Conceding early goals has become a bad habit with Romford. Being 2-0 down at Takeley after just seven minutes in the previous league game was bad enough, but against landlords Barking, Boro conceded after just 32 seconds, and again after only five minutes.

Barking’s first goal was a disaster for keeper Matt Cafer, who came out for a long ball but instead of simply belting the ball away, tried to control it and was dispossessed by Luke Hirst, who had a relatively straightforward chance to score, which he duly took.

Hirst nabbed a second after five minutes when he was put through and again had a straightforward chance which he again took, easily slipping the ball past the advancing Cafer.

Boro had a chance to reduce the deficit after 23 minutes when a low cross from Charlie Morris reached the well placed Praise Ogbebor, but he was unable to get a decent connection on the ball, which ran harmlessly across goal. But after 39 minutes Hassan Nalbant bagged his first goal in a Romford shirt to give Boro hope. Nalbant had already seen one low shot cleared for a corner after 27 minutes, but on this occasion, Danny Hurford found George Cox, whose pass was collected by Nalbant and he flashed a powerful shot on the turn past the despairing dive of Barking keeper Harvey Simson.

George Cox went close to an equaliser after 43 minutes when Kris Newby’s cross, following his own corner that had been partially cleared, found the Boro midfielder on the edge of the six-yard box, but his goalbound header was cleared off the line. And then in the final significant action of the half, a free kick by Newby was headed just over by Adalberto Pinto.

There was an early goal in the second half, but this one went Boro’s way and was even sooner after the kick-off than Barking’s had been. Just 20 second half seconds had elapsed when Hassan Nalbant ran on to Charlie Morris’s pass and fired home the equaliser from the edge of the box.

Romford then exhibited their capacity to shoot themselves in the foot when Ronaldo Kapica found himself with time and space to chip the ball over Cafer after 50 minutes. Back came Boro, and Charlie Morris volleyed a difficult chance just wide from Jamie Hursit’s cross after 54 minutes, and then after 57 minutes Morris found Ogbebor whose shot on the turn was brilliantly saved by Simson. From the resulting corner, the ball ran kindly across the box for Anthony Furlonge to score from six yards at the far post to make it 3-3.

Barking went ahead again after 64 minutes when Cafer failed to claim a through ball that he had called for and Hirst was presented with an open goal, which he accepted to bag his third of the night. Almost immediately, Boro had appeals for a penalty waved away after a Barking defender appeared to handle, and then Morris had the ball in the net only to see the goal disallowed for the narrowest of offside calls.

Adalberto Pinto was sent off after 68 minutes for a foul on the edge of the Barking penalty area, but thereafter it was Boro who made all the running, making Barking look like they were the side playing with a man short. Despite dominating proceedings, Boro could not breach the Barking goal again however, although Nalbant was frustrated when he burst through and appeared to be shaping to shoot, only to be halted by Kyrell Palmer’s tug of his shirt which earned the Barking defender a yellow card and Boro a free-kick, from which George Cox failed to get sufficient curve on his shot, which went harmlessly wide.

Boro probably deserved a point from this game and were left to rue the errors that in the end, gifted Barking the points.

Romford: Matt Cafer, Jamie Hursit (Stephen Toussaint, 88m), Danny Hurford (Bleron Ademi, 62m), Kris Newby, Anthony Furlonge, Scott Doe, Praise Ogbebor (Tyrese Sibanda, 80m), Adalberto Pinto, Hassan Nalbant, George Cox, Charlie Morris. Unused sub: Jack Glenister