Ryman North: Sudbury 5 Romford 2

Joe Bricknell’s debut brace was little consolation as Romford ended up well beaten in sunny Suffolk.

The visitors were left with a mountain to climb after conceding four times in the first half on Sudbury’s new 3G pitch at the Wardale Williams Stadium.

And manager Paul Martin will have to pick his players up quickly before their derby meeting on Wednesday with Hornchurch, who grabbed an injury-time win over Cray on the first day of the new season.

Martin handed debuts to four players and was able to include new captain Matt Frew, with the visitors making a bright start in front of a 312-strong crowd.

But the home side took the lead with only seven minutes played through Craig Parker, who headed past Aaron Omand from Jack Newman’s cross.

Boro fell further behind with only 18 minutes on the clock as Sam Clarke sent a diving header into the net from Ben Robinson’s cross and it was 3-0 before the half hour as Luke Callander raced onto Robinson’s pass to slot home.

Robbie Norris saw a cross scrambled behind for a corner as shell-shocked Boro looked to respond.

But Jordan Blackwell made it 4-0 on 34 minutes, curling home an excellent shot from the left side of the box.

Callander hit a post just before the break, but Boro hit back just 34 seconds into the second half as Bricknell bundled the ball home for his first goal in Boro colours.

Vice-captain Nick Reynolds fired over just before the hour, before Martin sent Greg Akpele on for his debut in place of Reece Cosson.

But Sudbury netted their fifth moments later through Callander, who fired a dipping shot on the turn into the corner of the net.

Reynolds made way for Chris Taylor with 19 minutes left and the newcomer got a brief glimpse of goal when the ball was spilled by Sudbury keeper Ollie Bowles, but he could not capitalise.

Ryan Boswell curled just wide on 80 minutes, before Jake Giddings fired straight at Bowles from the edge of the box.

And Akpele was also denied by the keeper, before being upended by Ollie Berquez in injury time, which allowed Bricknell to send Bowles the wrong way from the penalty spot for a last-gasp consolation.

Boro will hope to bounce back when they host Hornchurch at Ship Lane in an eagerly-anticipated derby on Wednesday.

Romford: Omand, Boswell, Woodward, Frew, Cooper, Cossington, Norris (Giddings), Cosson (Akpele 63), Reynolds (Taylor 71), Barnwell, Bricknell.

Unused subs: Culham, Gooch.