The Boro forward was clear on goal with just Lawlor to beat when he went down in the box under a challenge that the referee deemed legitimate, despite Gordon’s protests that he had been fouled.

In a game that was handled very well by referee Ben Kelly, Kris Newby picked up Boro’s only card of the afternoon for a foul on Mesuria after 57 minutes. After a few faltering displays of late, this was a much more assured Boro performance, with good decision making and a lot of hard work put in.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Bleron Ademi, Danny Hurford, Kris Newby, Joe Heath, Scott Doe, Charlie Morris, Adalberto Pinto, Jake Gordon, George Cox, Camilo Restrepo (Tyrese Sibanda, 76m). Unused subs: Warren Beattie, Praise Ogbebor, Jack Glenister, Matt Cafer.