Romford (0) 1, Halstead Town (4) 5 – Wednesday 14th January 2026 – Errington Challenge Cup Second Round

Within The FA’s Standardised Rules, is this little gem: ”Striped, hooped or otherwise patterned shirts shall have numbers affixed to contrasting patches or numbers in a contrasting colour with bold outline.” Someone should tell whoever manufactures Halstead Town’s kit that white numbers on the back of black and white quartered shirts does not conform to that requirement. Identifying any of the visiting players with the naked eye - apart from the goalkeeper - was impossible from further than a few feet.

For that reason, the identity of visitors’ first half goalscorers would have remained forever a mystery had it not been for the assistance of a Halstead official at half-time.

Romford fielded a side showing a number of changes from the team that came so close to a draw at league leaders Little Oakley in their last outing and a near full-strength Halstead side took full advantage. The visitors scored twice before ten minutes had elapsed, twice more just before the interval and then netted a fifth in the second half when Kane Gilbert volleyed home from the edge of the penalty area, again following a long throw that Romford could not clear effectively.

Lewis Browne’s goal in second half stoppage time (main picture, above) was a mere consolation before the seal was set on a bad night for Boro as Greig Stewart was red carded for retaliation when he stuck his face in that of his opponent after being persistently pulled back.

Halstead’s first, fourth, and fifth goals all stemmed from long throws that the Boro defence were unable to clear with Joel Older netting the first after just one minute’s play. Billy Jamison found time and space to double the visitors lead after nine minutes and in the 43rd minute Kane Gilbert bagged Halstead’s third when he was found by Older’s pass, turned and fired past Davison. Two minutes into first half stoppage time and George Frodsham took advantage when a clearance fell at his feet to make it four.

There was little of note produced by Romford in the final third with new signing Chinedu Duru provided with little service up front. A rare bright note for Boro was the return from injury of Jake Gordon who completed the whole 90 minutes and whose shot, when it came back off the crossbar, afforded Lewis Browne the opportunity to score his third goal in Romford colours.

That goal apart, Romford’s only other real chance of note was Browne’s shot on the hour that visiting keeper Josh Woodrow saved comfortably.

Romford: Bradley Davison, George Cornwell, Teddy Desmond, Harry Elsey, Kunle Adeyemi (Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson 56'), Rhian Fowler (Ryan Sammons 46'), Greig Stewart, Louis Mathias (Freddy Cooper 46'), Chinedu Duru (Danny Hanson 57'), Jake Gordon, Lewis Browne Unused sub: Henry Hart