Bromley 2-0 Maidstone United - If we can grab onto that next pack it would be brilliant, says Bromley boss Neil Smith

Bromley 2 – 0 Maidstone United
Location	Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF
Kickoff	03/12/2016 15:00

BROMLEY  2-0  MAIDSTONE UNITED
Vanarama National League
Saturday 3^rd December 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY manager Neil Smith says he’s looking to break into the top half of the Vanarama National League table after silencing their noisy neighbours with a third win over newly-promoted Maidstone United this season.

 

The Ravens sealed their ninth league win of the season with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Maidstone United, who offered very little in attack during a battle that Bromley edged.

Bromley remain in thirteenth-place in the table with 32 points from 24 games and are now only six league wins away from the magical 50 points mark that will ensure the club stage National League football for a third season next August.  Smith is doing a great job at Hayes Lane this season and the Ravens are 12 points clear of the relegation zone and 12 points adrift of the play-offs.

Bromley’s six match unbeaten run was ended with a 2-1 loss at Woking in midweek, while Maidstone United’s losing streak of five was ended with a morale-boosting 2-1 home win over Eastleigh last time out.

Maidstone United remain in the bottom seven following their 13^th league defeat of the season with 25 points from 24 games and are five points clear of the relegation zone.

Bromley attracted their largest crowd of the season when 1,676 flocked through the turnstiles – 511 of them were nosiy Maidstone United supporters – but a high number of home fans were still in the bars when their side scored.

Maidstone United manager Jay Saunders wants to turn around his club’s fortunes.

He said: “They have been brilliant, honestly, home and away. They’ve been outstanding for us. It’s one of the reasons I think why we get upset is because not only we don’t like losing games, when you see that support and the way they get behind us from the first whistle to the last minute, you want to reward them, but we’ve not been able to do that of late so I hope they stick with us, stick with the boys and hopefully we can turn it around but it was a great atmosphere.”

Smith added: “I must admit I’ve got to give credit to the Maidstone supporters, I thought they were brilliant from the first whistle right to the last.  They never stopped singing, getting behind their team, especially the second half with the crowd behind the goal as well. Bromley supporters then joined in, it was fantastic, like a proper old fashioned league game. Both sets of supporters did it right today, credit.”

Bromley scored one of their fastest goals in their 124-year history when an unmarked Adam Cunnington, 29, headed in after only 17 seconds, before his strike partner, George Porter, 24, headed in a second during the second half.

Smith said: “Thoroughly delighted.  The boys, after Tuesday, we sat down on Thursday and just discussed what might’ve gone wrong (at Woking) and can we put it right?

“As I’ve said to them, it’s only a blip if it happens once, so for us to bounce back so quickly as well, I think the early goal gave us the lift obviously but we didn’t look back after that. I thought we were fantastic.

“We challenged the players and they were up to the challenge as it proved but they worked very hard. They were closing down from the front. 

“I just said in there, George Porter deserved his goal, not just because what he does going forward, but what he does for us defensively and it’s great to have Adam Cunnington out there.

“It does mean a lot. I played for Maidstone. I know what a fantastic club and where it’s been at its worst and where it’s been when it was at its best as well when we used to play against them when I was at Gillingham, so to see it coming back on itself, I think Jay Saunders is doing a fantastic job.  The club wants to go places as well. It does mean a lot but it doesn’t mean any more to me winning today then if it was someone else.  I do know where the club’s been and what it’s trying to achieve and it’s fantastic to see where it is and you want them to stay in the National League because games like this are brilliant for Bromley and Maidstone.”

Maidstone United manager Saunders admitted his side lacked quality in both penalty boxes and paid the price.

He said: “Bad start to start with I think from us. It’s frustration. I think the difference really was in the two boxes today. I thought defensively they defended their box very well and we didn’t and offensively they put some good balls in the box and we didn’t and that’s the difference probably.  I think in the two boxes they were better than us and that was the main thing.”

Bromley tend to start home games on the back foot and it was a shock when they got off to a dream start with Cunnington scoring his third goal of the season.

Maidstone United switched off from Joe Anderson’s throw, winger David Martin whipped in a precise cross towards the near post for the unmarked striker to glance his header into the bottom left-hand corner from four-yards.

“I’ve actually got on the board, ‘Start fast. Start quick. Crosses will win you the game’ - and they took it very literally because after 17 seconds we’ve put a cross into the box and Adam Cunnington finished off absolutely fantastically.

“I was delighted for Adam. He’s had a stop-start sort of part of the season so far, so for him to score, I’m absolutely pleased for him.”

Smith added: “The thing is we’ve got competition for places.  Bradley (Goldberg) wasn’t even on the bench today and he’s coming back from fitness. George Porter, Tobi Sho-Silva, you’ve got Blair Turgott whose chipping in and obviously David Martin, so we’ve got a strike force out of anyone who wants to play but it’s out of them to try to start in the team.”

Saunders added: “A great ball from Dave Martin to be fair. It’s disappointing.  In the last three weeks’ we’ve conceded three goals very similar to that, where they’ve taken a quick throw in and I think we’ve just switched off.  I have to take a look at it.  Once Dave Martin gets in that position he’s got great delivery and he’s put a great ball in and Cunnington isn’t going to miss from six-yards out there.

“A horrendous start from us and I think at this level the minutes you go behind at this level it’s very hard to get back into games, especially away from home and that proved to be the case.”

Saunders rued his side’s only first half chance, which arrived with nine minutes and 49 seconds on the clock.

Right-back Seth Nana Twumasi, who got forward on many occasions early on, floated in a cross but midfielder Dan Sweeney sent his free header over the bar from eight-yards.

Saunders said: “Good chance, that’s what I’m on about! The difference is they get a header, a free header and they score and we get a free header and don’t hit the target.

“A good ball from Seth, we’ve asked Sweens to make the box a little bit more and he’s done that but no end product.”

Smith said: “After their result on Tuesday against Eastleigh, we knew they’re going to be buoyed and can we dampen them down as soon as we can as early as we can and that was our game plan. Defend from the front and we set the tone and it was great from the boys because they never stopped doing it, even in the last couple of minutes it was defending in the corner as if we were 0-0. It was a great game plan and it worked.”

Maidstone United then enjoyed a spell of pressure but with Rob Swaine recovered with an injury to his big toe, Bromley’s defence held firm and The Stones lacked quality in the final third.

“Us this year it’s consistency.  We just can’t seem to put a run together and that’s the frustrating thing,” admitted Saunders.

“We go and put in a great performance against Eastleigh and then we’ll come here. I think it’s a bit of a different game. I think there was a lot more football played against Eastleigh. I think today was a bit more of a battle.  I think the pitch wasn’t in the greatest condition and I think it was a bit more of a battle and I thought Bromley have got better players for that than us. That’s taking nothing away from them, they’re a good side but defensively I thought they were very good.”

Cunnington slipped the ball through and England C International Blair Turgott surged forward with the ball but he dragged a poor shot across Lee Worgan and past the far post with his right-footed from 25-yards.

Anderson swung in a free-kick with his left-foot from the left but Swaine’s left-footed hooked volley from just inside the box was easily gathered by Worgan.

A poor pass out of defence by Maidstone’s right-back Twumasi was intercepted by Anderson, who whipped in a deep cross, which was allowed to find Cunnington, who made space before drilling his shot past the near post.

Bromley produced a good move with Cunnington playing a one-two with Porter before sweeping his shot towards the bottom far corner from 20-yards, which was comfortably saved by Worgan, low to his right.

Martin hung over a cross from the right towards the far post where Cunnington rose and Worgan clawed the ball behind for a corner.

Bromley edged a flat, poor first half and created the last half-chance on the stroke of half-time.

Connor Dymond swept in a first time cross into the Maidstone United penalty area and Lee Minshull rose to loop his header just over the crossbar, the ball dropping onto the roof of the net.

“Just over! I think he got in there a little bit too early and he got underneath it,” said Smith.

“It was a great ball into the box and it was great to have Lee Minshull from midfield to get into the box and adding to the forwards that are in there so it was unlucky but again, something that we’ve been working on.”

Maidstone United’s long-throw specialist Alex Flisher threw the ball into the Bromley box on six occasions during the game, four times in the first half, which was meat and drink to a resilient Bromley defence, well-marshalled by Swaine and England C International Jack Holland.

“I actually thought we had quite a lot of possession without really hurting them,” said Saunders.

“We kind of went side-to-side and got in the final third but in the final thought it would break down or they would defend things well but they always looked dangerous on the break.  I think into Cunnington and then Ports they were a handful.  The front four are a handful, no doubt about it and the two wide lads are very good.  The two lads up front were good and that was the difference today.”

When asked his thoughts at the break, the Bromley boss said: “Same again. I said exactly the same again. Obviously we weren’t going to get that start again, but the work-ethic, exactly the same.  I’ve got it written on the wall, ‘keep a clean sheet and we win the game.”

Saunders added: “I just felt we needed a bit more. When I say a bit more, a bit more quality in the final third. I felt we needed a bit more urgency about us, get a bit tighter over the park. We had some good possession but it was too slow and one paced and it was easy to defend. We needed to move the ball a little bit quicker. I don’t know whether we really did to be honest.”

Dymond hit a gem of a diagonal pass straight into Turgott’s feet, the Bromley winger bursting forward before hitting a right-footed angled drive which flashed across Worgan and harmlessly past the far post after 51 minutes.

The game needed some spark from somewhere and Bromley provided it around the hour-mark.

Cunnington released Martin, who was fouled by Maidstone United’s left-back Tom Mills. 

Martin stepped up and drilled a left-footed free-kick some 25-yards out on the angle towards the bottom near corner, which was well held by Worgan at his near post.

“Lee Worgan kept hold of it as well because we had someone following up as well so again Dave Martin hitting the target and anything could happen but he did well the keeper,” said Smith.

Saunders added: “The only thing I’ll say with the free-kick, I didn’t think it was a free-kick.  The ref admitted he got it wrong.

“Worgs pulled off some great saves. He’s been good this year. Him and Millsy (Tom Mills) have been our two most consistent players this year.”

Cunnington’s flicked pass put Martin in behind Twumasi and called Worgan into making a great save at his near post, diving to his right to turn the ball behind for a corner.

Turgott swung in the resulting corner and Maidstone United, somehow, escaped a goal-mouth scramble, when Bromley hit the underside of the crossbar and shots were cleared off the line.

“I can’t fathom out how in the second half when it hit the post and the crossbar, 14-players, ricochet. I think we had a tilt at one stage from the pinball machine,” added Smith.

Blair dragged another angled drive across Worgan and past the far post, before he played his part in Bromley’s second goal, timed at 19 minutes and 44 seconds into the second half.

Blair, a talented winger with 10 goals to his name, burst down the right wing, reached the by-line and produced a great cross for Porter to nip in front of his man to guide his downward header across Worgan into the bottom far corner.

“It was good for us to get the goals when they did come, they were at important times,” said Smith, who praised Porter after notching his fourth goal of the season.

“He gives me 100% in training, every game, so I’m delighted for George.  Again, Blair did exactly what he can do. He can turn it on anytime. He put a great ball in and it was just a case of George just getting across someone.  As soon as he did that you knew it was going in.”

Saunders added: “Again, defensively disappointing for me. We’ve had the ball on the edge of their box. I think Bobby’s (Joe-Taylor) given it away, he’s chased back, he gets back in position and then he gets beat too easily.

“It’s a great ball from Blair and Ports, he seems to have a habit now of scoring against me whenever we play him.  You can’t give players like Ports and that space.  You have to be tighter in the box. He gets a free header, two free headers and it’s cost you.”

Maidstone United were very poor indeed and it was hard to believe that they beat big-spending Eastleigh in midweek.

Smith brought on striker Tobi Sho-Silva and he linked up well with left-back Anderson and Turgott’s free-header was plucked out of the air by Worgan.

Smith said: “We started cheering and clapping each other just because Blair got a header on it. The fact it nearly was a goal as well was very exciting!”

Grinding out ugly wins against teams below them in the table, WILL keep Bromley in the National League next season.

Smith said: “I just think you saw everything, the enthusiasm was there and the directness and the eagerness to go and win the game, so it was great.”

The best Maidstone United could produce came in the 76^th minute.

Quiet striker Yemi Obudbade sprinted into the Bromley penalty area, played the ball to substitute Jamar Loza, who forced Alan Julian into making his only save of the game, as Bromley ran out comfortable winners to add to their
2-0 away win on 13 September, and a 2-1 home win in the Kent Reliance Senior Cup 14 days’ later.

Saunders said: “That’s what I’m saying, they defended their box very well! I think any time we got in the final third we either hit the first man and if we did put it in big Swainey and Jack Holland defended very well.  I just felt they dealt with things.”

Smith added: “I thought we looked solid, a bit shaky to be brutally honest after about 10 minutes – but I just thought they (my defenders) were just so dominant. I thought they were very solid. As soon as we scored the second goal I thought that was it then. I knew it was game over.”

Bromley have home advantage as they get their Buildbase FA Trophy campaign underway with a First Round tie at home next Saturday. They will play either Leiston (fourth, Ryman Premier) or Eastbourne Borough (11^th, Vanarama National League South), who play their Third Qualifying Round replay down on the South coast on Tuesday night.

When told that Bromley are 12 points clear of the relegation zone and 12 points behind the play-off zone, Smith wants to leapfrog over 12^th placed Macclesfield Town (34 points from 21 games) when the two clubs meet each other in Cheshire in the televised game on 17 December.

“I’m always looking up. If we can grab onto that next pack, it would be brilliant but we know it’s going to be tough. We just take one game at a time.”

Maidstone United would have closed the gap on Bromley to one point had they claimed victory today, but the gap is now seven points tonight.

Smith added: “It gives us a bit of daylight on them but there’s a long way to go yet. We’re halfway through the season and there’s going to be ups and downs all the way through. It was a great win today and that’s how I look at it, it’s a great win today.”

Maidstone United, meanwhile, travel to eight-placed league rivals Boreham Wood as they get their Buildbase FA Trophy campaign underway next Saturday and Saunders calls for more consistency from his players.

“I was chatting to someone before the game and they said ‘can you carry on the performance from Tuesday?’ but we just get no consistency from these lads and whether that’s having too many young lads, I’m not sure, but we lack consistency and you need it at this level. 

“Bromley have had it of late, I know they lost at Woking but they’ve been on a good little run and it’s what we need but we’ve had it the other month. We’ve had a good couple of results and then we’ve lost five. I’m hoping it aint going to happen again.”

Bromley: Alan Julian, Daniel Johnson, Joe Anderson, Lee Minshull, Rob Swaine, Jack Holland, David Martin, Connor Dymond, George Porter (Jordan Higgs 80), Adam Cunnington (Tobi Sho-Silva 72), Blair Turgott.
Subs: Jordan Wynter, Ben Chorley, Reece Prestedge

Goals: Adam Cunnington 1, George Porter 65

Booked: Adam Cunnington 38, David Martin 56, George Porter 66

Maidstone United: Lee Worgan, Seth Nana Twumasi, Tom Mills, Dan Sweeney, Kevin Lokko, Jamie Coyle, Bobby Joe-Taylor (Jack Evans 68), Jack Paxman (Jamar Loza 52), Yemi Obubade (Ben Greenhalgh 68), James Rogers, Alex Flisher.
Subs: Callum Driver, Anthony Acheampong

Booked: Yemi Obubade 45, Tom Mills 58, James Rogers 75

Attendance: 1,676 (511 away)
Referee: Mr Alan Young (Ely, Cambridgeshire)
Assistants: Mr Samuel Lewis (Ampthill, Bedfordshire) & Mr Callum Walchester (Lowestoft, Suffolk)
Fourth Official: Paul Kelly (Walderslade)

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