Things started terribly for Romford when an awful challenge by a Wroxham midfielder, appearing to go over the top of the ball left Danny Cossington in agony on the ground. Despite the referee being only inches away, he waved play on but when the seriousness of the injury finally forced him to call a halt, the influential Boro midfielder was stretchered off and replaced by Joe Scott. With the wind at their backs Romford dominated the play in the first half on the uneven surface and were unlucky not to take the lead in the thirteenth minute when the keeper spilled a cross causing a scramble in the goalmouth, but Chinedu McKenzie's shot hit the post and Nick Reynolds was unable to force home the rebound. Wroxham's first effort on goal was by a Romford player when in the twenty-second minute a free-kick was whipped in and Scott headed the ball over Michael Gooch but Tom Potter was on hand to clear the ball off the line. Back at the other end George Woodward went very close in the twenty-eighth minute as his cross come shot flew just wide of the far post, and a few minutes later a Reynolds flick nearly resulted in an own goal when the keeper and left back got in a mix up and the clearance went just over the bar. Reynolds went close again for Romford when his shot was also deflected just over and Matt Frew headed a Woodward corner inches wide. With one of Wroxham's few attacks Jack Garrod ran with the ball at the Romford defence and his shot took a massive deflection sending the ball looping over the top of Gooch and into the the net to give them a very fortunate lead at the break.
Romford should have been at a disadvantage playing into the strong wind during the second period but they once again showed their superiority, spending most of the time in the opposition half. After good work on the ball, McKenzie found space in the box but was just off balance and his shot was easily saved in the fiftieth minute. Seven minutes later and only a fantastic save low down from the Wroxham keeper denied Robbie Farrell his first goal for the club after the winger had ran with the ball and beat three men before producing a curling left foot effort that was on it's way into the corner. The Boro still did not seem to be getting the rub of the green as an Akwasi Marfo shot was deflected straight into the hands of the keeper but in the seventy-first minute they forced another in series of corners that was again floated in by Woodward. Frew rose above everyone and headed the ball towards the corner and clearly over the line before it was hacked out but thankfully the linesman was well positioned to award the goal. Romford now smelt the possibility of a victory but with ten minutes to go Scott could only snatch at a chance after good work by Farrell and Lee Weemes, while in stoppage time McKenzie had a shot blocked and Liam Burgess volleyed not too far wide with the keeper unsighted.
WROXHAM (1) 1 GARROD 40
ROMFORD (0) 1 MATT FREW 71
ROMFORD: MICHAEL GOOCH, HARRY CULHAM, GEORGE WOODWARD, TOM POTTER, MATT FREW, DANNY COSSINGTON (JOE SCOTT 7), GEORGE TUBEY (LIAM BURGESS 74), ROBBIE FARRELL, NICK REYNOLDS (LEE WEEMES 70), CHINEDU MCKENZIE, AKWASI MARFO
YELLOW CARD: LIAM BURGESS 88