At the end of a scrappy and bad tempered affair, Romford moved a step closer to the runners-up spot in the Essex Senior League with a point ground out in a draw at Woodford thanks to Kris Newby’s first-half penalty. A point from Saturday’s final league game against Halstead Town will see Boro clinch runners-up spot in the final table.

Five players from Woodford and three from Romford went in referee Emre Arslan’s book, and while it might be harsh to say that the official had a bad game, he seemed to struggle at times to keep the lid on what was by any measure a difficult game to officiate.

Two cards were issued to Woodford players in the aftermath of referee Arslan’s 14th minute award of a penalty to Romford. Junior Luke made a powerful run on the left and pulled the ball back for Sam Deering, who had his legs taken away from under him by Woodford’s Luke Steele, who was booked for his challenge. In a blatant piece of gamesmanship from the home team, defender Eli Benoit decided to scuff up the penalty spot and was rightly booked. Fortunately, this unsporting behaviour did not unduly upset Boro skipper Kris Newby who confidently converted the penalty.

In what was developing into a bad tempered affair, a poor challenge on Junior Luke that did not result in a card was just one of a number of free-kicks awarded that broke up play and made the first half a very staccato affair. Luke went into the book for a challenge that reeked of retribution for the earlier foul on him after half an hour and from the resulting free-kick – taken after an interminable length of time while Mr Arslan lectured various players - the ball was prodded wide of the Boro goal.

Sam Deering had a glorious chance to double Boro’s lead after 37 minutes when he met Finlay Dorrell’s cut-back with a shot that rose over Woodford keeper Eddie Allan’s crossbar, and after 40 minutes Ash Siddik shot narrowly wide after good interplay between Dorrell and Deering had created the opening. Between those chances, Woodford’s Alex Bolovan had a weak shot comfortably saved by Jake Anderson.

Bolovan had more luck after two minutes of first half stoppage time, however. Jamie Hursit’s attempt to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal-kick backfired when he was dispossessed, fouled his opponent and was booked. Bolovan drove the free-kick into the top corner of the net from an acute angle. With their tails up, Woodford were only denied a second goal in the fifth minute of added time when Jake Anderson made a fine double save.

The second half opened with a wildly optimistic Woodford appeal for a penalty when a shot deflected off Remi Sutton’s elbow, and as the home side began to dominate, Jake Anderson had to dive at full stretch to turn away a shot from Nathan Sollosi.

Junior Luke and Sam Deering were on the receiving end of poor challenges in quick succession, only the second of which warranted a free-kick, and oddly the only players spoken to by referee Arslan were the players offended against.

Woodford’s Luke Steele tried his luck with an outside of the foot effort that curled wide after 53 minutes as the home side continued to create the lion’s share of chances – and perpetrate the majority of the poor challenges too. Finlay Dorrell was crudely brought down without a foul being given, and another Woodford foul resulted in a booking even though no free-kick was awarded.

Home defender Steele continued to be Woodford’s most threatening attacker with a 56th minute shot that flew over the bar before another flurry of cards. Adalberto Pinto was booked for a challenge that the referee didn’t award a free-kick for (a pattern was emerging), Woodford’s Miles Mitchel-Nelson was yellow carded for handball, and Normand Kebi was booked for an off the ball challenge on Pinto.

Michael Bakare drove in a free-kick from the right that Allan was relieved to be able to shovel round the post after 86 minutes, but a minute later the home side wasted a golden opportunity when a ball out to the left found a forward in oceans of space but he failed to hit the target.

Remi Sutton took one for the team and was booked for pulling back a Woodford forward who was making dangerous inroads into Boro territory, but the defender then went mightily close to a winner when his header from Bakare’s corner had all the sting taken out of it by a Woodford player, allowing the ball to run safely back to the keeper.

Just the five minutes was added at the end of a very difficult to watch half, but a vital point secured for Boro at the end of them.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Junior Luke, Jamie Hursit, Remi Sutton, Kris Newby, Scott Doe, Darren Phillips (Hassan Nalbant, 62m), Adalberto Pinto, Ash Siddik (Charlie Morris, 62m), Sam Deering, Finlay Dorrell (Michael Bakare 76m). Unused subs: Amaree Robinson-Jones, Danny Hurford.