If Romford are to avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom of the table, games like this are the sort that really must yield three points, but on the evidence of this ninety minutes, it is difficult to see where another victory is coming from this season. Two late goals – one in the third minute of stoppage time – failed to disguise Romford’s failings as a Witham side that stuck to their game plan and made the most of the few opportunities that came their way, went home worthy winners.

The first forty-five minutes saw Romford create a number of chances, win innumerable corners, but singularly fail to force a decent save from Witham keeper Rhys Madden. Worryingly, a succession of misplaced passes and poor decisions by players when in possession ceded the ball to Witham on countless occasions, and so it was almost inevitable that the only goal of the first half would go to the visitors when, in the final minute, Scott Kemp’s cross from the left was headed home by Daniel Smith.

The early stages had looked promising for Romford with Adam Morgan firing a free-kick into the wall and behind for a corner, and then a good run and cross from the left by Mekhi McLeod finding Louie Theophanous, who set up Malaki Toussaint for a shot at goal that was just wide.

Theophanous had a shot blocked after 17 minutes after a scramble on the edge of the box, and from one of the numerous Romford corners, Ejiro Okosieme’s header set up Adam Morgan, but his shot was off-target.

Witham’s Declan Nche became the first player to go into referee Pope’s book after 29 minutes when he brought down Tambeson Eyong as the Romford captain burst forward, but from the resulting free-kick Jay Bacon really ought to have done better than shoot well over the bar. Ollie Sprague then burst down the left and fired in a hard, low cross that Witham were glad to steer away for yet another Romford corner, but after the flag-kick had come to nothing, Witham served notice that they were not there simply to make up the numbers by fashioning a decent chance that West skied over the bar.

Mekhi McLeod shot straight at Madden after winning possession just outside the Witham penalty area, and then Sean Bonnett-Johnson should have done better than to shoot wide from twenty-yards as Romford continued to dominate possession without unduly worrying the Witham defence.

Having turned round a goal behind, Romford started the second half in a similar vein to the first, with Adam Morgan getting himself into a good possession but losing his footing before he could take a shot, and then Theophanous stung Madden’s gloves with a fierce drive that the Witham keeper was pleased to push away for a corner in the 49th minute.

Things went from bad to worse for Romford as Tambeson Eyong picked up two yellows in the space of three minutes – the first for dissent, the second for a foul – and Boro’s ten men then conceded a second goal that was virtually a carbon copy of the first as another cross from the left was headed home by the unmarked Jack West after 55 minutes.

Romford were denied what seemed clear penalty just after the hour mark when Ollie Sprague appeared to be shoved over in the box, but all Boro got out of it was a booking for Adam Morgan, whose protestations clearly went too far for referee Pope.

McLeod’s 66th minute shot was deflected away for a corner, from which the same player was narrowly off-target with a shot from the edge of the box, but Witham then showed Romford how to find the net when Scott Kemp ended a strong run with a 69th minute shot into the bottom corner.

Witham put the game to bed just sixty-seconds later when yet another ball in from the left flank – from a corner this time – was volleyed home by Isaac Nkosi.

Adam Morgan’s low 73rd minute free-kick reduced the arrears, but clearly was going to be too little too late, and Witham almost restored their four-goal advantage when Scott was unfortunate to see his shot come back off a post.

Ejiro Okosieme pulled another back three minutes into additional time when he scored from close range after Theophanous’s challenge had seen Witham keeper Madden spill a cross from the right, but it was barely a consolation.

Romford: Matthew Cafer, Tambeson Eyong, Jay Bacon, Junior Joseph-Baker, Sean Bonnett-Johnson, Ejiro Okosieme, Malaki Toussaint, Adam Morgan (Jesse Oulakolu, 82m), Mekhi McLeod, Louie Theophanous, Ollie Sprague. Unused subs: Gabriel Adelowo, Michael Aziaya, Ramone Rochester, Joshua Exley-Banks.