Not to say that Maldon & Tiptree were in any sense ever really out of the game but their hosts just looked that little bit sharper and more likely to score at all times.

Tony Tucker in the visitors in the home goal had to make a good save low down from a shot on 11 minutes which came as a result of an Andy Edmunds left wing corner and another good Boro move on double that time when Edmunds slipped the ball to Kevin Neville Neville for him to cross from the left ended when Jack Barry headed just over.

Romford should have scored on 25 minutes when they were given a penalty for a trip in the area but Tucker guessed correctly and saved from Toran Senghore low down to his left hand upright but their efforts paid off on 24 minutes when Abs Seymour collected a loose ball in this opponents mid field and, moving forward, hit an unstoppable left foot long range low shot which hit the back of the visitors net just inside their left hand upright via Tucker’s finger tips.

The second half started with more home attacks and then the visitors had a period of pressure and Adam Rafis in the hosts’ goal was called upon to make one of his trade mark saves and then Boro responded with a shot over the top from Edmunds.

The hosts were not to be denied, however, and were given another penalty on 71 minutes for a push during a corner and Senghore made no mistake this time hitting hard and low past Tucker to give them a two goal cushion and the same player scored his second and Romford’s third on 84 minutes when he harried a visiting defender into making a mistake and although his first shot was saved by Tucker he comfortably converted the rebound.

Boro then started to rather sit back on their laurels and allow their opponents to come at them with attacks which mainly consisted of long balls into the home penalty area and lots of penalty appeals for hand bal.

It was during this period of play up till full time that Maldon & Tiptree were rewarded once for their efforts on 87 minutes when one of their substitutes, Tony Boot, made no mistake with his penalty effort which, despite four added minutes, completed the match scoring.

Romford squad: Rafis, Wands (Pattinson 70), Neville, Hodge, Toms, Clayton, Seymour, Barry, Ali-Dakri, Senghore (Reynolds 86), Edmunds. Substitutes not used: Coney, Pascoal & Giddins (GK).

This win takes Boro into a heady 5th league placing but now they must concentrate all their efforts on an important FA Cup game this coming Saturday when they entertain Crawley Green from the Spartan South Midlands league in a First Round Qualifying tie with a £3,000 prize at stake for the winning team.