FA Trophy: Romford 1 Uxbridge 1

Romford ended their five-game losing run with a draw against Uxbridge in the FA Trophy at Ship Lane.

Matt Toms gave Boro the lead early in the second half, with a header from a corner, but Adam Pepera replied in similar fashion for the visitors with 15 minutes left.

And the two sides will battle it out once again in a replay on Tuesday, with £2,500 prize money on offer.

Paul Martin was forced to make changes to his side, with George Cocklin starting a four-match ban following successive red cards and Paul Preston and Tom Richardson also out.

Elliot Long, Toms and Nick Reynolds came into the starting line-up, while short-staffed Boro included Redden Court teacher Ollie Dingli among their four substitutes.

And Aaron Omand was called into action within a minute to safely pouch a free-kick from Craig Tomkins.

Matt Woods beat the Boro offside trap on six minutes and rounded Omand, but the hosts had a let-off as he stumbled over his own feet as Long chased back.

Martin was forced to replace club record appearance holder Paul Clayton moments later due to yet another injury, with Nathan Cooper coming off the bench.

And Cooper produced a great run from the back around the 17-minute mark, carrying the ball fully 50 yards before finding Ryan Imbert on the left, only for Uxbridge to clear the cross and block Reece Cosson’s subsequent effort from the edge of the box.

Imbert worked himself half a yard on the left edge of the box midway through the half, but pulled his shot into the side netting as rain began to fall.

And Omand was almost left red-faced on 27 minutes as he came to the edge of his box and missed a through ball, but David Ottley produced a superb block to deny Woods with the goal gaping.

Boro countered, with the hard-working Reynolds producing a shot on the turn at the near post, but pulling the ball across the face of goal.

Yet the tie remained scrappy for the most part, before Uxbridge captain Wayne Carter’s backheeled pass allowed Tomkins him to curl a left-footed shot towards the far top corner of the net, before Omand palmed the ball over the crossbar with a fine save.

The second half was only three minutes old when Romford finally broke the deadlock as Cosson’s drive was pushed behind at the near post by Rourke Pickford and Matt Toms rose highest at the subsequent corner to send his header into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Imbert saw his angled effort from the left corner of the box pushed behind by Pickford on the hour as Boro looked to kill the tie off.

But Uxbridge started to enjoy more possession and Ishmail went into the book for a tug on Woods, around 25 yards from goal, before Mark Dennison dragged the free-kick well wide of the target.

Ibe played Reynolds in on the left moments later, but the Boro striker steered his effort across goal and beyond the far post.

Omand clawed a free-kick from Tomkins around the post, after Cooper was harshly adjudged to have fouled Woods midway through the half.

And the Boro keeper made himself big at the far post to block a header from substitute Chris Moore, following a deep cross from visiting skipper Carter with 17 minutes left.

Toms then produced a timely block to deflect a near post header from Woods behind, but the respite was brief for Boro as the visitors levelled from the corner through Adam Pepera’s strong header.

The hosts saw Toms glance a header from Jack Barry’s free-kick wide before Martin sent Dingli and Robbie Norris on in a late double substitution.

And Boro had a great chance to win it when Imbert broke into the box, but he took too long over his shot and saw Pickford block, before the pair clashed on the turf and were both shown yellow cards.

Imbert fired another chance over during injury time as honours finished even to leave both sides to try again on Tuesday.

Romford: Omand, Ottley, Long (Norris 85), Toms, Ishmail, Clayton (Cooper 7), Barry, Cosson, Imbert, Reynolds (Dingli 85), Ibe.

Unused sub: Woodward.

Uxbridge: Pickford, Christopher, Wambeek (Thomas 53), Pepera, Dennison, Carter, Hubbard (Warner 68), Cole, Woods, Knight, Tomkins (Moore 68).

Unused subs: Otira, McCarthy.