Bromley 1-3 Altrincham - It was two minutes of madness where we've conceeded two silly goals, says Bromley boss Mark Goldberg

Bromley 1 – 3 Altrincham
Location	Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF
Kickoff	14/11/2015 12:30

BROMLEY  1-3  ALTRINCHAM
Vanarama National League
Saturday 14^th November 2015
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY boss Mark Goldberg says two minutes of madness cost his side on their live television debut at Hayes Lane.

The Ravens were being screened live (by BT Sport) for the first time in the club’s 123-year history and will scoop £6,000 in broadcasting rights, while Altrincham picked up £1,000.

Altrincham accepted Bromley’s gifts to win their first league game since 3 October to remain in the bottom six in the Vanarama National League table on 23 points from 21 games, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Bromley have now suffered four defeats in their last four games at Hayes Lane and have slipped down three spots into ninth-place with 33 points, three points adrift of fifth-placed Braintree Town.

Altrincham were the better side during the early stages of the first half and deserved their lead through Damian Reeves’ header.

But Bromley shook off their shackles and Moses Emmanuel’s deflected looping shot crossed the line to score his sixteenth-goal of the season.

Altrincham, who scored from each of their three shots on target, grabbed the lead through Josh O’Keefe’s 20-yard drive, and Reeves scored his sixth goal of the season just 84 seconds later after more woeful Bromley defending.

“Well, it’s all very well playing a good part, a positive part in the day in respect we created a lot of goalscoring opportunities but we can’t be conceding the way we conceded and think we can continue to develop as a club at this level of football,” said Goldberg afterwards.

“We’ve got to stamp out conceding these silly goals by holding onto the ball in the wrong areas and giving the ball away in the wrong areas and if we can do that then we’ll be ok and we’ll go back on a decent run again, I’m sure.”

Reflecting on the Bromley’s television debut, Goldberg said: “It’s a positive thing for the club but obviously you want to win, so we put on a show but the problem is that you can’t account for two silly goals that we conceded.

“If it would’ve been three-all it would’ve been a good show for the cameras. We had enough goalscoring opportunities to have got a three-all but it wasn’t to be today.

“I’m more upset with the way that we conceded.”

Bromley welcomed back Ben Chorley (central defender), Louis Dennis and Anthony Cook (wingers), who missed the 2-1 home defeat to Boreham Wood on Tuesday night.

A crowd of 1,737 fell silent at a wet Hayes Lane as a minutes silence was staged to mourn the terrorist attacks in Paris last night before the game.

Bromley created their first opening inside the opening three minutes when Ali Fuseini released Emmanuel, who latched onto a mistake by Sam Heathcote at the back but a poor touch allowed Altrincham keeper Tim Deasy to gather.

Space opened up in front of Altrincham midfielder Ryan Crowther, who dragged his shot past the far post from 25-yards.

Altrincham started the game on the front foot and created a great chance to open the scoring after 12 minutes.

Reeves released George Bowerman in behind Ugo Udoji and Rob Swaine and with only keeper Chris Kettings to beat, his shot bounced across the keeper and just past the foot of the far post.

Bowerman swung in a corner from the left and Scott Leather came up from the back to glance his header past the far post.

Altrincham deserved their lead, timed at 18:14 on the clock.

Bromley right-back Udoji missed a chance to put his foot through the ball and clear the ball up field and his clearance went straight to Altrincham left-back Adam Griffin.

Griffin was in the final third and whipped in a cross into the Bromley penalty area, which was headed away by Chorley.

The ball went straight to Crowther down the left and he whipped in a cross and Reeves rose to glance his header sailing into the top far corner of the net from six-yards.

Goldberg said: “The way we conceded the first goal, again we were on the back foot but we’ve got to defend better.”

Goldberg admitted he’s feeling concerned that Bromley just don’t start well in games at Hayes Lane.

“To a certain extent, yes,” said Goldberg.

“There’s no excuse. Yes, we didn’t start well and we’ve got to start better.”

Fuseini clipped a free-kick into the Altrincham penalty area and Chorley’s towering header deflected just past the foot of the near post, as goalkeeper Deasy dived to his right to flick the ball behind for a corner.

Bromley were to be denied an equaliser in the 31^st minute when Deasy pulled off a great left-handed save.

Bromley left-back Joe Anderson fed the ball into Jack Holland’s feet and he put Emmanuel through on goal. 

With the home fans expecting the ball to nestle inside the bottom far corner of the net, Deasy dived to his left and used a strong left hand to make a smart save.

Goldberg said: “We had a number of chances like that, didn’t we?

“What’s disappointing is I’d love to have created those amount of chances and concede none.

“A 1-0 and you miss all of those chances you wouldn’t mind.”

This sparked Bromley’s flair gang to click into gear and they deservedly equalised with 36:35 on the clock.

Holland was the provider, playing in pacy Emmanuel, who hooked his shot towards goal from 22-yards. The ball took a wicked deflection of Leather and dropped down towards the bottom right-hand corner.

Deasy dived low to his left and attempted to smother the ball on his goalline but television action replays – and the assistant referee - adjudged that the ball crossed the line.

Goldberg added: “It was coming! We were playing good football, good one-touch football, the movement was good.

“The last 20 minutes of the first half was great.

“He’s (Emmanuel) doing great. He could’ve had one or two more couldn’t he?”

Deasy made a brilliant reflex save at his near post to beat away Holland’s bullet header from close range after Dennis swung in a corner from the right.

Swaine played the low pass out of defence into Dennis’ feet who then put Emmanuel through on goal and his powerfully struck angled drive was palmed away by an alert Deasy.

Cook then cut in from the left wing and his effort drifted past the far post.

Bromley ended the first half on the front foot and Goldberg admitted he felt his side would go on and win the game.

He said: “We were (delighted) with the way we came back. We were bullish at half-time.  We were confident that we could get ourselves the result today but it wasn’t to be.”

Bromley went close to taking the lead just 80 seconds into the second half, through poor Altrincham defending.

Dennis played the ball into the Altrincham box and a mix-up involving Heathcote and Deasy was pounced on by Emmanuel, who swept his shot agonisingly past the left-hand post.

But Goldberg admitted his players gifted two silly goals to Altrincham, who turned the game upside down with two goals in 84 seconds.

Altrincham took the lead for the second time in the game – timed at 49:33 on the clock.

Bowerman’s ball should have been meat and drink for the Bromley defence but Cook failed to clear the ball away and O’Keefe swept his right-footed shot from 20-yards into the bottom left-hand corner, past Kettings despairing dive .

Goldberg said: “We were just naïve on the ball, both goals, I have to look at them again.  For some reason we can play the ball out like Brazil.”

Altrincham confirmed their sixth league win of the season – and inflicted Bromley’s eighth league defeat – after some shocking defending from Udoji.

Altrincham’s right-back Jordan Sinnott whipped in a cross towards the far post and Udoji will certainly not be watching a re-run of the match on BT Sport as his poor clearance from inside his six-yard box went straight to Reeves, who accepted the gift by placing his shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

When asked what Udoji was thinking, Goldberg’s reply was: “I don’t know. I can’t tell you! Again, he’s better off clearing his lines isn’t he? He shouldn’t be doing that really.”

Udoji’s punishment was to be swiftly subbed and Holland slotted in at right-back, while Ben May came off the bench to partner Emmanuel up front after coming back from injury.

Bromley were now facing a mountain to climb through woeful defending and they kicked down the slope and still created chances to stage a fight back.

Lee Minshull, playing in central midfield instead of partnering Swaine in defence as he did badly in midweek, swept a shot on the turn with his left-foot, which took a deflection and looped just over the crossbar and behind for a corner.

Bromley went close again when they linked up well down the left through Anderson, Emmanuel and Dennis, who floated in a cross and Holland’s glancing header sailed across Deasy but Griffin was on the line to head the ball away.

Bromley were cursing their luck when the near post saved Altrincham halfway through the half.

Fuseini’s diagonal pass picked out Minshull lurking in space on the right hand side of the penalty area and his right-footed drive pinged against the near post.

“We had a go. We had a few chances but it wasn’t to be in the end,” admitted Goldberg.

“It didn’t look like, unfortunately, we just didn’t look like we were going to score, did we?

“We kind of created enough chances to score but it just wasn’t working for us in the end.”

Seconds later Emmanuel was put through on goal again and his initial shot was parried by Deasy, before the Bromley striker steered the rebound past the far post.

Bromley have scored 41 goals and shipped in 34 on their debut Vanarama National League campaign and are one of the most entertaining teams to watch.

“Let’s make it clear, absolutely clear, we’re the (third) top goalscorers in the whole league and in many other leagues as well.   There is nothing wrong with our finishing alright!

“You can’t expect to have to come from two goals down every game to win games. There’s games where all chances will all flow in and there will be games unfortunately that they don’t.

“We do work very hard on the training ground but the point is we can’t be conceding the goals that we’re conceding.  If we can shore that up then we’re going to win more games than we’re going to lose.”

Altrincham were content to shut up shop during the final 20 minutes as Bromley’s hopes of staging a come-back disintegrated.

Chorley played the ball out of the Bromley defence into Cook, who hit a 30-yard right-footed shot just past the far post.

Cook cut in from the right and his angled drive was pushed around the near post by Altrincham keeper Deasy.

And Bromley’s last chance arrived in the final three minutes.

Minshull’s deep diagonal cross came in from the left and Frenchman, substitute, Pierre Joseph-Dubois glanced his header wide.

Goldberg said: “We should’ve won today but we kicked ourselves in the foot, is that the term? We let ourselves down.”

Bromley travel to Macclesfield Town on Saturday and Goldberg is keen to get back to winning ways.

“We’ve just got to bounce back. No one said it was going to be easy. We’ve got to look at ourselves and we have to respond and stop the rut and we have to go there and grind out a point at least.

“We’re still in the top ten and that’s where we want to be. I think we can’t get carried away, it’s only November, still got many games to play for and we’ve still got a chance of getting ourselves in to the play-offs.

“First things first though, let’s avoid the relegation battle. Anything’s possible. We just have to make sure we avoid the relegation battle.

“I’m downhearted but I haven’t lost confidence in my squad.”

But before Bromley’s trip to Macclesfield, the Ravens travel to Ryman League Division One South basement side Whitstable Town on Tuesday night in the Kent Reliance Senior Cup Second Round.

Goldberg said: “We’ll get an opportunity to get players fit who need game time. There’s one or two coming back from injury that hopefully will be available on Tuesday.”

Bromley: Chris Kettings, Ugo Udoji (Ben May 61), Joe Anderson, Ali Fuseini (Pierre Joseph-Dubois 73), Rob Swaine, Ben Chorley, Louis Dennis, Lee Minshull, Moses Emmanuel, Jack Holland, Anthony Cook.
Subs: Aaron Tumwa, Reece Prestedge, Paul Rodgers

Goal: Moses Emmanuel 37

Altrincham: Tim Deasy, Jordan Sinnott, Adam Griffin, Jake Moult, Sam Heathcote, Scott Leather, Ryan Crowther (Joel Swift 90), George Bowerman (Nicky Clee 71), Damian Reeves (Michael Rankine 78), Josh O’Keefe, Simon Richman.
Subs: Callum Williams, Ioannis Stouppis

Goals: Damian Reeves 19, 51, Josh O’Keefe 51

Booked: Jake Moult 45, Ryan Crowther 59

Attendance: 1,737 (60 away fans)
Referee: Mr David Rock (Hertford, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Paul Yates (Maidstone) & Mr Christopher Kidd (Bicester, Oxfordshire)
Fourth Official: Mr Lee Venamore (Maidstone)

This match report has been dedicated to the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris last night. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the people who lost their lives in the French capital.