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Thursday 01st September 2005

Amoako's double sends Bromley into seventh heaven

Only one point and one place away from "super-six" for McIntyre's men

Metropolitan Police 1-3 Bromley

Saturday 7 February 2004

Ryman League Division One South

Stephen McCartney reports from Imber Court

Victory at Metropolitan Police today has put Bromley in a very healthy position in the Ryman League Division One South table.

Stuart McIntyre's men are now sitting in seventh place with 48 points from 28 games, and only one point away from that elusive sixth place and promotion back into the top flight of Ryman League football.

However, their next three games at Hayes Lane are all "six-pointers". Slough Town, sitting in eighth place with 46 points visit on Tuesday before sixth placed Worthing, one point ahead of Bromley visit on Saturday (subject to Worthing not winning their midweek FA Trophy replay with Hednesford Town) before Croydon Athletic, in ninth place with 46 points visit on Tuesday 17th February.

Bromley were without Mark Willy (wedding) and Danny Smith, who was starting a three match ban, and the hosts, who were lying in 21st place, shocked their higher placed visitors, taking the lead after only 47 seconds.

Left winger, Scott Bennetts played a telling cross which cut out defender John Butler at the near post and Colin Luckett at the far post and left goalkeeper Danny Harwood in two minds whether to come for the cross and this allowed Chris Rose to nip in and slot home at the far post.

Bromley, who lost grasp of the London Senior Cup in midweek losing 1-0 to Dulwich Hamlet, responded and equalised after seven minutes.

Harwood's clearance was won in the air by Wade Falana and the ball dropped nicely for Mark Hammond down the right flank. His cross had goalkeeper Stuart MacKenzie in two minds to come for the ball at the near post, and Adolph Amoako got their first to shoot into the net from four yards.

Seven minutes later Bromley took the lead. Rose fouled Jason McKoy on the half way line and Luckett's free kick found Falana's head and yet again the ball fell for Amoako to hook the ball into the net from 12 yards.

After quarter-of-an hour, Harwood threw the ball out and the ball struck Bennetts back and after going for a run he struck the shot straight at Harwood from 20 yards before Ian Whitby's drive was deflected wide of the left upright from outside the penalty area a minute later.

Bromley's South African defender, Steve Potterill, ten yards from goal, got in the way of Andrew Oxby's driven free kick from 25 yards out after 22 minutes.

A Police attack broke down in midfield and John Myatt passed to Michael Harney and his pass was controlled by Amoako's chest before he brought the ball under control and crossed into the area where Falana headed over the crossbar from 16 yards.

McKoy's cross from midfield went over Bennetts into Hammonds path down the right flank, after toying with the home side's best player, Hammond ran across the penalty area before being upended on the edge of the penalty box area by Dave Newman who was booked for his troubles.

Luckett's free kick from 18 yards narrowly curled over the top of the right upright before Ian Batten's snap volley 22 yards from goal found Harwood on the right post who made an awkward save at the other end.

With five minutes remaining Whitby tried and overhead kick that went horribly wrong as the ball flew well wide of the left post.

Bromley increased their advantage with a third goal with only seven seconds remaining of the allotted 45 minutes.

McKoy's cross was flapped by experienced goalkeeper MacKenzine, and Falana, who was waiting at the far post inside the penalty area, capitalised on the mistake firing a shot from an acute angle inside the near post.

Wearing sky blue shirts, and 3-1 down at the break, the home side needed a miracle comeback just like Manchester City in their 4-3 FA Cup midweek win at Tottenham Hotspur.

The home side increased the urgency and tempo after the break and within eight minutes Rose won a header ahead of Luckett inside the penalty area and Whitby, who came sliding in at the far post, shot wide of the right post.

A minute later Bromley went close to scoring a fourth goal when Falana volleyed narrowly wide of the right post from Hammond's free kick as Paul Kember came rushing in on the blind side.

Metropolitan Police should have scored in the 57th minute when Batten's whipped in free kick was headed against the crossbar from 14 yards by Jon Daly. However, the ball dropped to defender Newman unmarked and with an open goal, and with defender Michael Harney trying to recover, somehow fired narrowly wide of the right post.

The home side started to throw everything at Bromley as the pitch cut up during the second half and made it difficult for Bromley to play their usual attacking football and they decided it was best to sit back and soak up the pressure that was being thrown at them.

Batten drilled a 30 yard shot straight at Harwood who got his body fully behind the ball and Harwood dived to his right to smother Whitby's low centre from the right inside the penalty area.

With ten minutes remaining Bromley played good passing down the right with Gary Drewett, Amoako, Paul Kember and John Myatt getting involved before Amoako delivered a cross for Kember whose shot from 24 yards to the right of the D curled narrowly wide of the right post.

Drewett headed clear Batten's flag kick and the visitors went on the breakaway. McKoy played the ball upfront and Amoako won a throw-in down the left. From Harney's first time cross from the left the ball was cleared to Drewett whose shot from inside the D, under pressure from a sliding tackle, flew high and wide.

A very good all-round team performance from Bromley, they all played well, dug in when it mattered and if they all play with the same belief and passion for the final eighteen league games of the season, there is no doubt Stuart McIntyre's men will be one of the "super six" and win promotion at the end of the season.

Metropolitan Police: Stuart MacKenzie, Stuart Harte (Symon James 78), Kori Davis, Mark Harper, Dave Newman, Andrew Oxby (Paul Sears 86), Jon Daly (Capt), Ian Batten, Chris Rose, Ian Whitby, Scott Bennetts. Subs: Carl Naylor, Neal Williams, Jon Ashwood

Bromley: Danny Harwood, Steve Potterill, Michael Harney, John Butler, Colin Luckett, Paul Kember, Mark Hammond (Gary Drewett 64), John Myatt (Capt), Adolph Amoako (Paul Vines 87), Wade Falana (David Smith 90), Jason McKoy. Subs: John Wilfort, Edwin Mante

Attendance: 151

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