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Bromley sunk by late equaliser

Walton & Hersham 3-3 Bromley
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 3 April 2004
Stephen McCartney reports from Stompond Lane

Bromley dropped two points against a very physical Walton & Hersham side at Stompond Lane on Saturday.  Stuart McIntyre’s men will need to collect maximum points from their last six Ryman League Division One South games to ensure they finish the season in the top seven.

With Windsor & Eton, Lewes, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Dulwich Hamlet, Worthing and Staines Town sitting in the top six, Bromley face a fight with Slough Town for seventh place and a play off against the team that finishes in seventh spot in the Ryman League Division One North.

Slough Town have the advantage, however, as they raced into a 3-0 half time lead at Leatherhead before the Surrey side pulled two goals back in the second half.  The Berkshire side, with a game in hand over Bromley, have a seven point lead, and Bromley will need to win all their remaining games and hope Slough slip up in their remaining games.

Slough have still to play Molesey (home), leaders Windsor & Eton (away), Whyteleafe (home), Egham Town (away), Metropolitan Police (away), before finishing the season with two home games, against Worthing and Croydon.

Bromley need to beat third from bottom Egham Town at the Runnymeade Stadium, Tempest Road on Tuesday and Ashford Town (Middlesex) at Hayes Lane on Saturday.  Bromley then travel to fourth placed Dulwich Hamlet on Easter Monday, before hosting league leaders Windsor & Eton on Saturday 17 April at Hayes Lane. Their final home game is against bottom of the table, Epsom & Ewell on Saturday 24 April before a trip to Marlow on the final day of the season seven days later.

It can also be fair to say the standard of officiating in the Ryman League this season  is very poor, and the man in the middle at Stompond Lane, Mr K Haines, had a very poor game in a very crucial fixture for both clubs.

His first mistake of many, came after only 123 seconds when he failed to award the home side a penalty kick after Wes Goggin, who latched onto a long pass from dreadlocked defender Gus Hurdle, was upended inside the penalty area by Bromley goalkeeper Danny Harwood twelve yards from goal on the left hand side.

This decision spurred on the home side, unbeaten in eleven league games, and Harwood got down low to his right to see Carl Gibbs’ drive roll across the face of goal before being cleared close to the left post.

Mark Nwokeji raced down the left channel and won the battle for the ball with central defender John Wilfort reaching the visitors penalty area.  After cutting inside, he squared the ball to his unmarked skipper Gibbs, but he lashed his ten-yard shot over the crossbar.

Bromley then got into the game and after some good pressure down the right hand side, Gary Drewett’s left footed shot flew high over the bar from the right hand side of the penalty area from seventeen yards.

However, Bromley took the lead after 19 minutes when Danny Smith delivered a high cross from the right hand side and recent signing from Lewes, Mark Watson challenged goalkeeper Nick Gindre, who dropped the ball allowing Frenchman Landry Zahana-Oni to score from eight yards.

Things got better for Bromley when they doubled their lead five minutes later.  Jason McKoy tried his luck from a central position some 25 yards from goal and his shot crashed off the crossbar, despite the goalkeeper jumping to try to push the ball over the bar.  The ball dropped nicely for Watson whose initial rebound brought a fine block from Gindre from point-blank range, but the shot had enough power on it to cross the line inside the left post.

Facing a 2-0 deficit, Walton & Hersham decided it was time to hurt Bromley in the only way they can – by bullying and hurting them physically.

Watson’s game was ended in the 30^th minute by a hard, crude challenge from Hurdle close to the right corner flag.  His only punishment was a yellow card, and Watson (bruising below the ankle) hobbled off the pitch to be replaced by leading scorer Adolph Amoako.

Michael Harney and Amoako were the next to fill the full brunt of challenges, Harney was fouled by Gibbs, and the left sided defender fell awkwardly on his knee on a rock hard poor playing surface and Amoako was also off the pitch when the home side were awarded a penalty kick two minutes before the interval.

Nwokeji was brought down eight yards from goal by Bromley skipper Dean Forbes, who played for Kent League Beckenham Town last Saturday to improve his fitness,  and the referee quickly pointed to the penalty spot.

Neil Lampton smashed the penalty high into the net, just right of centre, past Harwood who had dived to his right and this goal lifted Walton & Hersham.

Substitute Steve Potterill came onto the pitch replacing Harney and Gibbs, who kicked out at the visiting players whenever he could, and got away with it, raised his hands to Wilfort pushing the defender in the face as Wilfort tried to roll the ball towards the centre circle.  The referee flashed yellow cards to both players, when Gibbs was the guilty party and Wilfort the innocent one.

The last chance of the half fell to Amoako who headed wide at the far post after Gary Drewett’s free kick was flicked on by Zahana-Oni after Colin Luckett was taken out any another challenge, which he needed treatment on the six-lane athletics track.

Paul Vines was fouled by Adam Thompson just outside the penalty area inside the D in a central position and Luckett’s free kick rolled its way into Gindre’s grasp making a comfortable save.

Bromley made the score 3-1 with another fine goal after 51 minutes.  Luckett’s long pass was chested by Vines and was closely marked close to the left corner flag.  Getting the better of his marker, the former Cray Wanderers reserve team striker, delivered a high cross which caught out Gindre, who had to back peddle, but managed to punch the ball straight to Potterill whose scooping header from eight yards found the bottom left corner of the net.

However, Walton brought on substitute Reggie Savage and within four minutes he pulled a goal back for the home side after 62 minutes.

Nwokeji played a major part racing down the right channel before squaring the ball to Savage who slotted home from seven yards making an almost immediate impact on the game.

Luckett delivered a free kick from just outside the penalty area on the right hand side and the ball came of the top of Amoako’s head going well wide of the target when it appeared if he had communicated with Vines, who was behind him, his team-mate might have increased their lead.

Savage latched onto a long ball, which cut out Forbes and Wilfort, and the Walton substitute only had Harwood to beat but the Bromley number one did ever so well blocking the shot after 72 minutes.

Lampton almost scored his second goal with ten minutes remaining but his right-footed shot sailed inches over from the crossbar.

However, Walton & Hersham denied Bromley a vital victory with a cruel equaliser five minutes before the end of the game.

Thompson struck a fierce drive outside the penalty area on the left hand side, and Wilfort, whose vision was blocked by Drewett, didn’t know much about the shot, the ball came off his shoulder and with Harwood rooted to the spot unable to do anything about it, the ball bounced into the back of the net.

Just before the end of the game, Amoako should have found the back of the net when he received a threaded pass from McKoy and with only the goalkeeper to beat, Gindre made a fine block.  The loose ball was picked up by McKoy, who under pressure from Simon Sobihy, blasted the shot from 16 yards high over the bar.

Walton & Hersham hero, Thompson drilled a low shot from 16 yards that whistled wide of the left post inside stoppage time.

Walton & Hersham: Nick Gindre, Adam Thompson, Ricky Alexander (Jamie Reive 83), Tommy Moorhouse, Gus Hurdle, Simon Sobihy, Neil Lampton, Sam Keevill, Mark Nwokeji, Carl Gibbs (Capt), Wes Goggin (Reggie Savage 58).  Subs: Rob Wimble, Luke Garrard (GK)

Bromley: Danny Harwood, Dean Forbes (Capt), Michael Harney (Steve Potterill 42), John Wilfort, Colin Luckett, Danny Smith, Gary Drewett, Jason McKoy, Mark Watson (Adolph Amoako 30), Paul Vines (Ahmet Suleymanoglu 81), Landry Zahana-Oni.  Subs: Wade Falana, Bobby George

Attendance: 172

Referee: Mr K Haines

Assistants: Mr S Thorne & Mr S Waterson