bromvbrac270304

Thursday 01st September 2005

Watson delivers the goods

Impressive debut from former Lewes striker

Bromley 4-0 Bracknell Town

Saturday 27 March 2004

Ryman League Division One South

Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

NEW SIGNING Mark Watson proved to be an instant hit as Bromley completed the double over Bracknell Town in a comfortable victory at Hayes Lane on Saturday.

The thirty-one year old striker, signed on Thursday evening from Lewes, moved to Hayes Lane as the travelling for the courier driver from his Wimbledon home proved too much for the former Aldershot Town and Sutton United prolific striker.

But he admitted after the game he was pleased with his debut. Watson won his new team-mates two penalty kicks and it took him only eighteen minutes to open his goalscoring account for Bromley, which gave them a 2-0 lead.

He said: "I haven't been playing for the past five-six weeks due to injury and suspension and then when I was coming back I was doing quite well and trying to get back into the Lewes team.

"Obviously you want to do well on your debut, which is the most important thing, but if you score and can help someone else to score its even better!

"I've scored on my debut before - you try to continue scoring goals wherever you go, and to score a goal like I did makes everyone happy.

"But the most important thing was to win the game 4-0. That's why I am here, which is to help the team push and hopefully win promotion. If we can continue and win our last seven games we will have a good chance."

Bromley manager Stuart McIntyre was without captain John Myatt (work commitments) and defender Steve Potterill (dead leg) so he made solid, reliable defender Mark Willy captain and Watson lead the line with youngster Paul Vines. Jason McKoy was recalled to midfield and the back four of Danny Smith, John Wilfort, Willy and Michael Harney were solid, enabling goalkeeper Danny Harwood to keep his fourteenth clean sheet of the season.

Youth team skipper, Chris Hill, came off the bench for the remaining nine minutes, and another member of the club's Kent Youth League under 18 side, striker, Andrew Alphonso-Dalhouse, gained first team experience, even though he remained on the substitutes bench.

Bracknell made a bright start in the opening thirteen minutes with Adam Crittenden testing goalkeeper Harwood with a low shot from sixteen yards. Garry Sargeant then drove a 20 yard shot wide of the right post before Danny Hayward clipped a ball over Wilfort which Crittenden latched onto but a poor first touch allowed the goalkeeper to smother the ball.

Clinical Bromley, however, raced into a 2-0 lead with two goals in the space of three minutes and Watson played a part in both.

With his back to goal, sixteen yards from goal in a central position, the new signing was brought down by Ben Edwards who stuck out a leg and the referee made the easy decision awarding a penalty.

Up stepped Michael Harney, and although goalkeeper Chris Andrews dived the right way, the spot kick had enough purchase on it and crept inside the foot of the right post to give Bromley a 15th minute lead.

Bromley doubled their lead three minutes later when Paul Vines raced down the left channel and went past Stuart Hammonds. The defender, however, won the ball off the fast young striker, but Vines won back the ball before reaching the penalty area. Although his cross was headed out at the far post, the ball fell to Watson who rifled a fierce shot from 17 yards that crashed into the net off the underside of the bar.

Watson went close to scoring his second three minutes later. Watson got on the end of a Gary Drewett cross from the right before the twice beaten goalkeeper but saw his header go just over.

Another chance fell to Bracknell but Reece White had to dig the ball from under his feet and when he did his drilled shot from 23 yards went wide of the left post.

Clinical Bromley went 3-0 up after only 26 minutes to delight the Hayes Lane faithful, who had seen their side play well for 40 minutes in Tuesday's John Ullman Kent Senior Cup Semi-Final clash against Folkestone Invicta, before going down 5-0.

Landry Zahana-Oni squared the ball to Colin Luckett who played the ball to Jason McKoy in the centre. McKoy clipped the ball over to Drewett on the right flank and his superb cross found Vines who powerfully headed down and into the net from eight yards to put Bracknell out of reach.

After getting the better of Hammonds outside the penalty box for the second time of the game, Vines' skill left the defender on the ground before racing to the edge of the penalty area where the former Cray Wanderers striker, who should be given more of a chance in the starting eleven, saw his low shot saved by Andrews.

Following a swept in corner from Harney, Vines poked wide of the left post from eight yards when he was forced to rush his shot under pressure from the defence.

Six minutes before the break, Gavin Smith's drilled shot hit Sargeant and ricochet of Bromley defender Danny Smith going wide of the right post.

On the stroke of half-time, Luckett's corner from the left was headed clear by Damien Smith falling for McKoy but the Bromley midfielder saw his rasping shot rise high over the bar from 25 yards.

The visitors made a double change at the break and this inspired them to try to claw back a three goal deficit. Following a run at the right hand side of the Bromley defence, substitute James Rogers' shot low from 19 yards but it wasn't powerful or accurate enough to beat Harwood.

Harwood came rushing off his line to scoop the ball off Jody Yee on the edge of the penalty area but the Bracknell substitute nipped to the ball first and shot well wide of an open goal.

Bracknell goalkeeper Andrews made two saves as Bromley ended the game strongly.

Drewett's rasping shot was, to be fair, powerful but straight at the goalkeeper and substitute Adolph Amoako reacted to the rebound and was unlucky not to score. The shot came off the goalkeeper and spun along the goalline narrowly missing the foot of the right post.

Luckett's pin-point free kick from the left was flicked by Watson but the ball narrowly missed the crossbar from four yards.

Watson chested the ball into the Bracknell penalty area but he was brought down by Hammonds two yards inside the penalty area and referee Mr J Hopkins pointed to the spot for the second time in the game. Hammonds was shown a red card and play was held up for two minutes as Watson required treatment.

Bromley substitute Bobby George had competition from Amoako to take the spot-kick, but it was the right decision as George slotted home the penalty with eleven minutes remaining.

Bromley youth team skipper, Chris Hill came on for his first piece of first team action, albeit for the last nine minutes as Bromley jump over Leatherhead and moved into eighth place in the table.

Bromley are without a game in midweek enabling manager Stuart McIntyre and his team to have two training sessions ahead of next Saturday's trip to Walton & Hersham (3pm). Bromley travel to Egham Town on Tuesday 6 April, before Ashford Town (Middlesex) are the visitors to Hayes Lane on Saturday 10 April.

Speaking after the game, Bromley manager Stuart McIntyre admitted he was pleased with the victory, but more importantly, keeping a clean sheet.

McIntyre said: "First and foremost I think the clean sheet is important after our 5-0 defeat against Folkestone Invicta on Tuesday. The way we started today's game, the high tempo, passing and good movement paid off in the end."

McIntyre praised new signing from Lewes, Mark Watson for impressing on his debut. McIntyre added: "The big change was we took our chances. Mark Watson lead the line really well, and yes, he has probably had the best debut from any player that has come to the club during the time that I've been here."

Bromley have seven league games remaining, and they will be looking to gain maximum points, if possible, from their remaining games.

McIntyre added: "Every game really matters. We've won today and have made a little bit of progress in the table moving from ninth to eighth. But the other teams above us won. It remains in the situation it was before today's game in the main, but some of the clubs higher than us in the table have to play eachother soon and if we can maintain the form we showed today and keep it tight defensively and win a few more games we'll get there."

McIntyre gave the captain's armband to solid defender Mark Willy as John Myatt was away with work commitments.

McIntyre added: "Mark Willy was a very good captain and it's something that could stick in time. John Myatt is obviously going to have a challenge getting back into the team after they won 4-0, but we'll see how things go. John is back next Saturday, but we have a lot of competition now, all off a sudden there's competition people want to take penalties and stand up and be counted."

McIntyre was pleased with his players after they responded in the correct way after they lost 5-0 at home to Folkestone Invicta in the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Cup in midweek.

He said: "The 5-0 defeat hurt on Tuesday, not just me, the supporters, it really hurt the players, because they know they are better than that. They were never five goals worse off in a game with Folkestone Invicta."

McIntyre added: "One man doesn't make a team but just putting chances away, Mark Watson held the ball up and he brought all the other good players that we've got into play and boosted the other players' confidence.

He finished: "We are in a situation where we've got to rely on other teams dropping points not just us winning points. But if we can keep picking up points, who knows what will happen?"

Bromley: Danny Harwood, Danny Smith, Michael Harney, John Wilfort, Mark Willy (Capt), Colin Luckett, Gary Drewett, Jason McKoy (Bobby George 67), Mark Watson, Paul Vines (Adolph Amoako 55), Landry Zahana-Oni (Chris Hill 81). Subs: Wade Falana, Andrew Alphonso-Dalhouse

Bracknell Town: Chris Andrews, Stuart Hammonds (sent off 77), Ben Edwards (Michael Cook 74), Neil Baker (Capt), Reece White (Jody Yee 46), Damien Smith, Adam Crittenden, Danny Hayward, Garry Sargeant (James Rogers 46), Gavin Smith, Jon Palmer. Subs: Peter Griffin, Martin Hutt (GK)

Referee: Mr J Hopkins

Assistants: Mr M Staveley & Mr F Meilack

Attendance: 214