Bromley 1-2 Eastleigh - We don't want to finish with nothing, says Bromley boss Mark Goldberg

BROMLEY  1-2  EASTLEIGH
Skrill South
Tuesday 8^th April 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY manager Mark Goldberg says he doesn’t want to finish the club’s best ever season in Conference South empty handed.

Skrill South leaders Eastleigh moved nine points clear of Bromley after grabbing a 2-1 victory at Hayes Lane to extend their unbeaten run to nine games.

The Spitfires are on course to claim the league title after collecting 79 points from 37 games, while Bromley are one of the four play-off candidates.

Sutton United are in second-place with 71 points from 38 games, followed by Bromley (70 points from 38), Ebbsfleet United (65 points from 37) and Havant & Waterlooville (57 points from 35).

Bromley were by far the better side – in front of their third largest crowd of the season – but Eastleigh striker Ben Wright, 25, was clinical by taking two chances.

Wright opened the scoring against the run of play after seventeen minutes, hooking a stunning volley into the roof of the net to score his eleventh goal for the club.

But Bromley’s slim title hopes were back on when inspirational skipper Rob Swaine, 26, came up from the back to plant his header into the roof of the net, to score his seventh goal of the season.

But Eastleigh grabbed the vital three points when Wright clinically dispatched a penalty thirteen minutes into the second half.

A string of fine saves from Eastleigh keeper Ross Flitney, 29, thwarted Bromley on more than one occasion with the former Dover Athletic stopper continually using his left hand to frustrate the home side.

“We’re obviously disappointed that we’re out of the running now for the title but we did everything we could tonight to push them,” said a proud Goldberg, speaking after his side’s fourth home league defeat of the season.

“It’s the story of the last six games. We dominate the game with regards to possession and goalscoring opportunities and just creating good movement and dominating most of the play but they again had one shot in the first half pretty much and it was a goal and then they had a penalty.

“I don’t remember too much more that they troubled us and yet we troubled them the whole game.

“Hopefully the tide will turn in time for us to have a good run in so we can secure the play-off place, which obviously is the focus now and then re-adjust our mindset, what a great position to be in.

“At the start of the season I’ve never spoke about actually getting promotion.  I’ve just talked about having the best finish that I’ve had as being manager in the league and we’ve achieved that.

“Now the fact that we’ve even talked about the play-offs is really a great achievement with the squad that we assembled with the budget that we’ve got.”

Goldberg and his side should take credit in taking a full-time, financially backed team like Eastleigh all the way to the title with only four games to left of the season remaining.

He said: “You didn’t see a massive gap between us and Eastleigh today and yet we all know when it comes to what they’ve had in terms of what’s provided to the team we’ve got to say that we’ve done admirably to compete all the way and we did admirably tonight.

“Maybe we have to look at the fact we don’t really have the facilities to work on things the way we will do next year. Hopefully if we do get new facilities hopefully we can learn from our situation now but we’re still in the running.”

Bromley, who went into the game on the back of six league defeats in ten league games since the start of March, were left cursing their luck when the crossbar saved Eastleigh after only 27 seconds.

Bromley striker Bradley Goldberg was denied his 22^nd goal of the season after cutting inside and unleashing a dipping right-footed drive from 25-yards, which hit the crossbar and went behind for a goal-kick.

The Bromley manager said: “He’s hit the crossbar in the last three games I think so it’s just one of those things that’s not quite converting for him.”

Bromley then turned defence into attack and Flitney made the first of his fine saves.

Eastleigh won themselves a right-wing corner, which was swung in left-footed by left-back Michael Green, which was punched away by Joe Welch. 

Goldberg picked the ball up inside the Bromley half and released winger Brendan Kiernan, who sprinted half the pitch to drill a right-footed shot towards the top right-hand corner, which Flitney stuck his left hand up high to his left to turn the ball over the crossbar.

Goldberg added: “He had a few saves to make, didn’t he?

“Brendan’s had a go today and he was very positive and we grew as the game went on, but again it is what we’ve seen in the last six games. We’ve been creating a lot of opportunities, one day they’re going to fall for us.”

Bromley left-back Joe Anderson floated in a cross towards the unmarked Kiernan at his near post, who sent his diving header agonisingly wide of the post from 10-yards.

But the Hampshire full-timers stole the lead against the run of play through Wright’s quality finish.

Flitney pumped the ball down the middle of the pitch and his fifteen-goal team-mate Craig McAllister rose above defender Adam Bailey-Dennis to flick the ball on for Wright to turn Swaine to hook a right-footed volley from fourteen-yards, which looped over Welch into the roof of the net.

“It was a quality strike,” said Goldberg.

“We possibly gave him too much time on the ball to be able to turn. Maybe we could’ve stopped him from turning?! Maybe we could’ve got a bit tighter but he took the goal well.

“We now had to look at the fact that we got ourselves back into the game.  Our heads weren’t down when they scored. We got ourselves back in at half-time and that’s a positive.”

Bromley, however, responded well to that early set-back and Kiernan flashed a right-footed drive just past the foot of the near post from 20-yards.

Flitney was to deny Bromley a deserved equaliser in the 34^th minute.

Central midfielder Ashley Nicholls fed Anderson down the left, who whipped in a cross towards the near post where Pierre Joseph-Dubois hit a left-footed shot on the turn from eight-yards, which Flitney tipped over at his near post, using his left hand again.

Goldberg added: “Pierre had three or four chances as well that were real chances. On another day he would’ve scored.”

But Bromley deservedly went into the home dressing room on level terms, with Swaine scoring inside stoppage time.

Jay May won a free-kick close to the left by-line after being fouled by Eastleigh right-back Dan Spence.

Anderson floated over an excellent left-footed free-kick into the crowded six-yard box where Swaine showed desire to power his towering header over Flitney’s outstretched left hand to find the roof of the net from four-yards.

“Tremendous header. Great cross. Text book stuff,” said Goldberg.

Goldberg admitted Swaine’s excellent header changed his half-time team-talk.

He said: “I suppose it always does. Goals change games but at the same time we really went out for the second half believing we could win.

“He’s scored as many as Jay May so that tells you something as far as Rob Swaine is concerned.”

Bromley had to win to keep their slender title hopes alive, but a rash challenge from right-back Dean Pooley handed Eastleigh the title in the 58^th minute.

Referee David Rock had no hesitation but to point to the penalty spot after Pooley slid in to bring down Eastleigh substitute Daniel Wishart down inside the penalty area, which stunned the vocal Bromley faithful at the other end of the pitch.

It proved to be a crucial mistake as Wright stepped up and clinically drove his right-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, with Welch diving in the opposite direction.

Goldberg was disappointed with Pooley’s judgement when making the tackle that cost his side.

“It was a little bit clumsy. We probably didn’t need to dive in like that,” he said.

“He wasn’t really going towards goal so I think that was disappointing to give away the penalty.

“I think it was a bit unnecessary to give it away but again we’ve got to give ourselves credit because that was the only time they really troubled us again in the second half.”

Eastleigh called Welch into making a save in the 61^st minute.

Green launched a long throw into the penalty area for left-winger Jai Reason to glance his header towards the near post, which was turned behind by the Bromley keeper.

Bromley were to be thwarted again by man-of-the-match Flitney as the half approached the halfway mark.

Goldberg and Nicholls combined down the right to set up a chance for midfield general Danny Waldren, who drilled a left-footed shot towards goal from 20-yards, which was turned over by Flitney’s left hand.

Seeing the former Dover Athletic stopper pulling off save-after-save frustrated the Bromley manager.

“It honestly does sum up our last six games,” he said.

“Havant & Waterlooville had one chance, one real chance against us and scored and that’s what’s happening to us at the moment.  Other teams are being clinical with their one chance but you also have to look at the fact how great we’re creating the chances that we are. All in all we’re still top goalscorers (with 74 goals) and that is something (to be proud off).

“How can we complain that we’re top goalscorers in the league?”

Anderson’s resulting corner was punched out of the penalty area by Flitney and the ball fell at Nicholls’ feet who drove the ball back into the crowded penalty area but Joseph-Dubois steered his right-footed shot on the turn wide from 12-yards.

Flitney was finally beaten in the 80^th minute but he had his central defender Chris Todd to thank for saving his bacon.

Goldberg played a low centre across the box from the right, Joseph-Dubois stroked a right-footed shot on the turn, which flashed across Flitney, but the ball bounced off Todd’s feet and behind for a corner.

Anderson swung the ball in from the right and the ball came out to substitute Elliott Buchanan, who took a touch before stroking a right-footed shot towards the bottom corner, which Flitney dived to his right to make a comfortable save.

Goldberg summed up the night by saying: “The keeper did well, didn’t he? He’s pulled off some good saves.”

Eastleigh almost grabbed a third when Nicholls was well positioned to head Green’s in-swinging corner off the line.

The Spitfires went close when Wright laid the ball off for Reason to curl a right-footed shot, which deflected around the far post from 25-yards.

Pooley almost made amends at the other end when he received a cut-back from substitute Jake Reid, but his right-footed angled drive from 25-yards deflected off Glen Southam and went behind for a corner at the death.

The game was played in a cracking atmosphere, with a group of local schoolchildren adding to the noise.

“The fans have been tremendous all season,” said Goldberg.

“The boys have been a credit as well to the fans and the noise that’s been made home and away is giving us great encouragement and great support.

“We ask the fans to give us that little boost as we go into the final stage of the season.”

Bromley welcome eleventh-placed Weston-super-Mare to Hayes Lane on Saturday, before travelling to second-from-bottom Tonbridge Angels on 19 April.

Midtable Bishop’s Stortford then arrive at Hayes Lane on 21 April for the club’s last home league game, before Bromley travel to FA Trophy runners-up Gosport Borough on the final day of the season.

Goldberg says he wants his side to go into the play-offs with better form behind them.

He said: “The good news is it’s the first time that I’m prepared to talk about the play-offs and that’s the first time that you’ve heard me talk about the possibility of the play-offs now even though that we’ve lost our form a little bit.

“I still believe that the play-offs is a reality. Let’s try to go in there with good form!

“We need to win two games out of the four to really be sure.

“Saturday is a big game for us but we’ll go in there positive.  We put on a good show tonight and we’ll continue to work hard and finish the season well.

“We need to make sure we’ll be pretty consistent and we’re going to carry on believing in the squad and the players’ that we’ve got.”

Since winning the old Isthmian League title back in 1961, Bromley have finished runners-up on four occasions, and Goldberg knows finishing in second-place will ensure the play-off final will be at Hayes Lane - if they get through a two-legged semi-final.

“Yes, second-place is the target but the play-offs really is the minimum,” said Goldberg. 

“We’ve got to say actually that the minimum target is the play-offs and then we’ll try to finish as high up as we can.  The target is not second, the target is first of all is to secure a play-off place and then we will try and set ourselves another target and finish as high as we can.”

Bromley threw away an eleven point lead on Eastleigh at one stage, but the Spitfires have gobbled up that lead and are on course to join the Conference Premier next season.

But Goldberg wants to join them among non-league’s elite.

“I did think the title was up for grabs but it’s not anymore,” said Goldberg.

“We’ll look at the positives of where we are, what a great season we’ve had so far.

“We don’t want to finish with nothing. We’ll still try to finish with something.

“Yes, we can get promoted by winning the play-offs.”

Bromley: Joe Welch, Dean Pooley, Joe Anderson, Danny Waldren, Rob Swaine, Adam Bailey-Dennis (Elliott Buchanan 75), Pierre Joseph-Dubois, Ashley Nicholls, Jay May (Jake Reid 83), Bradley Goldberg, Brendan Kiernan (Louis Dennis 65).
Subs: Jack Holland, Ali Fuseini

Goal: Rob Swaine 45

Booked: Adam Bailey-Dennis 74

Eastleigh: Ross Flitney, Dan Spence, Michael Green, Ben Strevens, Dean Beckwith, Chris Todd, Jai Reason, Glen Southam, Craig McAllister (Yemi Odubade 46), Ben Wright, Stuart Fleetwood (Daniel Wishart 41).
Subs: Lewis Noice, Will Evans, Chris Dillon

Goals: Ben Wright 17, 58 (penalty)

Booked: Ben Wright 84

Attendance: 1,011
Referee: Mr David Rock (Hertford, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Shaun Farrer (Reigate, Surrey) & Mr Matthew Lee (Chichester, West Sussex)