Bromley 2-3 Charlton Athletic - It's about time we got what we deserve, says Mark Goldberg

BROMLEY  2-3  CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Kent Senior Cup Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com Second Round
Tuesday 15^th November 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY boss Mark Goldberg says his side’s spirited displays against two League One clubs over the past three days’ will stand them in good stead as they bid to climb the Blue Square Bet South table.

The Ravens returned to earth following their FA Cup exploits at Leyton Orient on Saturday and they gave Charlton Athletic a second half scare as their visitors’ booked a trip to either Margate or Ramsgate in the Quarter-Finals on their long-awaited return to the Kent Senior Cup.

Bromley’s Achilles heel has been conceding early goals and Charlton Athletic opened the scoring after 233 seconds through winger Ruben Bover and the visitors’ appeared to be running away with it, but a string of fine saves from Tommy Forecast kept Bromley within touching distance at the break.

Goldberg made a tactical switch at the break and the introduction of Aaron Rhule sparked Bromley into life and the winger turned striker set up Hakeem Araba for an early second half leveller, before Charlton Athletic regained the lead just past the hour mark through Michael Smith’s free-header.

But muscular striker Araba, 20, converted a penalty with twelve minutes left for his ninth goal of the season to claw Bromley back into the game, before Charlton Athletic snatched a late victory when substitute Toby Silva headed home following their thirteenth corner of the game.

“Obviously disappointed that we’re not in the competition anymore,” Goldberg, 48, said afterwards.

“The competition means a lot to Bromley and to their supporters’ but I do feel that we gave a very good display of ourselves in the second half.

“First half I thought we were probably fortunate.  It would be fair to say we were fortunate in the first half only to go in 1-0 down. 

“We had to change things around at half-time.  We went with a different formation in the second half and it made all the difference.  We started very brightly and I think it’s fair to say in the second half we had more goalscoring opportunities than Charlton had and I think we even started playing football with good possession and maybe a neutral might question whether we really are as many league’s below, even though I know they put out a very young side but all credit to our lads’. 

“A draw (forcing extra time) would’ve been a deserved result as far as I’m concerned.”

Goldberg made five changes from the side that proudly exited the FA Cup First Round at Brisbane Road at the weekend with Nathan Green, Orlando Smith, Jamie Taylor, Michael Jones and Salifou Ibrahima drafted back into the squad.

Charlton Athletic showed their class during a one-sided first half and they almost set the tone after just 34 seconds.

Charlton right-back Freddie Warren whipped in an excellent cross towards the far post which was struck on an amazing, powerful, left-footed volley from Callum Harriott, which screamed just over the top of the near post from fifteen-yards.

Charlton Athletic swiftly opened the scoring, however, through Bover.

A slick move involving strikers Paul Benson and Michael Smith saw winger Harriott whip in a low centre and Bover turned and buried a low left-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner from six-yards.

Forecast, who is on loan from Championship club Southampton, was kept busy and he parried Harriott’s angled drive as Bromley started on the ropes.

But like a struggling boxer, the Blue Square Bet (Conference) South hosts battled back and created their first opportunity to score after just nine minutes.

Orlando Smith swung in a corner from the right which was cleared by Michael Smith and the ball fell invitingly for central midfielder Salifou Ibrahima, who struck a sweet low right-footed bouncing drive which was comfortably saved by visiting keeper Nick Pope.

But Forecast was forced into action again when he blocked the lively Benson’s shot after Harriott dummied Smith’s cross from the right.

The Bromley keeper excelled when he twice denied Smith just before the hour-mark as Charlton Athletic’s attacks were causing concern.

Harriott whipped in a low centre from the left and Smith turned and drove a low right-footed shot, which a diving Forecast parried low to his right.

And Forecast replicated a similar save to deny Smith from scoring from eighteen-yards.

But Bromley almost grabbed a 31^st minute equaliser with their best chance of the first half.

Liam Harwood played a ball up field from midfield and Ibrahima cut the ball back to Taylor, who unleashed a low right-footed drive from sixteen-yards, which forced Pope into making a swift save low to his right.

That chance lifted Bromley as they grew in confidence but they really should have been two goals down seven minutes later.

Benson clipped a right-wing cross into the six-yard box and his strike partner Smith somehow caressed a left-footed volley past the post when it looked easier to score.

Goldberg lifted his troops during the interval and he brought on Rhule to support Araba up front and Taylor slotted into the middle of the park.

And the tactical change worked as Bromley equalised just 111 seconds into the second half.

Charlton Athletic central defender Gary Doherty gifted the ball to Rhule who was eager to make amends following his red-card at Brisbane Road at the weekend and he showed good skill to make a yard and centred for Araba who side-footed the ball into the net from ten-yards.

Goldberg was full of praise for Araba by saying, “I think as the game went on he caused them more and more problems.  His hold up play was much better.   He’s still got a great future in the game and I’m proud of him.  He’s doing really well for us.

“He tucked the penalty away very well.  Unfortunately he’s taken a little bit of a bruised leg and we just hope he’s fit for Saturday.”

Forecast made a breath taking diving save to thwart Harriott from scoring with a left-footed half-volley from 25-yards, the goalkeeper diving to his right to fingertip the shot around the post.

The goalkeeper almost showed up that work when his poor clearance was charged down by Benson and fell to Bover, but Forecast recovered to parry the shot from outside of the Bromley penalty area.

But Bromley’s defence went missing as they gifted Charlton Athletic a 61^st minute lead.

Bover whipped in a right-footed free-kick from just outside the corner of the penalty area and no one in a white shirt tracked Smith’s run and he sent a glancing header past Forecast from eight-yards.

But Bromley showed almighty character to make a game of it following the half-way mark of the second half.

Green, who recovered following his early set-back, unleashed a left-footed free-kick from 25-yards which was caught by Pope at his near post.

Taylor and Rhule combined down the left channel and Rhule floated in a cross towards the near post which Araba flicked the ball up and clipped the ball over his shoulder, which was caught by a relieved Pope at his near post.

And then Taylor teed up a chance for Rhule, who clipped a left-footed shot towards the near corner, but Pope was not going to be troubled.

Man-of-the-Match Forecast kept Bromley in it when he pulled off another excellent diving save to finger-tip Smith’s glancing header behind after Ben Davisson had time and space to float a cross into the penalty area.

Goldberg, meanwhile, felt last-man Harry Lennon should have been red-carded by Maidstone based referee Stuart Butler (who didn’t produce a single card) for a professional foul on Rhule that resulted in Bromley scoring from the penalty spot with twelve minutes to go.

There were claims that Lennon touched the ball as Rhule went to ground, but Araba stepped up and fired a clinical right-footed penalty, which nestled into the bottom left-hand corner.

Goldberg claimed: “It’s so disappointing with the penalty decision to not send the player off when he’s the last man.  Shows what happens when referees tend to defend the Football League clubs rather than the smaller clubs.

“Anybody would see that he was the last man.  I’m not wishing for a player to be sent off.  You just want a fair run of the dice with the referee.”

Goldberg added: “I’m disappointed because I want to have fair decisions made fairly against both sides and with both sides.  I just feel it was one sided tonight.”

Rhule has been creating some interest from the professional game with Queen’s Park Rangers being the latest club interested in taking on the Bromley Academy starlet.

Goldberg said: “He’s been looked at by a number of clubs.  We’ll see what happens there but he’s our player and what a great prospect he is.  I’m sure he’s destined for professional football at the highest level.”

The Bromley boss also praised Taylor, who drove on his team-mates during the second half.

“He made a big difference when we put him in central midfield.  Today he showed what he was all about.”

And on the subject of players, when asked about Harry Harding’s future at Hayes Lane, Goldberg said of the central midfielder, “We’re looking to get him out on loan so he can get 90 minutes of football on a regular basis and maybe then he’ll come back to us.”

Bromley were now on top at this stage and it was the hosts that looked the more likely to go on and snatch victory or force extra time on a chilly night.

But full-time training paid off for Charlton Athletic as their thirteenth corner of the game gave them the winner with two minutes from time.

Davisson swung in a corner from the left and Forecast flapped at the ball and substitute Silva applied the finishing touch, nodding the ball into the net from two-yards out to send Bromley out.

Goldberg insisted the goal should have been ruled out.

“Our goalkeeper wasn’t able to jump as he was man-handled and the referee just didn’t have an answer to me at the end of the game,” he said.

Bromley pushed one last time at the death and following Green’s free-kick in the corner of the pitch, Rhule’s low shot from inside a crowded penalty area was cleared off the line by Diego Poyet.

Goldberg added: “I’m just do disappointed because we deserved better, our players’ deserved better, our supporters’ deserved better.

“In the end 3-2 and we can take some pride in our performance.   It’s about time we got what we deserved.  I don’t think we have recently!”

Bromley travel to Chelmsford City on Saturday before welcoming Hampton & Richmond Borough to Hayes Lane next Tuesday.

And Goldberg wants his side to take the plus-points out of their two games against Leyton Orient and Charlton Athletic for their league campaign and climb up the table, especially now they’re only five points above the relegation zone.

He said:  “I think people certainly say that we were worthy of competing against sides like them and you would even question if we were capable of getting a result.

“When you look at the first half performance (at Leyton Orient) and the second half performance against Charlton, we have to take a little pride in that.”

Bromley:  Tommy Forecast, Ugo Udoji, Nathan Green, Liam Harwood, Joe Dolan, Rob Gillman, Orlando Smith, Salifou Ibrahima (Aaron Rhule 46), Hakeem Araba, Lewis Taylor, Michael Jones (Rory Hill 60).
Subs: Marlon Patterson, Paul Agu, Ben Lockett

Goals: Hakeem Araba 47, 78 (pen)

Charlton Athletic: Nick Pope, Freddie Warren, Morgan Fox, Diego Poyet, Gary Doherty, Harry Lennon (Ade Azeez 82), Ruben Bover (Toby Silva 73), Bradley Pritchard, Paul Benson, Michael Smith, Callum Harriott (Ben Davisson 60).
Subs: Tosan Popo, Dillon Phillips

Goals: Ruben Bover 4, Michael Smith 61, Toby Silva 88

Attendance: 399
Referee: Mr Stuart Butler (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr Peter Cruise (Darenth) & Mr Martin Lehane (Bexleyheath)