Felixstowe & Walton United 1, Romford 2

One man’s performance dominated this game and the post-match deliberations among Romford supporters, and that man was the referee. Norwich official Thomas Harvey contrived to issue yellow cards to eight Romford players and one member of the coaching staff in a bewildering display that also saw him add nine, yes nine, minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half, and it was during those additional minutes that four of those yellow cards were shown.

Remarkably this was not a dirty game, and there can be no complaints about Ryan Cresswell’s caution for a tackle that would not have looked out of place at Twickenham, although how Felixstowe defender Callum Bennett avoided a card for the worst and most dangerous challenge of the entire 102 minutes that this game lasted only the referee will know. The majority of the bookings were for what Mr Harvey deemed time-wasting, although he allowed the players – well, Romford’s players anyway – so little leeway that it seemed he had his card out of his pocket the second he awarded Boro a free-kick or throw-in, so eager was he to penalise anyone who took more than a nano-second to restart play.

All of this nearly over-shadowed a battling Romford performance that turned into a real backs to the wall display in the closing stages as the home side sought an equaliser, and in which Dominic McHale and Adam Morgan scored goals of the highest quality to earn Boro’s first away league win of the season.

McHale was the first player in referee Harvey’s notebook – for a 19th minute foul – and from the free kick, Manny Agboola saved well from Samuel Nunn’s header, but four minutes later McHale made his mark on the game with his first goal for the club. He had already seen Danny Crump in the home goal save one shot when he latched onto a throw-in from Theo Ola and drilled a low shot into the far corner.

Romford might have had a second when Adam Cunnington’s powerful header was narrowly off-target, but Felixstowe really ought to have equalised when George Clarke was put through but missed the target after being forced wide by Manny Agboola. The home side did level with five minutes of normal time remaining at the end of the first half however, as Armani Schaar headed home a cross from the right.

Felisxtowe’s relief lasted just two minutes though, as Adam Morgan produced an audacious flick with his heel to divert Ola’s free-kick past Crump and restore Romford’s lead.

Romford started the second period on the front foot, and McHale again proved dangerous, showing great skill to fashion a shooting opportunity only to see his goal-bound shot blocked. Cunnington headed narrowly over from a corner and Ola placed a free-kick too high, all before the hour mark. The last half hour (plus the interminable stoppage time) was dominated by the home side who, fortunately for Boro, were unable to get much on target, although Agboola was forced into a smart save in the 83rd minute when he got down to stop Josh Lee’s low shot. And Lee ought to have done better in the 94th minute when he skied his shot when well placed, but Romford held out for a win that moves them to within four points of the three sides immediately above them.

Romford: Manny Agboola, Tambeson Eyong, Michael Aziaya (Jay Bacon, 75m), Junior Baker, Ryan Cresswell, Jason Banton, Dominic McHale (Malaki Toussaint, 81m), Freddy Moncur, Adam Cunnington (Ramone Rochester, 86m), Adam Morgan, Theo Ola. Unused subs: Joshua Exley-Banks, Paulious Ditkevicius.