The road to Wembley - how Romford reached FA Vase final

We take a look at how Boro made it back to the home of English football.

Second round: Boro 2 Crawley Green 0

A goal inside 52 seconds and a penalty save in the 89th minute were the highlights as Romford were made to work hard for the win.

Boro made the ideal start as Henry Hart won a corner on the right, Kris Newby floated it into the penalty area, and Michael Turner sent a firm header into the top corner.

The lead was doubled on 13 minutes when a long ball over the Green defence found Charlie Morris and, as he lofted the ball goalwards, a defender handled.

Newby stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way with his spot-kick.

Lanrewajul Balogun ought to have done better on the hour after a good move on the right, as Romford rode their luck a little.

And Jake Anderson came to the rescue as Green looked certain to score, then turned Keane Fullwood's header over from a free-kick.

The visitors had a golden opportunity to score when they were awarded a late penalty for a foul by Junior Luke.

Balogun took an age over the spot-kick, but saw Anderson throw himself to his right to turn the ball away.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky, Junior Luke, Michael Turner, Henry Hart, George Cox (Lewwis Spence 46), Finlay Dorrell (Hassan Nalbant 56), Flynn Hamilton (Ashaan Siddik 68) Amaree Robinson-Jones, Kris Newby, Charlie Morris. Unused subs: Bradley Mott, Toheeb Elegushi, Alvin Smeraldi, Wayne Baker.

Third round: Boro 3 Mildenhall Town 0

Boro turned in a faultless performance against a Mildenhall Town side that had conceded just six goals in 11 away games in all competitions.

The first half was cagey, with Josh Pope, brother of Newcastle United's Nick, smothering a dangerous low cross from Jamie Hursit.

Jarid Robson shot wide for the visitors, before Darren Phillips flicked on a long throw by Luke and Hassan Nalbant's header was pushed wide by Pope.

Another long throw from Luke in the first minute of the second half was touched on to Malaki Toussaint, but his effort was blocked at close range by Pope.

Robson was just off-target again, before Boro took the lead on 56 minutes.

A powerful run by Nalbant on the left ended with his shot parried by Pope and the ball running into the six-yard box for Ash Siddik to roll into the far corner of the net.

Anderson pushed away Alfie Conner's curling free-kick on the hour, with penalty claims for handball waved away from the corner.

Boro made the game safe with two late goals as Jacob Wiggins, on for Toussaint, hit a peach of a through ball which Nalbant took in his stride, shaking off a defender and calmly passing past Pope in the 89th minute.

Seven minutes of stoppage time had been played when young substitute Bradley Mott ran onto another incisive through ball, nicked the ball past the advancing Pope, and rolled it into an empty net.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Junior Luke, Jamie Hursit, Lee Hursit, Scott Doe, Darren Phillips, Kris Newby, Malaki Toussaint (Jacob Wiggins 70), Hassan Nalbant, Ash Siddik (Bradley Mott 89), Finlay Dorrell (Alvin Smeraldi 87). Unused subs: Danny Hurford, Joseph Sulola, Wayne Baker, George Cox.

Fourth round: Boro 2 Stanway Pegasus 1

Boro's margin of victory over Pegasus should have been wider as numerous chances were created.

A combination of narrowly off-target shots and good saves by Stanway keeper Sam Felgate restricted Boro to a two-goal lead and a Pegasus reply 18 minutes from time set up a nervy finish as both sides finished with 10 men.

Anderson pushed away a Sam Cripps shot, before Siddik set Finlay Dorrell free to swap passes with Nalbant, skip past a defender and the keeper and find the bottom corner of the net.

Nalbant hit a post on 33 minutes, then saw another attempt saved after being set up by Wiggins in the second half.

Boro doubled their lead on the hour when a long crossfield pass by Phillips found Dorrell, who was brought down by Reece Keating, and Morris fired home the penalty.

But Stanway replied when Anderson failed to deal with a low cross and Callum Griff tapped home.

Dorrell and Morris had efforts saved, with an offside flag cutting short celebrations when Dorrell found the net.

Then after Stanway appeals for a penalty were waved away, a melee saw Phillips dismissed for a second yellow card and Cripps shown a straight red.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Jamie Hursit, Junior Luke, Scott Doe, Lee Hursit (Michael Faulkner 71), Jacob Wiggins, Hassan Nalbant, Ash Siddik, Finlay Dorrell (Joseph Sulolu 91), Charlie Morris, Darren Phillips. Unused subs: Danny Hurford, Toheeb Elegushi, Bruno Gomes, Bradley Mott, Alvin Smeraldi.

Fifth round: Hilltop 1 Boro 3

Charlie Morris scored twice after Ash Siddik’s opener as Boro reached the last eight for the first time in club history.

Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes due to the late arrival of the home team, who had hired the ground at Cobham due to a favoured artificial surface.

But Hilltop took a seventh-minute lead when Caleb Mensah cut inside and saw his shot deflected in by Kamaal Nur as Boro looked for an offside flag.

Boro camped in the home half for long periods, with Scott Doe's header blocked from a corner amid muted appeals for a penalty.

Dorrell also had claims ignored after going down in the box, but Boro levelled in stoppage time with a well-placed shot from Siddik.

They took the lead on 53 minutes when Luke's long throw was flicked on by Dorrell for Morris to head home.

And the tie was as good as over with a quarter of an hour remaining when Jamie Hursit's corner found Morris to nod into the net.

Hilltop had a late opportunity to reduce the deficit, with Anderson forced to block one shot and the loose ball deflected over, but for all their second-half possession, the home side’s chances were few and rarely clear cut.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Jamie Hursit, Junior Luke, Remi Sutton, Scott Doe, Ash Siddik (Jaiden Babalola 85), Lee Hursit (Jacob Wiggins 77), Hassan Nalbant, Finlay Dorrell (Mike Faulkner 69), Charlie Morris, Kris Newby. Unused subs: Darren Phillips, Reece McGovern, Toheeb Elegushi, Danny Hurford.

Quarter-final: North Greenford United 0 Boro 1

Remi Sutton's header proved the difference as Boro made light of the absence of three suspended players.

On a soft and sloping pitch, the home side exerted pressure from the start, but Dorrell headed wide from a corner and Phillips, in an unexpected forward role, sent a speculative effort wide.

The only goal came on 25 minutes as Sam Deering’s free-kick from the left was flicked on by Phillips, Morris headed back across goal and Sutton applied the final touch with a deft header.

North Greenford went close as Anotida Mano headed over and Anderson made his first save of note to hold a shot at the base of the post.

Siddik and Morris had shots blocked before the break, but Joseph Mills hit the top of Boro's crossbar from 30 yards on 49 minutes.

Anderson kept Boro ahead on 58 minutes, diving to his left to push away a shot, before Harvey Killeen’s close-range shot failed to hit the target.

Sutton's header from Siddik's corner came down off the bar and was cleared off the line, before the hosts were reduced to 10 men on 78 minutes as substitute Tomasz Siemeineczuk kicked out at Anderson as the keeper guarded the ball.

Phillips, Jaiden Babalola and Deering were denied late on, but one goal proved enough to send Boro into the last four.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Jamie Hursit, Remi Sutton, Jacob Wiggins (Lee Hursit 59), Scott Doe, Ash Siddik (Jaiden Babalola 84), Sam Deering, Charlie Morris, Finlay Dorrell (Jeremie Mukendi 64), Darren Phillips, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky. Unused subs: Toheeb Elegushi, Reece McGovern, Danny Hurford, Wayne Baker.

Semi-final, 1st leg: Romford 2 Lincoln United 2

Boro came from behind after an early red card to keep their hopes alive in an absorbing contest.

Newby was sent off in the fourth minute for a challenge on Tobias Liverside, with Matthew Cotton putting the visitors ahead from the spot on nine minutes.

Phillips had a shot cleared off the line, while Nalbant saw a couple of headers miss the target before half-time.

Lincoln had a chance to double their lead in the first minute of the second half but Phillips cleared the danger, before Anderson kept out Elliott Dye's downward header.

Nalbant forced a save from Jack Steggles, before Boro levelled on 57 minutes as Deering floated the ball into the box and Dorrell volleyed home.

But just 60 seconds were left on the clock when Matthew Park's shot was blocked by Luke Foster and Dye tapped home to put Lincoln in front again.

There was one final twist, though, as Morris lofted the ball in from the left in the third minute of injury time, and Nalbant headed to the far post where Evan Payne's clearance rebounded off Siddik to spark wild celebrations.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Junior Luke (Danny Hurford 72), Charlie Morris, Kris Newby, Darren Phillips, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky, Adalberto Pinto, Sam Derring, Hassan Nalbant, Michael Bakare (Ash Siddik 38), Finlay Dorrell (Luke Foster 70). Unused subs: Jacob Wiggins, Toheeb Elegushi, Mike Faulkner, Jaiden Babalola.

Sem-final, 2nd leg: Lincoln United 0 Boro 0 (9-10 pens)

Boro booked their place at Wembley on an unforgettable day in the East Midlands after a marathon penalty shootout.

After 90 goalless minutes, Jamie Hursit placed the 24th spot-kick beyond Steggles to send Boro back to the national stadium for the first time since 1949.

The visitors had played the better football and created better chances throughout, but Steggles made two excellent saves to deny Morris.

Luke had to clear off the line on 10 minutes, while Anderson made his only notable save to keep out Dye's header midway through the first half.

Sutton was denied by Steggles from a corner, after the goalkeeper fumbled Luke’s clearance over his own crossbar. And Boro celebrations were cut short when Deering's corner seemed to go straight in, as referee Ben Wyatt blew for a foul on Steggles.

Morris missed two good chances in the second half, before Steggles pushed out Adalberto Pinto's fierce drive.

And Steggles thwarted Morris twice in quick succession before Cotton scuffed a shot wide for the hosts.

The second of six added minutes saw Steggles once again deny Morris, saving at the second attempt, before the drama of penalties.

Anderson saved Lincoln’s first two penalties, but the home side clawed their way back and led after their fifth, leaving Boro to come from behind.

A collision with a post, in a vain attempt to save Smith's penalty, left Anderson needing treatment, but after the teams had exchanged 11 penalties apiece, Cotton put Lincoln’s 12th wide.

And Jamie Hursit stepped up to score his second spot-kick to send Boro to Wembley.

Shoot-out - Lincoln United: Cotton (saved), McMenemy (saved), Liversidge, Priestley, Brooks, Smith, Dye, Steggles, Foster, Jacklin, Griffiths, Cotton (missed).

Romford: Jamie Hursit, Pinto, Deering (saved), Nalbant (saved), Lee Hursit, Bakare, Doe, Luke, Sutton, Phillips, Anderson, Jamie Hursit.

Romford: Jake Anderson, Junior Luke, Remi Sutton, Adalberto Pinto, Darren Phillips, Scott Doe, Charlie Morris (Jamie Hursit 92), Sam Deering, Hassan Nalbant, Ash Siddik (Lee Hursit 87), Finlay Dorrell (Michael Bakare 75). Unused subs: Danny Hurford, Daniel Nakipov-Getmansky, Jacob Wiggins, Jaiden Babalola.