Boro boss previews tonight’s clash and discusses preparation for opening match on August 8

Romford will face Kent Invicta Football League outfit Seven Acre & Sidcup tonight (Thursday), a game that will see a “mix” of players take to the pitch.

This will be Boro’s fourth match of pre-season against the weakest opposition they have faced so far, a prime opportunity for manager Paul Martin to test the waters with youth and reserve players.

“We’re going to be looking at a couple of young faces in the starting line-up of this game,” said Martin.

“Plenty of players will be getting some solid game time tonight and the ones who will play on Saturday (against Enfield Town) will get a rest.

“After this, we’ve only got four more friendlies before the season starts so today and Saturday will be crucial games for those who want to make the starting XI for the first league match.”

With plenty of new signings arriving at Ship Lane this summer, Martin will leave it late to decide who will make the starting line-up against AFC Sudbury on August 8.

He added: “I won’t be deciding on my starting line up until the day before the first game of the season.”

Saturday’s match against Enfield Town, who are one league above them in the Ryman Premier Division, is set to be another match that will be make or break for certain stars in the squad.

“The Enfield Town squad will also be a mix of first team players and reserves/trialists,” added Martin.

“We’re getting stronger week on week but the big test on Saturday will be whether certain players can hold their own at this level.”

It’s been nearly three months since Romford played their last competitive league match, a 3-1 victory against Ware to end their season positively, and Martin is looking forward to another hectic season for The Boro.

He added: “Pre-season’s getting a bit boring now. There’s a lot of stuff to do pre-season especially when you’re doing it on your own.

“There’s a lot of paper work and a lot of phone calls to make. We’re still getting between 20 and 30 trialists a week phoning up and this will keep happening until August so we’ve got a busy couple of weeks before the season starts.”