And first wins of the season for Thurlow Nunn League duo Clapton and Tower Hamlets were the other highlights for local non-league clubs.

Boro took the lead when a Kris Newby corner fell kindly for Michael Turner to score from close range, with referee Grant Conway overruling assistant Mary Talabi’s offside flag.

But Bengal were back on level terms on 19 minutes when Steve Carvell’s low shot found the corner of the net.

Hassan Nalbant restored Romford’s lead two minutes later, firing past Sidi Haidara for his first goal of the season, but it was all square again when Sheri Artmeladze converted from the spot, after Junior Luke’s challenge on Salim Miah led to the penalty.

The visitors took the lead within a minute of the restart when Miah converted a low cross, but Boro levelled just past the hour mark when debutant Ayo Odukoya – having joined from East Thurrock with George Cox – hooked the ball over for Nalbant to score.

Haidara was booked for his protests, with Bengal players feeling the ball had gone out of play, and there was more controversy late on when Boro substitute Jayden Silcott-Brown went down in the box when collecting another Okukoya pass.

Assistant Yaaron Woolf flagged for a penalty, but Conway decided otherwise and Wiggins was booked for dissent.

Haidara pushed a late header from Turner behind, while Jake Anderson raced from his line to block a late Bengal chance in the seventh minute of stoppage time as honours finished even.

Boro moved a point clear of Woodford at the summit, while below-par Ilford suffered a 3-1 defeat at Buckhurst Hill.

Tower Hamlets ended a run of seven successive defeats in all competitions with a 4-1 victory over Southend Manor at Mile End Stadium.

August’s player of the month Solomon Asomoh struck twice in the first half to put them on top and completed his hat-trick after the restart to move to seven goals in eigth games for the campaign, as Craig Martin-Heskey also netted.

Clapton, meanwhile, had lost five of their first six games of the campaign – drawing at Park View – but beat Burnham Ramblers at the Terence McMillan Stadium.

They had welcomed Qayum Shakoor and Mustafa Bashkal back as director of football and manager, following Ross Weare’s recent departure, and took the lead on six minutes as Juan Pablo Gonzalez Velasco cut inside and fired home, with visiting captain Karl Swanborough seeing a penalty saved soon after.

Ramblers levelled on 50 minutes when Josh Fisayo headed home from Swanborough’s long throw-in, but Clapton took the points thanks to a header from Jaden Owusu-Nepaul just past the hour mark.

Barkingside got the better of Basildon Town with  a 3-1 win at Cricklefields.

Michael James-Akerele and Josh Devlin put them on top, before the visitors hit back 20 minutes from time through Rhys Fatt.

And Frederick Agyemang sealed a second win in eight league outings with a late third.

Enfield Borough were held to a 1-1 draw by Benfleet, after Sachon Lawrence-Edwards saw his first-half goal cancelled out soon after the restart.

But the news was not so good for May & Baker, who fell to a 3-0 loss at Brimsdown as set-pieces proved decisive.

And Clapton Community went down 5-2 against NW London to suffer a second successive defeat at the Old Spotted Dog.

Noah Adejokun put them in front after rounding the keeper, with Fred Taylor hitting a post soon after.

Taylor was then brought down in the box and picked himself up to slot into the corner to double the lead for the hosts, only for the visitors to hit back with three goals before the break.

A penalty made it 4-2 after the restart and they added a late fifth, with James Briggs posting: “So so bad from us today sorry to the @ClaptonCFC fans who had to watch that! Need to bounce back quick next week! Time to make it right at training first.”

Hackney Wick fell to a 3-1 home defeat against Wormley Rovers, while Newbury Forest took the lead against St Margaretsbury at Oakside Stadium, only to fall to a 5-1 loss.


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