Three goals inside six minutes in the latter stages of the first half put Romford in control of this game and despite a spirited fight back by the hosts after the break, the result was rarely in doubt. Adam Morgan’s late penalty – his second of the afternoon – put the gloss on a very good Boro performance.

On a remarkably dry, but bumpy, pitch and with a strong wind – which was at Romford’s backs in the first half – this game was not destined to be a feast of expansive football and there were few chances in the early stages. Soham’s Ally Conway fired a shot across the face of the goal on six minutes after the home side had broken quickly. Romford’s first chance came four minutes later when Ridwan Ajala, on his debut, robbed Soham’s Jack Willbye (making his debut for the home side) but Soham keeper Josh Pope was quickly off his line to block.

Adam Morgan had a shot blocked and Ajala was narrowly off target with an effort from outside the box before Boro keeper Matthew Cafer was called into action after 27 minutes, making an important block before the ball ran loose and after a desperate scramble, crept just wide of an upright.

Romford had the ball in the net after 31 minutes when Adam Morgan’s low free-kick went in off a Boro boot in the six-yard box, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Five minutes later Romford had one that counted when Carlos Djalo So, returning to the club he helped save during The Great Escape of 2018, controlled a high ball, dumped Soham defender Groves on his backside as he jinked one way and another, showing great composure as he dinked the ball over the diving Pope.

It was 2-0 after 41 minutes when Adam Morgan coolly converted a penalty after he had been brought down in the box (pictured), and then a minute later Louie Theophanous exploited Soham’s inability to deal with the ball in the air as he broke clear and drove a shot under Pope as he came off his line.

Soham put Romford on the back foot at the start of the second half, no doubt feeling that an early goal would put Boro under pressure. Only brave goalkeeping by Cafer denied Soham a good chance of reducing the arrears, and he took a heavy knock that required some attention before he was able to continue.

The home side did pull one back after 61 minutes when their leading scorer Sam Mulready volleyed home from inside the penalty area after Romford had failed to clear Ryan Auger’s free-kick. Boro then lost Joshua Exley Banks to injury to which insult was added as the young full-back was yellow carded for reacting to the poor challenge he was subjected to. Worse followed as Lheureux Menga was given a second yellow for a foul on Soham keeper Pope – which looked no worse than the challenge on Cafer that went unpunished – and Boro were left with ten men for the last eleven minutes and an anticipated protracted period of stoppage time.

The expected Soham onslaught did not materialise however, and it was Romford who scored again when Soham keeper Pope brought down Morgan, who picked himself up and converted his second spot-kick of the afternoon in the final minute of normal time. The expected extensive stoppage time did not materialise – referee Ryan Dix added only three minutes - and Romford were able to celebrate a third league win on the trot.

Romford: Matthew Cafer, Joshua Exley Banks (Daniel Waldren, 70m), Ollie Sprague, Gabriel Adelowo, Sean Bonnett-Johnson, Ridwan Ajala, Adam Morgan, Lheureux Menga, Carlos Djalo So, Louie Theophanous, Mekhi McLeod (Malaki Toussaint, 26m). Unused subs: Archie Tamplin, Jesse Oulakolu.