7thnov03

Month of destiny
Victory at Worthing's Woodside Road ground on Saturday will put Bromley in a very healthy position in the Ryman League Division One South table, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Hayes Lane outfit jumped to seventh place in the table following Tuesday's 2-1 home win over Staines Town.

Adolph Amoako opened the scoring for Bromley after 34 minutes before the visitors were reduced to ten men six minutes later when Mark Pye was sent off for swearing at the match officials.

Experienced, prolific goalscorer Craig Maskell's well taken goal eight minutes from time stunned Hayes Lane to silence before former Gravesend & Northfleet striker Leroy Huggins scored the winner with only two minutes left on the clock.

Amoako and Huggins have both scored eight goals a piece this season and Bromley have now gone seven league games unbeaten, winning six of them.

Bromley were shocked with the resignation of their manager Stuart McIntyre on Thursday 23 October after almost two years at the helm.

McIntyre put Bromley back on the footballing map and built a side that are talented, competitive and entertaining.

It was such a shame the Scot felt he couldn't continue the job and win promotion back to the Ryman League top flight.

Newly appointed manager Eddie Saunders joined Bromley in August 2002 from Nationwide Conference outfit Woking, and was one of many big-named stars brought to Hayes Lane by McIntyre.

Unfortunately a knee injury halted Saunders' playing career last November in a home game against Egham Town, in his 21st game for Bromley.

Saunders, a FA Trophy final  winner whilst at Kingstonian, was appointed McIntyre's assistant in the close season and was elevated to the manager's hot seat when McIntyre resigned from his job at the club.

The Bromley players have taken to Saunders and the side have won both their league matches under his leadership as caretaker before he was given the manager's job on a permanent basis on Friday.

Hampton & Richmond Borough were beaten 2-0 in his first game in charge before their midweek 2-1 victory over promotion rivals Staines Town.

Their only defeat came in the first round of the FA Trophy, a 3-1 defeat at Ryman League Premier Division second placed side Carshalton Athletic, but the side had five or six clear cut chances to progress in the competition.

Saunders' back-room staff at this present time consists of Paul Kember, John Myatt and Derek Parnham.

Parnham doubles as the club's under 18 manager and first team goalkeeping coach.  Midfielders Myatt and Kember are currently injured and have been assisting Saunders.

Kember, 29, said: November is a very big month for us.  If we can come out of the other side of this month and hopefully not getting beat, and taking points of the other sides at the top, then I think we will be there or thereabouts in the top three or four.  It's all very difficult in the next three or four weeks."

Long serving Bromley player Michael Harney is confident his team-mates can continue their impressive form down on the Sussex coast.

He added: "Worthing is a big game.  They are always a tough side but we always seem to do well down there, so hopefully we can do it again!"

After their trip to Worthing, Bromley are again on the road next Wednesday. They face homeless Slough Town at Windsor & Eton's Stag Meadow home.

Bromley's last league defeat, however, came at Stag Meadow when Windsor & Eton scored the only goal of the game in early September.

A tricky home game against Metropolitan Police follows on Saturday 15 November before Bromley travel to Ryman Premier Division strugglers Harrow Borough in the second round of the Bryco Cup.

Bromley complete the month with a trip to Whyteleafe (Saturday 22) and at home to Croydon Athletic (Tuesday 25).

Colin Luckett is in the squad for the Worthing trip, but talented midfielder Gary Drewett (knee) should be back in action in two or three weeks time.

Defender Steve Potterill completes his four match ban at Worthing and will be available for the trip to Slough but John Wilfort starts a three match ban against Metropolitan Police after his late sending off in the 3-1 defeat at Carshalton Athletic in last weeks FA Trophy tie.

Worthing vs Bromley,  Saturday 8 November 2003, 3pm at Woodside Road, Worthing, Ryman League Division One South