Bromley 1 East Thurrock United 1

Bromley came up against East Thurrock United on a very windy and cold day at Hayes Lane, writes Jeff Hutton.

No questions who started the brighter in this game! New goalkeeper  Mark Davidson - signed on work experience from Premiership side Fulham -  must have wondered what he'd got into when a free-kick played long into the box was headed clear to the edge of the area where a shot came back in and was blocked before the rebound was blasted home past the helpless Davidson to put the rocks 1-0 ahead inside 40 seconds, the exact same score when these two sides met at Rookery Hill on a sunny day, how times have changed!

Bromley went all for an equaliser and nearly got one in the shape of Adrian Stone who ran with the ball down the right wing before trying to shoot across goal but it was too far wide to trouble the East Thurrock keeper.

Stone then made amends after that miss when Allan McLeod took the free-kick quickly and put Sam Wood in on the left-wing with time to cross and his low cross was met by a diving header by Stone for his first goal since re-joining the club from Ashford Town.

Neither side seemed to be creating much but the ever-lively Stone was almost everywhere for Bromley, even coming back and helping out at the back for the Ravens.  

The next real chance called Davidson into action - with very big boots to fill after Andy Walker was away - first did well to parry a long range effort before doing brilliantly well to block the follow up.

After being asked if he thought he would concede a goal after parrying the first shot he replied by saying: "I never think I am going to concede goals," so he definitely has the spirit of a Bromley player!

After that Bromley were woken up and from a Sam Wood corner Mark Willy made a great run and his free header cannoned back off the bar before Stone and Boateng got in a mix-up but Boateng got his shot away which was brilliantly tipped round the post for another corner.

Barry Gardner put this one in before it was headed away for another corner on the other side before Sam Wood's corner was eventually cleared. That was about all the action from the first half as both sides went in level pegging in this mid-table clash.

Bromley came out all guns blazing for the start of the second half, well for about 10 minutes! Allan McLeod crossed for Stone who just didn't jump high enough to get the header down and on target and it went high over.

Bromley kept pressing, Gary Drewett shot just wide, before a wonder run by Wood from the half way line before being tackled, the ball then went to McLeod, who gave the ball back to Wood but his shot from the edge of the box was just over the bar.

Bromley then had a great chance to score when yet another McLeod cross bounced through to Wood at the back post who was surely going to score but was kicked in the ribs but the ref didn't give anything except a corner.

Drewett then saw the ball come back to him just inside the penalty area but his volley was just wide of the right hand post with the keeper beaten.

Shaun Batt then had a run at the Bromley defence. Firstly Wood was ispossessed just inside East Thurrock's half, the ball was then played to Martin Touhy who played in Batt on the right wing. Willy kept up with the rocks no.10 but couldn't stop him getting a shot away which was just wide of Davidson's near post with the ex-Farnborough Town goalkeeper covering the angle.

East Thurrock then had the last chance of the game when they won a free-kick on the edge of the Bromley area and the free-kick was hit low but Davidson did well to parry it before keeping hold of the ball with three East Thurrock players closing him down.

That was to be it at the final whistle, Billy and George probably happy to get a point and they would've been happy with the performance of Mark Davidson who will need to be at the best for the next half month or so. Lee Patterson and Steve Mosely probably were happy with the point as well and East Thurrock made the long trip back to Essex with another point in the bag.

Man of the match would probably go to Stone. On his first game back at the club he ran his heart out and didn't stop running, got his reward with the goal and deserved a hat-trick. Hopes will be up now when Nic McDonnell returns for the Ravens probably next Saturday when they travel to Windsor to face Slough Town.

Bromley: Mark Davidson, Allan McLeod, Colin Luckett, Joe Vines, Mark Willy, Des Boateng, Sam Wood, Barry Gardner, Ellis Remy, Adrian Stone, Gary Drewett
Subs: Mark Tompkins, Micheal Donovan, Job Feumba, Adam Greenway

East Thurrock United: Danny Knowles, Stuart Williams, Steve Harrison, Mick Stanbrook, Dean Palmer, Kevin Mully, Jon Turnball, Danny Hayzelden, Shaun Batt, Martin Tuohy, Elliot Gresham
Subs: Danny Dafter, Wes Faulkner, Dominic Grime, Scott Holding, Garry Wotton