Bromley 0-6 Crystal Palace - We gave them too much respect and we paid the price, admits Bromley boss Mark Goldberg

Bromley 0 – 6 Crystal Palace
Location	Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF
Kickoff	30/07/2015 19:45

BROMLEY  0-6  CRYSTAL PALACE
Pre-Season Friendly
Thursday 30th July 2015
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY manager Mark Goldberg admitted his players showed their Premier League neighbours Crystal Palace too much respect after being  outclassed at Hayes Lane.
 

An all-ticket crowd of 3,798 gave Bromley a lucrative shot in the arm ahead of their Vanarama National League debut at home to Wrexham on 8 August, but the Hayes Lane faithful saw their side capitulate against Alan Pardew’s multi-million pound squad.

With winger Anthony Cook suspended for one-match following his red-card at Beckenham Town on Monday and goalkeeper Alan Julian, 32, ruled out through sickness, Goldberg handed Ben McNamara a call-up having borrowed him from Ryman Premier League side Hendon.

McNamara, who was outstanding for Hendon in their 1-0 play-off final defeat to Margate in May, suffered a painful opening 32 minutes as Crystal Palace ripped through the heart of Bromley, scoring five goals.

Man-of-the-match, left-winger Sullay Kaikai opened the floodgates after only 209 seconds on the clock, before striker Patrick Bamford, 21, who is on a season long loan from Premier League champions Chelsea, helped himself to a hat-trick, before Dwight Gayle made it five.

The Bromley faithful were fearing the worst that the club would go on to suffer their record defeat but the Ravens played much better during the second half, but former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha, 22, completed the scoring with the sixth goal after 57 minutes.

Goldberg admitted: “Well, obviously very disappointed with how we started! It couldn’t have started any worse!  We showed no confidence whatsoever!

“We allowed them to invite us to engage and they picked holes throughout us because we didn’t engage as a team.  We engaged with the front two and our midfield half did it and our back four took too long to get up so we were so stretched and we played into their hands basically and they took advantage of us.

“I couldn’t wait to get us in at half-time to try to put it right and half-time couldn’t have come around quick enough I’m afraid.

“But I think we showed a good account of ourselves in the second half.”

It seemed that the Bromley players were star-gazing at their Premier League opponents as Crystal Palace tore apart the now full-time Vanrama Conference South champions.

Luke Croll played the ball out side to Zaha, who twisted and turned Joe Anderson to whip in a cross and Bamford’s header struck McNamara and bounced just wide of the post after only 88 seconds.

But the floodgates opened when Zaha played a low centre from the right towards the unmarked Kaikai, who drilled a first time right-footed drive into the bottom far corner from sixteen-yards.

Goldberg admitted: “It was the worst possible start! I thought we played too nervously, too in awe of the opposition and gave them too much respect and we paid the price.”

Bromley’s worst fears followed as Crystal Palace doubled their lead with only six minutes and seven seconds on the lock.

Kaikai played Bamford in behind Rob Swaine and last season’s top scorer in the Championship, drilled his left-footed drive into the bottom near corner when he only had McNamara to beat.

Jordan Mutch strode forward with the ball before he played the ball into Gayle’s feet, who swept a first time pass into Kaikai’s path, whose first time right-footed drive stung McNamara’s fingers before the keeper gathered at the second attempt.

But Crystal Palace raced into a 3-0 lead after only sixteen minutes when Bamford was played in behind the flat-footed Bromley back four and slotted his shot into the bottom near corner.

Bromley created the first chance of the game after eighteen minutes through striker Bradley Goldberg.

Quiet winger, Pierre Joseph-Dubois played the ball inside to Goldberg, who swept his shot across keeper Alex McCarthy and past the far post from 20-yards.

But The Eagles made it 4-0 after only 21 minutes.

Gayle found left-back Christian Scales on the overlap and he comfortably reached the by-line before playing a low centre across the face of goal and despite initially treading on the ball, Bamford tapped the ball into the bottom far corner from two-yards.

Goldberg hailed Bamford’s performance by saying, “He showed he was a class act wasn’t he?

“But we gave him quite a lot of space through the middle and it wasn’t until we managed to after 20-25 minutes, we tried to get a few messages across to get more compact and to stop trying to engage too high and I thought it was a bit better as the first half went on. Certainly second half was a lot better.”

Bradley Goldberg was a shining beacon for outplayed Bromley and he cracked a shot on the turn straight at McCarthy from fifteen-yards, which the Palace keeper comfortably caught at the half-way point.

It was 5-0 with only 31:32 on the clock – McNamara feeling that he had a wasted journey from Kidderminster to play in the game.

Zaha strode forward with ease down the right and played the ball inside to Gayle, who hit a first time right-footed drive into the bottom far corner of the net from 18-yards.

Goldberg, who was interviewed by Sky Sports News before the game, summed up the mood by saying, “It’s great that the cameras were here but it wasn’t so great when five goals went in!

“Well, it was damage limitations as they say. I just couldn’t wait to get in at half-time to tell the lads how we needed to shape up to hopefully put a better account of ourselves in the second half.”

Mutch’s powerful right-footed drive from 30-yards, looped off Fuseini and narrowly missed the crossbar and Kaikai’s resulting corner from the left was met by Brede Hangeland’s towering header that the big central defender nodded down and past the post.

Bromley received a slice of luck just before the break when Kaikai and Mutch linked up down the left and the cross came in towards the unmarked Gayle at the far post, who directed his free header just over the bar from six-yards.

Goldberg used the interval to drum confidence into his battered players after they were played off the park during the first half and Bromley put in a much better shift after the break.

The manager brought on left-winger Louis Dennis and big target-man Alex Wall at the interval, taking off Joseph-Dubois and Ben May respectively.

“I was a little bit disappointed with the lack of belief and their work ethic getting back into shape so the fact they showed such a lack of belief but we turned it round second half. I thought it was respectable.”

Moses Emmanuel Ademola had a sniff at goal when he cut towards the edge of the box but hit his left-footed drive over after only 42 seconds.

Dennis released Goldberg through on goal in the 50^th minute, but McCarthy made a smart save to his right to make a fine block.

A lot will be riding on the 21-year-old striker’s shoulders during the forthcoming league campaign.

The Bromley manager said: “He really should have just got one on the sheet but all credit to him, he got into positions, created openings and he was on target a couple of times and he created them a few problems, didn’t he?”

Joe Anderson played the ball into Goldberg’s feet, who turned outside the area and cracked his left-footed shot just over the crossbar from 20-yards.

But Crystal Palace completed the rout with their sixth goal in the 57^th minute.

Left-back Scales was often keen to burst forward, cut into the penalty area before cutting the ball across the face of goal for Zaha, who slammed his left-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner despite McNamara trying to make himself big at his near post.

Goldberg admitted: “I thought it was a little bit against the run of play when Wilfried scored to be honest.

“I thought we had a few chances our end and they had an easy finish, but there you go.

“I can’t really blame Ben. We’re very grateful to Ben for turning up tonight. He pulled off some great saves. I don’t think any was down to Ben McNamara, who I was really pleased with.”

Bromley, who suffered a humiliating 8-1 defeat at Hendon back in 1981, feared an even bigger thrashing here tonight.

But to their credit The Ravens kept plugging away and showed spirit to prevent Crystal Palace putting in the knife even further.

Bromley created an opening when Fuseini found right-back Udoji on the overlap and his teasing low cross only just evaded Wall as he slid inside the penalty area.

However, at the other end, Kaikai swung in a free-kick from within the right channel and Martin Kelly came up from right-back to glance his header sailing past the far post from the edge of the six-yard box.

More attacking forward play from Scales saw him centre across the face of goal but this time substitute striker Keshi Anderson swept his shot his shot past the far post when he was left in acres of space.

Palace substitute Adlene Guedioura played the ball into Gayle, who laid the ball off to Keshi Anderson, who dragged his shot across McNamara and past the post before Gayle’s last action of the game was to sting McNamara’s fingers with a left-footed volley on the turn.

Bromley were to be denied a consolation goal in the 75^th minute.

Inspired Dennis reached the by-line before clipping the ball back towards the near post but former Luton Town and Dartford striker Alex Wall directed his looping header against the near post from six-yards.

The jury is still out whether the 24-year-old will score the goals for Bromley in the National League, having only scored 11 career goals at this level prior to his move to Hayes Lane.

Goldberg said: “I thought there was a few little nice moves, nice first time crosses, just didn’t get on the end of them but I thought there were some good moves, good passing, maybe not clear cut opportunities. 

“Bradley came on with a one-on-one didn’t he when he was put through and the goalkeeper saved it. We had some chances.”

Guedioura intercepted Adam Birchall’s inside pass to Fuseini on the halfway line before bursting forward at pace, skipping past a last-man sliding challenge before drilling his shot past the near post from eight-yards as the home fans made for the exits.

McNamara made a flying save to prevent Scales’ curling his shot into the roof of the net from the corner of the Bromley penalty area, before the crossbar came to Bromley’s rescue at the death to deny Guedioura’s cheeky effort on goal.

“It was a good crowd, shame we didn’t give them more of a game first half but I think in the second half at least we made something off it,” said Goldberg.

“We can’t let our confidence go because of today’s defeat. We’ve bounced back from worse things than this.  I think we should take some positivity out of that second half performance.

“I think it’s fair to say in pre-season we’ve had a bit of an awakening first half against Gillingham (in a 2-1 defeat) and a bit of an awakening first half against Crystal Palace, yet we’ve come back in the second half but I think we’re quick learners and we just got to make sure we take everything that we’ve learnt from pre-season at the start of the season.”

Bromley travel to Vanarama National League South side Sutton United on Saturday, before their opener against Wrexham, who are managed by Gary Mills, 53, a European Cup winner for Nottingham Forest back in 1980.

Goldberg added: “It’s a massive game but we’ve got to make sure we don’t show them too much respect – we’ll learn from pre-season.

“We’re excited to get going. We’ll put tonight’s result against Crystal Palace behind us and we’ll pick out the positives with the way we came back in the second half.”

Bromley: Ben McNamara, Ugo Udoji, Joe Anderson, Ali Fuseini, Rob Swaine, Jack Holland (Sean Francis 66), Pierre Joseph-Dubois (Louis Dennis 46), Reece Prestedge (Lee Minshull 66), Ben May (Alex Wall 46), Bradley Goldberg, Moses Emmanuel Ademola (Adam Birchall 74).
Sub: Aaron Tumwa

Crystal Palace: Alex McCarthy (Chris Kettings 71), Martin Kelly (Matthew George 71), Christian Scales, Brede Hangeland, Luke Croll, Joe Ledley (Andreas Bremyr 71), Sullay Kaikai (Reise Allassani 71), Jordan Mutch (Keshi Anderson 59), Dwight Gayle (Dymond 71), Patrick Bamford (Adlene Guedioura 46), Wilfred Zaha (Aaron Bissaka 71).

Goals: Sullay Kaikai 3, Patrick Bamford 7, 16, 21, Dwight Gayle 32, Wilfried Zaha 57

Attendance: 3,798
Referee: Mr Nigel Lugg (Chipstead, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr David Luani (Bromley) & Mr Valentine Anekwe (Bromley)
Fourth Official: Mr Gary Maskell