Heybridge Swifts 5, Romford 1

A first half hat-trick by Heybridge's Alex Teniola consigned Boro to another defeat, and when the home led 4-0 after just 33 minutes, Boro fans feared a possible repeat of the 2016 defeat here. After the break however, Romford matched their hosts, restricting them to a single goal and netting one of their own, albeit that it was a mere consolation.

Romford had the game's first decent chance after 9 minutes when Inesh Sumithran and Joseph Chidyausiku - who was with Boro at the tail-end of last season and has returned on loan from Bradford Park Avenue while he regains fitness after injury - combined well on the right with Heybridge clearing only at the expense of a corner. The resulting flag-kick was headed narrowly wide by George Woodward.

Two minutes later however, and Heybridge went ahead when Alex Teniola headed home Siva's cross from the left. They extended their lead after 18 minutes when Evans Kouassi picked his way through the Boro defence and fired a low shot past Page.

Romford were presented with an opportunity to reduce the arrears when they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area after 25 minutes as Sumithran was clattered by Heybridge keeper Luca Collins, who picked up a yellow card for the offence. George Woodward's free-kick cleared the Heybridge wall, but also - by a whisker - the bar.

Heybridge put the game beyond Boro's reach with two goals in three minutes as Teniola completed his hat-trick. First, after 31 minutes, he picked up Tosoni's pass and fired low past Page, then two minutes later he intercepted Page's clearance and lofted the ball back over the Boro keeper to make it four.

Boro were forced into two substitutions late in the half, with George Woodward hobbling off to be replaced by Philip Brown-Bampoe, and Giovanni Palmer forced out of the game and replaced by Nathan Joseph. Palmer's injury came when he had his ankle clipped by Swifts' Collins as the keeper made a clearance.

Charlie Little was denied his first goal for the club only by a good save by Collins, who tipped Little's header over the bar in the early minutes of the second period, and then a low cross by Malaki Toussaint narrowly missed Chidyausiku and Joseph as Romford sought to claw their way back into the game. Heybridge went close to a fifth after 65 minutes when Randell headed against the bar, and then Page had to be alert to deny Swifts again.

A fifth goal for Swifts came after 72 minutes when Odei Martin-Sorondo converted a low cross from the right, but Romford were still creating chances. Collins saved from Chidyausiku after he had been set up by Brown-Bampoe, and then Warren Kayembe's chip just failed to clear the keeper before he bagged his third goal in four starts for Boro in stoppage time. Chidyausiku broke down the left, and his hard, low cross was flicked over Collins by Kayembe from close range for a consolation goal that was the least that Boro merited.

Romford: Anthony Page, Danny Nesbitt, Toby Barlow, Charlie Little, Malaki Toussaint, Danny Cossington, George Woodward (Philip Brown-Bampoe, 44m), Inesh Sumithran, Joseph Chidyausiku, Warren Kayembe, Giovanni Palmer (Nathan Joseph, 44m). Subs not used: Jimmy Cox, Dilan Thandi, Jack Riddell.