FA Cup exit for Boro

FA Cup Preliminary round

Romford 1 Waltham Forest 4

Boro were dumped out of the FA Cup on a disappointing night at Ship Lane.

And following defeat in their opening two league matches this season, this latest loss completed an unwanted hat-trick for Paul Martin’s men.

And Adrian Clifton came back to haunt his former club, getting on the scoresheet to help their Ryman Division One rivals Forest book a place in the next round and claim �1,750 in prize money.

Clifton’s looping header broke the deadlock in only the fifth minute, after Elliott Adnderson had already denied Manu Dacker with a good save.

Another Clifton header fell for Chris Taylor, who lifted the ball over the crossbar, before the home side’s first chance saw Hussain Isa fire too high.

Anderson kept out Corey Whitely’s volley from a Luke Stanley cross with a fine save before an unmarked Clifton headed behind.

But Boro appeared to be getting on top around the midway mark of the first half as Isa found space and sent a shot inches wide, then collected a free-kick from Bobby Port to force a fingnertip save from Aaron Omand.

But Forest doubled their lead on 30 minutes when Taylor evaded a tackle and smashed his shot past Anderson, before Port’s late corner was headed over by Brian Suchley.

Boro boss Martin sent Reece Hewitt on for James Ishmail during the break, but Forest went closest to scoring after the restart.

The hosts had a great chance to halve the deficit just past the hour when Isa cut in from the left and forced a save from Omand and the ball hit Paul Clayton and rebounded over the crossbar.

And Romford went closer still when a curling left-footed shot hit an upright.

Having seen their two-goal lead survive, Forest put the result beyond doubt on 73 minutes when Dacker ran on to Taylor’s flick and lobbed the advancing Anderson to make it 3-0.

But Anderson produced a superb save to tip Clifton’s 86th-minute penalty - awarded after a foul by Matt Toms on Stanley - onto a post before Boro grabbed a consolation.

Alfie Hilton won possession and set off on a lengthy run before crossing for captain Jack Barry to bundle home his second goal of the campaign.

But the home side were denied a second goal, after Toran Senghore found the back of the net, as a free-kick was instead awarded to Forest for a foul on keeper Omand.

The visitors then had the final say when Whitley found space on the right and cut the ball back for Joel Palmer to net his side’s fourth goal of the night.