AFC Sudbury 1, Romford 1

With Hullbridge Sports losing at home to Canvey Island, L’heureux Menga’s 38th minute goal lifted Boro briefly off the foot of the table. Ross Wall’s 55th minute equaliser put Boro back at the bottom, but it was a step in the right direction.

On the day, Romford’s performance was a massive step forward; organised at the back, tenacious in midfield, and dangerous in attack.

Both sides had early chances, with Sudbury’s Joe Grimwood heading wide from a free-kick by Reece Harris at one end, and then a strong run out of defence by Rowan Dorling ending with a shot from Amadu Kanu that was deflected away for a corner at the other. Sudbury had further chances, with Wall heading wide and Sakariya Hassan shooting over the bar, but it was Boro who drew first blood.

Referee Ollie Morris-Sanders booked both Sudbury keeper Dion Curtis-Henry and Boro striker L’heureux Menga as they jostled at a corner that had stemmed from George Pugh’s shot that had been deflected wide, and when the ball was delivered into the box and Sudbury failed to clear, Menga was on hand to score from close range for Boro’s first goal of 2022 after 38 minutes.

Sudbury went close from a corner in the dying moments of the half, but looked nailed on to equalise in the third minute of time added on, but Luis Shamshoum made a marvellous save, plunging low to his left to preserve Boro’s lead.

As expected, Sudbury came out in search of an equaliser right from the off in the second period with Jake Clowsley shooting wide and Wall missing the target with a header before Wall levelled the scores with another header from a left wing cross in the 55th minute. Sudbury’s Sakariya Hassan picked up a straight red card in the aftermath of the goal as he inexplicably picked up the ball and threw it at Boro keeper Shamshoum.

Play swung from end to end with both sides creating chances; Clowsley bent a shot wide of the Shamshoum’s right hand post and Laste Dombaxe had a shot cleared off the Romford goal-line. Shamshoum saved well from Harris, but Boro went mightily close to a late winner when Rowan Dorling headed wide from one of a series of dangerous corners in the 86th minute.

All Boro’s hard work looked to have been in vain in the third minute of stoppage time when, although Boro’s Danny Cossington appeared to be fouled, Sudbury’s Wall was allowed to run at goal, but his shot was well off target. In the fourth of the six additional minutes played, a great run by Lewis Owiredu – on for Amadu Kanu - was ended only by a desperate tackle at the expense of a corner.

There’s no change in Romford’s league position, but there is a big change in the mood within the camp; it seems that Boro are moving in the right direction at last.

Romford: Luis Shamshoum, Luke Dickens, Warren Beattie, Rowan Dorling, Sam Dickens, Danny Cossington, Oluwatamilore Ogunnowo (Ramzi Mahmoudi, 77m), Golden Igbineweka, George Pugh (Jamal Batchilly, 66m), L’heureux Menga, Amadu Kanu (Lewis Owiredu, 77m). Unused subs: Bleron Ademi, Daniel Ortiz Aldana