Romford 0, Grays Athletic 6

After picking up a deserved point at Sudbury seven days before, Boro were back to their bad old ways as Grays became the third side to come to Mayesbrook Park and score six or more this season.

Romford’s cause was not helped by conceding two rather avoidable penalties (fortunately, Grays missed one of them), nor did some rather weak refereeing help – Grays really ought to have been reduced to ten men immediately before their second goal when Anointed Chukwu’s punch on Rowan Dorling went unpunished – but Boro’s worst enemies were themselves once more.

Grays were quick to punish Romford every time Boro erred. It started in the 8th minute when Golden Igbineweka lost possession and Grays’s counter attack ended with Kai Brown shooting wide, and after Romford had had to defend well against Aron Gordon’s dangerous cross, Brown put the visitors ahead after 14 minutes. A scramble on the edge of the Boro penalty area, the ball was not cleared, and James Smith lashed the ball across goal and in at the far post.

Brown had a shot comfortably saved by Boro’s new keeper, Joshua Blackburn, recently signed from Hullbridge Sports, and L’heureux Menga had a shot easily saved by Danny Sambridge in the Grays goal before Menga and Lewis Dark received a talking to from referee Nicholas Dunn for antagonising one another.

Grays doubled their lead with a penalty that stemmed from a corner, at which much unseemly jostling in the Romford six yard box ended with Anointed Chukwu appearing to punch Boro defender Rowan Dorling. Despite it being clearly within the assistant referee’s line of sight, he was not consulted by the referee, who seemed not to have seen it, and after a brief word with the Grays player, the corner was swung in, half cleared, and as Romford attempted to run the ball clear, a challenging Grays player was tripped. David Knight despatched the penalty.

Blackburn, whose debut was without doubt a baptism of fire, saved well from Gordon and then Grays defender Ryan Sammons received a yellow card for a foul on Oluwatamilore Ogunnowo, joining Menga who had already been booked over another incident with Dark.

Grays might have scored again in first half stoppage time, but after cutting in from the left, David Knight saw his shot cannon off a post.

Boro opened the second half by creating their best chance of the afternoon when Oluwatamilore Ogunnowo hit a cracking shot that Sambridge could only parry; Menga was penalised for a foul as he attempted to follow up. Then a decent passing move saw Ogunnowo put through, only to find himself pulled back for offside.

Grays’s third goal summed up Boro’s afternoon as they lost possession deep in Grays territory, the visitors broke quickly and Boro midfielder Jamal Batchilly had the misfortune to direct the ball into his own net from Gordon’s low cross from the right after 64 minutes.

Grays then missed a penalty after a forward had tumbled in the box; Brown placed the spot-kick wide of Blackburn’s right hand post.

After 74 minutes Smith scored the best goal of the day with a well place volley after a left wing cross had been nodded down to him.

Aron Gordon made it five at the end of a goalmouth scramble and then begged his second in the penultimate minute with a low shot just inside the post after Grays had carved Boro open once again.

Other results went Boro’s way – none of the bottom seven won – but there’s no benefit without some ticks being added to the wins column.

Romford: Joshua Blackburn, Luke Dickens, Warren Beattie, Rowan Dorling, Sam Dickens, Danny Cossington, Oluwatamilore Ogunnowo, Golden Igbineweka, George Pugh (Amadu Kanu, 56m), L’heureux Menga (Abdulmojeed Shogbeni, 75m), Lewis Owiredu (Jamal Batchilly, 57m). Unused subs: Kai Haysman, Bleron Ademi