Bromley 2-0 Chipstead - They'll take these moments and they will stay with them for ever, says Bromley Academy manager Mark Hammond

Bromley 2 – 0 Chipstead (Surrey)
Location	Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF
Kickoff	30/10/2017 19:45

BROMLEY  2-0  CHIPSTEAD
The FA Youth Cup First Round
Monday 30^th October 2017
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY Academy manager Mark Hammond says it’s an outstanding achievement to reach The FA Youth Cup Second Round.

The Vanarama National League club beat Bostik South outfit Chipstead courtesy of two second half goals from striker Tahjae Anderson and central defender Ola Williams, as the Ravens sealed a home date against Luton Town or Stevenage.

“Outstanding achievement,” hailed Hammond after he has guided the club past Maidstone United, Hastings United and Chipstead to set up a game against League Two opposition in this prestigious Cup competition for teenagers.

“The boys showed a lot of character and maturity tonight in their play.

“Chipstead are a good team, well-organised, you can tell they’ve been coached, hence why they’ve done so well to get where they are and we didn’t underestimate them.

“We knew it was going to be tough, but we kind of believed if we kept doing our style of play, our movement or patterns of play, as long as we didn’t get frustrated and let them dominate us, I was always confident we could get it over the line.”

Chipstead performed well during the first half with central defender and their captain William Allardyce standing out, along with number 10 Oska Henderson and left-winger Jake Robinson.

Chipstead created the first opening inside the opening 13 minutes after Bromley cleared away Ryan Stedman-Houite’s in-swinging corner from the right.  The ball was put back in towards the edge of the box by right-back Alex Sargent and Henderson brought the ball under control, turned to sweep his low shot into Kristupas Burba’s hands from 22-yards.

“Again, similar to Maidstone when we played them, they had early chances and if the 10, if he slots that ball and the keeper doesn’t save it early on, it’s a different game,” added Hammond.

Both teams exploited the artificial pitch at Hayes Lane by keeping the ball on the deck, which was attractive to watch.

“The philosophy is from the gaffer (Neil Smith). He wants exciting and attractive football so I’m governed by what the gaffer wants but also I share those beliefs,” said Hammond, 39, a winger during his playing days. 

“We want exciting and attractive football and we do like to keep it down and play through the thirds and built and try to work moments.  There’s an intensity, there’s a tempo and shall we say penetrative football.  At the moment the training sessions are energetic right the way through the youth Academy, through to the Academy, right the way through to the first team. It’s starting to hopefully take shape.”

Bromley created their first opening after 17 minutes, creating a couple of chances within 36 seconds.

Aiden Enver slipped the ball into Tre Canns, the holding midfielder at the base of the diamond slipped the ball through on a low diagonal to Spencer Cripps, who drilled his low shot past the right-hand post from 23-yards.

Then, Bromley right-back Guy Baskerville threaded the ball into Tahjae Anderson’s feet, the striker turning and stroking a low left-footed drive into Joshua Barnard’s hands from similar range.

Chipstead squandered a glorious chance to take the lead following their second corner of the game.

It was swung in from the right by their left-back Steadman-Houite and the large frame of central defender Marcus Travers rose to glance his free header just past the left-hand post from four-yards.

Hammond said: “Huge chance and if that goes in, we’re chasing the game.  They build momentum that way but on the flip side of it we went up the other end and we kind of had two chances through Spencer Cripps.”

Bromley captain Marlon Peter-Brown played Riphi Kalala in behind Stedman-Houite but his drilled low shot from 16-yards from the right-hand side of the penalty area forced Barnard to stoop down at his near post to direct the ball behind for a corner.

As the fog started to linger above the pitch from chilly dark skies, these two very good sides cancelled each other out.

Chipstead keeper Barnard was twice called into action to keep his side level going into the break.

Enver clipped the ball sailing over Sargent’s head to find Cripps, who cut into the box and the keeper bravely gathered the cut back at his near post.

Four minutes later, a clearance from Barnard was met by Enver’s bullet header from the middle of the park and this put Cripps through down the left.  The winger cut into the middle but a poor touch allowed Barnard to come rushing out to make a brave block on the very edge of his penalty area in a central position.

Hammond said: “Spencer just over ran the ball. I was confident that he would’ve slotted it. Spencer had a good game tonight, it just didn’t sit for him. He did everything than score!

“I think the second half of the first half we was in control and that was where we started to shine and sort of dominated and got through the pitch and get in key positions but we just couldn’t execute the finish.”

When asked about his thoughts at the break, Hammond and Ben Chorley asked for patience from their team.

“Don’t get frustrated, keep believing what you are doing, can you get it across the line? Be determined and you’ve got to need to go again, don’t feel nervous, don’t let the occasion beat you,” said Hammond.

Chipstead goalkeeper Barnard pulled off a world-class save to prevent Bromley taking a deserved lead, just 182 seconds in.

Tahjae Anderson floated in a cross from the right and with his back to goal Peter-Brown’s wonderful overhead kick from six-yards out was tipped onto the crossbar by the outstanding Barnard.

“I thought their keeper was outstanding tonight, he made four or five key saves. He was busy in the second half and there was one save where he was across and it went across and I don’t know how he got a hand to it but he pulled it out to be fair to him.”

Bromley continued to knock on the door and went close again shortly afterwards.

Central defender Liam Coates played a ball forward down the line, the ball was dummied by Cripps and this put Tahjae Anderson through on goal, but Barnard narrowed the angle to beat away a rushed drive from the Bromley striker from the edge of the box.

“Spencer was busy, he’s a very, very good player,” Hammond said of the former Crystal Palace midfielder.

“He works his moments. He's always got a disguised outcome. He kind of knows where he’s going with it but you’re kind of governed by the stuff he performs because he’s a very good player.”

Canns played the ball along the deck towards the edge of the Chipstead box, Tahjae Anderson laid the ball back for Cripps, who drove his left-footed shot into Barnard’s gloves from 20-yards.

Bromley missed a glorious sitter to smash the deadlock in the 59^th minute.

Tahjae Anderson swept the ball out to Peter-Brown on the right and he whipped in a low cross through the corridor of uncertainty and an unmarked Cripps dragged his left-footed shot across the keeper and past the far post from four-yards out.

“Ben Chorley kept saying them to ‘be patient, be patient, keep moving the ball, they will tire and when they tire, gaps appear and just take your moment and our moment came,” came Hammond’s response.

Bromley continued to dominate and it was only a matter of time for their pressure to count.

Enver floated in a cross from the left and Tahjae Anderson rose to loop his header into Barnard’s hands from eight-yards, before the Bromley striker cut inside towards the edge of the box and his left-footed drive was gobbled up by the busy Barnard.

Bromley made a tactical switch when Donnell Anderson replaced Canns in the 64th minute.  He slotted in beside Williams at the heart of defence and Coates played in the holding midfield role, while Cripps and Ashan Jones were pushed up to join Tahjae Anderson.

Bromley thoroughly deserved the breakthrough goal when it arrived with 23 minutes and 38 seconds on the clock.

With Allardyce struggling to emulate his impressive first half performance, Tahjae Anderson cut inside and Barnard parried Cripps low shot and Tahjae Anderson stroked his shot on the turn across the keeper, the ball nestling inside the bottom far corner from 12-yards, pleasing Hammond.

He said:  “Brilliant!  They were working the moment. Ben Chorley said to them work the weak area of the back four, Tahjae listened to the instructions at half-time and fortunately it paid off. We grounded them down, tired them, you could see they were getting fatigued in that area of the back four, worked the moment and cleverly finished.”

The lively Cripps ran down the right before whipping in a cross for Tahjae Anderson to hook his shot on the turn straight at Barnard, for a comfortable save.

Cripps’ flicked pass found Tahjae Anderson down the right and Cripps’ left-footed shot from a tight angle brought another comfortable save from the Chipstead keeper.

It was no surprise, however, when Bromley killed off a tiring Chipstead side, the second goal timed at 32 minutes and 47 seconds on the clock.

Bromley won the corner count six-two and their second goal came following their final corner.

Enver swung in the ball from the right towards the near post and Williams rose to plant his header into the top right-hand corner.

“He’s scored three on the spin now, Ola. We work on set-pieces and we worked on them this morning and on Saturday,” revealed Hammond.

“Ola is a treat from set-pieces.  We said at half-time our set-pieces weren’t as accurate or the timing was just a little bit out of place so fair play to them.  They showed a maturity tonight to correct something and put it right and convert and score a goal.”

Chipstead manager Martin Fuller reacted to that set-back by bringing on a couple of subs and put three men (Billy Carney, Lateef Oladokun and Jack Johnson) up front but Chipstead were living off scraps during a one-sided second half.

“We said if we keep moving the ball side-to-side, they won’t be able to press and get across in their shape quickly enough, at some stage they will tire,” added Hammond.

James Skelton slotted back into defence and drove forward with the ball but his initial pass was cleared back to him and the Chipstead man dragged his shot wide from outside the box.

It should have been 3-0 inside stoppage time. Enver’s drilled shot was parried by Barnard, diving to his left, he then blocked a follow-up shot from substitute right-winger Juliano Marku and only Tahjae Anderson will know how he placed his shot past the post with an open goal to aim at from inside the six-yard box.

“Tahjae did really well tonight. Aiden Enver grew into the game and got better and stronger and was a key player tonight. He drove us forward in and around him with his energy and his intensity.  He kept the ball moving and keeping it alive shifting it side-to-side. He’s a young talent that’s in the first team squad to really proud of him tonight.

Reflecting on their Second Round appearance, Hammond said: “I don’t think it’s been done, I don’t think so, I don’t think the club has been there as an Academy, it’s an amazing achievement. 

“The club at the moment is building an identity through its recruitment of players. It has a framework, a philosophy that takes time and we’re kind of seeing the small steps that are being taken for everybody.  Everybody at the moment is driving the project, the coaching staff, the teaching staff, the first team players, they’re all supporting the Academy and it's phenomenal. They were in the changing room at the end celebrating with the boys.  That comes from Neil Smith. He wants that tight unit, not just the first team but for the club.”

When asked about playing Luton Town or Stevenage next in this competition, Hammond replied: “Another amazing achievement, yes, bring it on!  Let’s go, whoever, Luton or Stevenage, another great opportunity for the boys. They’ll take these moments and they will stay with them forever and hopefully I believe we can go again.”

Now it’s the turn of Smith’s first team, who travel to Sky Bet League One bottom-six side Rochdale in The Emirates FA Cup First Round on Saturday.

Bromley have the players in their ranks to cause an upset.  After all they are now a professional outfit,  in seventh-place in the Vanarama National League table with eight wins, four draws and six defeats, as they look to go down in history to become the first Bromley team to reach the Second Round of The FA Cup for the first time in 72 long years.

There has never been a better time to create even more history for this great 125-year-old club.

Bromley: Kristupas Burba, Guy Baskerville, Riphi Kalala, Tre Canns (Donnell Anderson 64), Ola Williams, Liam Coates, Marlon Peter-Brown, Aiden Enver, Tahjae Anderson, Ashan Jones (Juliano Marku 84), Spencer Cripps (Rodney Adamon 80).
Subs: Klaudio Krasniqi, Kerry Ogbeifun

Goals: Tahjae Anderson 69, Ola Williams 77

Chipstead: Joshua Barnard, Alex Sargent, Ryan Steadman-Houite, James Skelton, William Allardyce (Jack Johnson 70), Marcus Travers, George Culver (Lateef Oladokun 80), Bob Fowler (Mason Campbell 80), Billy Carney, Oska Henderson, Jake Robinson.
Subs: Kai Martin, Kieren Newman

Booked: James Skelton 81

Attendance: 218
Referee: Mr Dave Harrison (Wickford, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Piotr Zachwieja (Chatham) & Mr Zoltan Konkoly (Maidstone)

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