Successive cup losses in the space of four days left Romford manager Kris Newby to count the cost.

Having bowed out of the Errington Challenge Cup on Friday, losing 2-1 at home to Stanway Rovers, Newby was looking for a reaction from his players in the Essex Senior Cup fixture at Little Oakley.

But Boro were beaten 3-1 on a disappointing night.

“It was men against boys. We dominated possession and played pretty football, but when you go to Little Oakley on a Tuesday night when it’s cold and windy on a bobbly pitch, trying to pop the ball about doesn’t really help you,” said Newby.

“It was an experience really. We’re a young side, we’re learning all the time. They're still learning about my management style and I’m still learning about them."

And Newby insisted his side will need to learn new ways to win in order to continue competing at the top of the Essex Senior League.

“Sometimes, we’ve got to go and be willing to win ugly, and that’s something I’m going to have to try to instill in the boys," he added.

"When the football isn’t working and our little patterns of passing aren’t coming off, we need to learn to win differently.

“It’s something you need to have in you - to recognise when something isn’t working. Sometimes, we’ve got to go in a different direction. The squad we had last year had that in abundance because we had a vast amount of experience and not too many youngsters.

"If we were to play on a 4G pitch every week, we’d probably go through the majority of the season unbeaten, and I don’t think many teams would get near us.

“But, unfortunately, come the winter months, which we’re now going into, these teams are adept and well drilled to be going long and playing direct football. We’ve got to come away from our game plan, and it does stem from me a little bit as I haven’t worked on it at all.

"Maybe I’ve been a bit naive to expect my boys to recognise when it’s needed, so it’s something that will take a few weeks with a few training sessions.”

Up next is a trip to Saffron Walden, where Newby will encounter former manager Dan Spinks, who led Boro to FA Vase glory last season.

“It’ll be interesting, standing on the sidelines!" joked Newby.

“Dan and I are good friends outside of football, and we speak to each other most days. I know how Dan likes to play. I played under him last season, and we were very successful.

"He’s not going to come away from his ethos or style of play, and that’s why he’s got his players over there. They can implement what he needs.

“We’ll go into that game, and the guys will be fully aware of what to expect. I’ll give them as much information as possible. I can imagine they’ll be quite direct, so if we’re not willing to dig in, it could be a long day.

“As much as they’re a threat going forward with their direct approach, we’ve got so much pace going forward, and they’re a big side at the back, so we’ll look to exploit that on Saturday.”

Romford will begin the defence of their FA Vase title at Takeley on November 9.