bromvmarl171203

Bromley sunk by Marlow
Bromley 0-2 Marlow
Tuesday 16 December 2003
Ryman League Division One South
by Stephen McCartney

In front of their lowest crowd of the season, Bromley put on another sorry show at Hayes Lane to crash to their fourth home defeat of the season at the Clive Christian Stadium.

Victory for Bromley would have put them in a healthy fourth place ahead of Saturday's trip to league leaders, Lewes.

Instead, their display had most of the 157 Hayes Lane faithful heading towards the exit long before Marlow added their second goal with four minutes left on the clock.

Bromley, however, should have scored from one of their two opportunities inside eleven minutes.

Marlow goalkeeper, Kieron Drake saved Adolph Amoako's twenty yard pile driver but the Ravens top goalscorer, should have added to his eleven goals this season after eleven minutes.

Crisp passing out of defence at the left back position from Colin Luckett and Jason McKoy saw John Wilfort play a long ball for Tony Reid to chase down the left channel.

The former Lewes front man got to the left hand side of the penalty area before crossing for Amoako, but his strike partner leaned back on the shot and the ball sailed over the Marlow crossbar from 12 yards.

Unmarked Robert McLay received the ball on the right hand side of the Bromley penalty area and his low drive was saved by Bromley goalkeeper Andy Hunt.

Hunt, starting only his third game of the season, replaced the ill Danny Harwood between the sticks.

Danny Smith's cross was headed wide of the post by Tony Reid before the home side were given a warning when poor control from Yashwa Romeo allowed Hunt to collect the ball.

Reliable Bromley left sided defender, Michael Harney, delivered a free kick but Reid got the last touch to the ball with a flicked header wide of the post.

A nervous Hayes Lane crowd were inspired when Harney won the ball in midfield off McLay and made a superb run down the left flank.  His cross, however, with Reid the only Bromley attacker inside the penalty area,  was put behind for a corner by John Beale.

Seven minutes into the second half, Drake had no problems saving Amoako's low shot on goal.

Marlow's skipper, Tim Cook, missed a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring after 56 minutes but his powerful header narrowly flew over Hunt's crossbar from six yards out following  Stuart Lake's flag kick.

Moments later, Hunt's poor punch out fell nicely to John Isaac on the edge of the penalty box but the shot was wayward.

England rugby hero, Jonny Wilkinson would have been proud of Romeo's effort which rose high over the Bromley Times sponsored terrace into the tree behind the ground in the car park.

But Romeo quickly made amends moments later giving Marlow the lead after 63 minutes, shocking the Hayes Lane faithful, which denied Bromley a chance to rise from ninth to fourth in the Ryman League Division One South table.

Seb Neptune's pass should have been cleared by Bromley's last defender Luckett, but he failed to do so, allowing Romeo a chance to run towards goal, facing Hunt on a one-on-one situation.

Hunt did, however, make a smart block, but Romeo had a second bit of the cherry and slotted the ball into an empty net to please the vocal, handful of travelling Marlow supporters.

The goal knocked the confidence of the home side, who had won their last two games, 2-1 at Horsham seven days earlier, and 2-0 at home to Croydon last Saturday.

Hunt pulled off a fine reflex save with ten minutes remaining, diving low to his left to push Lake's shot around the post.

With the majority of the home supporters making their way home, Marlow added a second goal with four minutes left on the clock.

Seb Neptune's stunning low shot from 25 yards beat Hunt to find the inside corner of the left upright from a central position.

Jerry Dolke, Bromley's chairman/manager said:  "Very disappointed with our second half display, where we had no idea on breaking them down even when we went three men upfront, chasing the game. 

"It was a case of missed chances in the first half, when we were doing the things people were asked to do, but we didn't create one single opportunity in the second half." added Dolke.

Bromley: Andy Hunt, Joe Vines, Mark Willy, Paul Kember (John Myatt 60), Colin Luckett, Danny Smith (Capt), (Mark Hammond 81), Jason McKoy (Paul Vines 72), Tony Reid, Adolph Amoako, Michael Harney.  Subs: Grant Watts, Steve Potterill
 
Marlow:  Kieron Drake, Laurence Brown, Jeff Lamb, Tim Cook (Capt) John Beale, Alex Rodrigues, John Isaac, Stuart Lake, Yashwa Romeo, Seb Neptune (Jeffrey Brown 90), Robert McLay.  Subs: Robert Wilkinson, Michael Floyd

Attendance: 157
Referee: Mr S Briffitt
Assistants: Mr R Allum and Mr A Patel

COMING UP FOR BROMLEY
Saturday 20 December Lewes  vs  Bromley            3.00
Boxing Day, Friday 26 December Bromley vs  Dulwich Hamlet  3.00
Thursday 1 January, 2004 Molesey vs  Bromley            3.00