It was Brian Clough who famously said, “If God had wanted us to play football in the sky, He’d have put grass up there.” The Lord alone knows what Ol’ Big Head would have thought of this game, in which the ball spent so little time on the ground, you’d have thought it allergic to grass.

Clough was always loath to criticise referees: One feels he might have made an exception for Mr Adedotun Adeyemi, whose performance was on a par with the quality of the match.

Both teams treated the ball as though it was red hot, and neither strung together any significant passing moves. Admittedly the conditions – the pitch was firm and bouncy and the wind blew keenly into Romford’s faces in the first half – were unlikely to make for a footballing classic, but neither team would have won any points for style over the course of the 98 minutes that this game lasted.

But if both teams were poor, it was Boro who were the poorer, especially in the opening eight minutes when Takeley scored twice. Just four minutes had been played when Takeley’s Coby Miles launched a long, hopeful diagonal ball from the left back position; the bounce deceived Danny Hurford, allowing George Wappett the opportunity to lift the ball over Matt Cafer who was neither here nor there, but caught in no-man’s land.

After seven minutes it was two as Boro only half cleared a corner and failed completely in attempts to clear the ball that was subsequently lofted into the penalty area, allowing Freddie Burrell a somewhat scuffed shot from the edge of the box that crept between Cafer’s right hand and the post.

A rather undercooked back-pass by John Mbamarah put Cafer under pressure after thirteen minutes, but luckily for Boro, Takeley were unable to capitalise.

Romford finally managed a shot at goal after 33 minutes when Hassan Nalbant – who suffered from a lack of service – made inroads into the home defence but saw his shot shovelled away by Takeley keeper Matt Gill.

Takeley had two players booked in the closing stages of the half with Mike La Ronde cautioned for a foul on George Cox, and another defender seemingly carded for dissent rather than being sent to the sin bin.

The second half was no better than the first as players of both teams remained disinclined to keep possession of the ball for longer than was absolutely necessary. Tempers flared after 63 minutes when John Mbamarah’s foul earned him a booking, while Takeley’s Jordan Westcott picked up a yellow card for his reaction to the incident.

Danny Hurford's 69th minute back pass put Cafer under pressure, and the Boro keeper did well to foil Oguntuga Oluwadamilare when the Takeley substitute seemed poised to add to his side's lead.

Praise Ogbebor – whose performance was a rare bright spot for Boro – pulled one back after 81 minutes. Camilo Restrepo laid the ball off to Danny Hurford, whose cross was pulled down by Ogbebor, and Boro’s youngest goalscorer swivelled to score his second goal for the club from the edge of the box.

Takeley substitute Oguntuga Oluwadamilare was correctly booked for re-entering play without the referee's permission after going off for treatment, but play was incorrectly restarted with a drop-ball rather than a free-kick, and almost immediately Boro were again aggrieved when Anthony Furlonge was booked for a tackle on the half-way line that seemed perfectly legitimate to everyone other than the man whose opinion mattered.

Boro could not find an equaliser, either in the regular 90 minutes, nor the added eight, in the seventh of which Kris Newby was sent to the sin bin as his frustration with yet another decision that went against Boro became too much for him. It was difficult not to sympathise with him.

Romford: Matt Cafer, Kris Newby, Danny Hurford, Jacob Wiggins (Camilo Restrepo, 59m), Anthony Furlonge, John Mbamarah, Praise Ogebor, Adelberto Pinto (Jamie Hursit, 72m), Hassan Nalbant, George Cox, Charlie Morris. Unused subs: Jack Glenister, Warren Beattie, Bleron Ademi.