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After collecting four points in two games as stand-in manager, Mark Harris hands over the managerial reigns back to Stuart McIntyre who returns for the midweek clash against Croydon Athletic after a week away in Scotland due to family commitments.

Surprisingly, Harris, an experienced centre-back whose playing career saw him play at Crystal Palace, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Gillingham, Kingstonian, before ending his playing career at Hayes Lane, is delighted to be handing over the managerial reigns back to McIntyre.

Harris, speaking after the 3-1 win at Hampton & Richmond Borough, was asked if he liked the role of manager, and he replied: “Not particularly no!  It’s good being back at Bromley with the boys and everything, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it but sometimes the decision making during the game is nerve racking.    Stuart McIntyre has helped picking the side, but when it comes to crossing that line and saying who should play and who shouldn’t and making substitutions it's nerve racking as you don’t want to make the wrong decision.”

Harris, however was without strike partners Wade Falana (knee) and top scorer with eighteen goals, Adolph Amoako (ankle) so Paul Vines and Bobby George played upfront.

Hampton & Richmond Borough were sitting in fourth place and within the opening five minutes tried long distance shots to try to beat goalkeeper Danny Harwood but skipper Dudley Gardner and Alan Inns were both off target.

Bromley’s most consistent player of the season, Mark Willy, played a ball over the top of the home defence and Vines won the race before he was pulled back by Sam Okafor down the left hand side inside the penalty area.

Referee Robert Barnard-Smith pointed to the penalty spot and brandished the right back a straight red card.  The Hampton number three took a long time to leave the field after protests from the home players.

Bobby George, however, kept his composure, firing low into the bottom left hand corner past experienced goalkeeper Adrian Blake to open the scoring after ten minutes to score his fourth goal of this campaign.

Hampton’s prolific goalscorer, Adrian Allen, fired high and wide of the left post five minutes later before the visitors created three chances to increase their lead in a three minute spell.

Midfielder Jason McKoy twice shot wide before a diagonal high ball from Colin Luckett fell to Gary Drewett, but the midfielder was leaning back and ballooned his shot high over the crossbar.

Six minutes before the break, visiting goalkeeper Danny Harwood made a fine save from Allen’s thirty-yard effort which took a wicked deflection of Mark Willy, but Harwood, who misses the midweek clash at home to Croydon Athletic with a one-match ban, clawed the shot around the post.

Appeals for a second Bromley penalty were waved away inside injury time when McKoy’s leg was taken away from him by Craig Webster before Orlando Jeffrey screwed a shot well wide of the near post after McKoy failed to get any purchase on a chested clearance inside his penalty box.

Hampton’s manager Alan Devonshire, a West Ham United legend, brought on a double substitution during the half time interval.  Former Bromley forward Tony Reid and Gardner both made way for Richard O’Conner and Stephen Omonka to add pace to the home side’s forward line.

As expected the home side increased the tempo early on with Allen firing over, and in between these efforts Bobby George (ankle) was replaced by Michael Harney within 46 seconds of the re-start.

Bromley weathered the early storm but had Harwood to thank to keeping their lead in tact after 59 minutes when he dived horizontally to his left to push O’Conner’s goalbound shot around the right post.

After this, however, Bromley grew in confidence and created some goalscoring chances of their own.

Blake was in the right position at the right time to save Harney’s snap shot from outside the penalty area before Drewett’s low centre from the right set up Vines who shot narrowly wide of the right post from close range.

Gary Drewett’s quickly taken corner to debutant Kevin George who crossed to the far post but McKoy’s header was off target.

Inns left footed effort from 20 yards rolled well wide of the left post for Hampton before Bromley doubled their lead with fourteen minutes remaining.

Bromley skipper, John Myatt, with 193 appearances to his name at Hayes Lane, played a ball for Vines to run on to.  Appeals for offside were turned down so the young former Cray Wanderers striker, ran towards goal before placing the ball to Blake’s right and into the back of the net.

A powerfully drilled effort from Allen was saved at the second attempt by on-form Harwood before Allen and O’Connor shot wide of the right post in the space of two minutes.

Hampton pulled a goal back with four minutes left on the clock.  Harwood was organising his wall from a free kick just outside the penalty area in a central position.  However, O’Conner took the free kick quickly and with the goalkeeper rooted to the spot, fired the free kick low to Harwood’s right and into the net.

Bromley went up the other end, and sealed their fourth double of the season.  Luckett’s free kick on the left hand side of the penalty area was powerfully headed into the back of the net by former Cray Wanderers defender Mark Willy who was delighted by scoring his second goal of the season.

Jeffrey could have grabbed a late second for the home side when he too beat the offside trap but with only Harwood to beat the ball bounced wide of the right post six minutes into stoppage time.

Bromley face Croydon Athletic twice in seven days.  Both teams are on the same amount of points (52) and only goal difference separates both top nine sides. The first game takes place at Bromley's Hayes Lane home on Tuesday (7.45pm) before the return fixture at Mayfields in Thornton Heath (Tuesday 2 March).  Sandwiched between, however, is a home clash with Whyteleafe at Hayes Lane next Saturday 28 February (3pm).

Hampton & Richmond Borough:  Adrian Blake, Craig Webster, Sam Okafor (sent off 8), Rob Paris (Matt Glynn 71), Alan Inns, Orlando Jeffrey, Dudley Gardner (Capt, Richard O'Conner HT), Adrian Allen, Tony Reid (Stephen Omonka HT), Marcello Fernandes, Obinna Ulasi.  Subs: Eric Kwayke, Lee Channell

Bromley: Danny Harwood, Danny Smith, Kevin George (Paul Kember 87), Mark Willy, Colin Luckett, John Wilfort, Gary Drewett (David Smith 73), John Myatt (Capt), Bobby George (Michael Harney 46), Paul Vines, Jason McKoy.  Subs: Edwin Mante, Mark Hammond

Referee: Robert Bernard-Smith

Assistants: Lee Collins & Mr Graham Matthews

Attendance: 211