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Willy's injury is a massive blow for Bromley

BROMLEY skipper Mark Willy spent his 24th birthday in Farnborough Hospital after suffering a broken leg injury during his side's 1-1 draw with Windsor & Eton at The Clive Christian Stadium in Hayes Lane.

The former Wimbledon and Cray Wanderers' solid central defender will be out of action for around three months and will be a massive loss to manager Stuart McIntyre, as he prepares his squad for the new Isthmian League Division One campaign, that gets underway against Horsham at Hayes Lane on Saturday week.

Willy was stretchered off in the 68th minute after a 50/50 challenge, and the crack could be heard around a sparse Hayes Lane crowd.

Only 82 paying customers turned up - but those who did, saw another impressive Bromley show, especially in the opening 45 minutes.

Bromley's fab four in midfield, Scott Bennetts, Solomon Taywo, Tutu Henriques and Gary Drewett, will be important performers for the club's intended and long awaited quest for league success.

Former Bromley shot-stopper, Chuck Martini, almost gave the visitors a seventh minute lead from the penalty spot.

Former Bromley striker, Tony Reid, who only netted eight goals during his time at Hayes Lane, despite playing 29 games last season, was brought down by Andy Walker, clearly a couple of yards outside the penalty area, but referee Mick O'Keefe pointed to the spot.

Justice was done, however, as Walker guessed the right way and pushed his opposite number's spot kick against the post.

The penalty save proved crucial, as the home side took the lead only four minutes later.

Bennetts', out on the left wing, played a superb curling cross into the penalty area, and hit-man Mark Watson headed the ball past Martini into the far corner of the net.

After quarter-of-an-hour, Taywo, scorer from a 25-yard free kick against Crystal Palace on Tuesday, curled another free kick, but unfortunately over the crossbar before Bennetts' was denied a goal by Martini, who made a comfortable save from his driving shot.

Taywo had a second free kick suffer the same fate as the first, and he looks to be the team's free kick taker with Colin Luckett out for three more weeks with an ankle injury.

Willy and Luckett join Jason McKoy (knee) who anticipates a return to action around Christmas time, but popular, club-man, full-back Michael Harney is out for the whole season with a cruciate ligament injury.

Bromley had appeals for a penalty and a goal turned down by O'Keefe when Dean Frost, getting back to his best, struck a fierce shot from Taywo's flag kick, and it appeared the shot was scooped off the line by a Windsor defender using his hands on the left upright.

Windsor drew level four minutes before half-time.  A deep cross from lively Lewis Cook was retrieved by Terry O'Connor who cut the ball back to Spencer Walsh whose pin-point cross was met by a half-volley by Peter Holsgrove who scored at the far post.

Walker, however, took his chance to claim the number one jersey, with two more fantastic saves against their Isthmian League Premier Division opponents.

The first, only 75 seconds after the re-start, was from Holsgrove, who saw the goalkeeper off his line, and from 40 yards, tried his luck.  The goalkeeper, who played for Wingate & Finchley last season, recovered well, and despite the ball being over him, acrobatically pushed the ball over the crossbar.

He denied the same player again later on, when the ball took a deflection off the Bromley defensive wall, from a set piece just outside the box, and Walker pushed the shot over his crossbar.

The second half wasn't as lively as the first with Adolph Amoako testing Martini from 30 yards before Willy's sad, painful departure.

After Walker's superb second save, he was replaced by youngster Harry Hunter, and despite being shaky in his first two substitute appearances, he too also gave a good impression to manager McIntyre, getting down low to his left, to push a low drive around the post.

Bromley went close at the death with Watson shooting over from Tim Murdoch's cross from the right by-line and the latter firing over from a free kick.

Bromley:  Andy Walker (Harry Hunter 82), Ahmet Akdag (Paul Kember 73), Steve Potterill, Tutu Henriques (John Myatt 73), Mark Willy (Danny Arkwright 68), Dean Frost, Gary Drewett (Chris Hill 79), Solomon Taywo (Tim Murdoch 79), Paul Vines (Adolph Amoako 57), Mark Watson, Scott Bennetts (Kalis 57).  Sub: Ahmet Suleymanoglu.

Windsor & Eton:  Chuck Martini, Dave Tilbury, Lewis Cook, Dennis Greene, Justin Skinner, Spencer Walsh, Morgaro Gomis, Terry O'Connor, Tony Reid. Peter Holsgrove, James Cox.  Subs: Ryan Parsons, Oliver Oatley, Craig Turner

Referee: Mick O'Keefe
Assistants: Paul Chick & Paul Sellar