Cray Wanderers 2-3 Bromley - We want to finish our journey with winners' medals, says Hayden Bird

Tuesday 12th April 2011

CRAY WANDERERS 2-3 BROMLEY
Kent Senior Cup Semi-Final
Tuesday 12th April 2011

Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY boss Hayden Bird says he wants to guide his club to their highest ever finish in Blue Square Bet South - and taste success in his first ever Kent Senior Cup Final.

Bird saw his side come out on top against tenants Cray Wanderers to book their place in the showpiece final against league rivals Dartford.

Bromley secretary Colin Russell lost the coin toss inside the boardroom after the game so Dartford’s co-chairman Dave Skinner opted to stage the Showpiece Final at Princes Park on the agreed date - Bank Holiday Monday, 2 May (3pm).

Bromley took full advantage of home advantage when they defeated Tonbridge Angels (2006) and Ebbsfleet United (2007) in recent finals, but they will have to travel to Dartford if they are to lift the silverware for the seventh time in their history.

Cray Wanderers - who were defeated by Ebbsfleet United in their only Kent Senior Cup Final in 2008 - dominated proceedings early on and they took a deserved lead after 24 minutes when striker Leigh Bremner converted his eleventh goal of the season from close range.

But the impressive Harrison Dunk, 20, rifled home Bromley’s equaliser just eleven minutes later, before things turned in the landlords favour when Cray Wanderers right-back Allan McLeod scored an own goal on the stroke of half-time.

Bromley killed the game off when substitute Jerrome Sobers headed home nine minutes into the second half, but the Ryman Premier League Wands fought back through a quality Ross Lover free-kick to make things interesting during the final nineteen minutes.

Cray Wanderers’ midfielder Danny Phillips was red-carded by referee Paul Kelly after the final whistle, following an “altercation” with assistant referee James Macey.

“I’m really pleased to get into the Final,” said Bird. “Really pleased for the players. I think it’s clear to see that since the Thurrock game they’ve turned the corner and I think they deserve their place in the Final.”

Long-serving Cray Wanderers boss Ian Jenkins admitted he was feeling “gutted” as his side will not pick up any major silverware in their 150th anniversary year.

“I thought we were the best side all night to be honest with you, in terms of, we were getting the ball down and passing it all night. We’re like that but just gutted really in general.

“We conceded two, maybe three soft goals, poor defensive errors at the back. It’s gutting really, because the players deserved more tonight.”

The Bromley grounds staff used sprinklers to soak the rock-hard playing surface at least fifteen minutes before kick-off - but Cray Wanderers were the side that dominated proceedings early on, but Laurent Hamici and John Guest didn’t capitalise.

Hamici, who linked up well with Bremner, smashed a right-footed drive from 22-yards, which deflected wide, but Guest should have done better when he met Jack Clark’s cross from the left (following Lover’s shot corner), but the central defender powered his header over from six-yards.

The Wands were bossing possession and deserved to draw first blood.

Aaron Day slipped the ball in behind the Bromley defence for Hamici and he reached the right by-line and his cut back found Bremner at the near post, who slid the ball in with his left foot from close range.

Jenkins hailed the team-work to the goal as “fantastic.”

“They’ve been linking well recently in the last five or six games,” said Jenkins.

“They have sort of got a rapport now and it was great, brilliant from Lol to set Bremns up and a very good finish.

“He was unlucky not to get another one, there was one that was offside, the keeper pulled off a worldy and we were unlucky not to go in two or three (up).”

Cray rued a decent chance to double their lead six minutes after their breakthrough when Clark’s penetrating run produced a pin-point cross which found Bremner unmarked inside the box, but he powered his header over from ten-yards.

The Wands had a goal ruled out for offside when Lover’s free-kick was met by a downward header from skipper Mark Willy, which was blocked by Bromley keeper Craig Holloway, but Bremner was in an offside position when he stabbed the ball over the line.

Bromley’s first chance arrived in the 33rd minute when the club’s longest serving player - Tutu Henriques - unleashed a left-footed daisy-cutter from 30-yards, which was spilt by Cray keeper Dave King, who swiftly pounced on the ball before Charlie Ide.

Bromley levelled just two minutes later, and Dunk deserved his goal, after driving on his side from his position at left wing-back.

Leon McKenzie’s knock down sent Ide on his way towards the by-line and he rolled the ball across the face of goal and Dunk ghosted in unmarked at the far post to rifle a right-footed shot into the roof of the net, giving the diving King no chance.

Bird believes Dunk has a very bright future in the game.

He said: “Harrison is a player that is above this level. It’s a pleasure to work with him. He’s been a tremendous asset to Bromley Football Club and as much as I would like Harrison to be a Bromley player next season, I fully expect him to be a professional footballer and the lad deserves to be a professional footballer.”

Jenkins agreed, saying, “The kid was different class tonight. He was their best player tonight by far so good luck to him, I wouldn’t mind him in my team but we had players out there that are as good!”

Holloway was called into action when he dived to his left to turn away a curling right-footed free-kick from Lover, before Bromley grabbed the lead with 45:53 on the clock.

Harry Harding swung in a left-wing corner towards the far post and Liam Harwood’s headed the ball across the face of goal and the ball clipped McLeod’s heel and nestled at the back of the Wands net.

Jenkins bemoaned the way that his side fell behind.

“It was a sloppy goal!” he said. “The ball’s in the air a long time from a corner. You’ve got a player on the post and the ball’s up there a long time. Maybe the goalkeeper’s got to look at himself, Ally (McLeod), the centre halves, I don’t know.

“It’s just one of them. The keeper (should) come and take everyone out and then the geezer gets a little flick on it and Ally (was) powderpuff to be honest with you. He should’ve cleared it off the line!”

Reflecting on the first half, the Bromley boss admitted his side were second best.

“They started better than us. They started with a much greater tempo than Bromley and caused us a few problems,” said Bird.

“I know a lot of those players, I’ve worked with some of those players, the likes of Leigh Bremner, Laurent Hamici, Danny Phillips, they’re good footballers and they have the ability to cause us problems - they did!

“I think that we didn’t play with the same intensity as they did. Obviously I made a change as soon as they scored, which I think helped us but that was no reflection on Ugo (Udoji) at all. It was merely a tactical switch and I think the players woke up a little bit after the goal and then went on in the remainder of that half to do a very good job.”

That goal put Cray Wanderers on the back foot and Bromley almost increased their lead further inside the first minute of the second half.

Bird added: “That was a very opportune time to score the second goal and I thought it was a little cruel on Cray because they deserved to come into the break at one-all, but I think that changed the game.

“The second half we had four or five pretty clear cut chances where I thought we could really cement the victory.”

Harding’s free-kick was met by another Harwood bullet header, but this time Day acrobatically cleared the ball off the line.

Wes Daly then pinged an excellent diagonal pass to release Ide, who let the ball roll onto his left-foot before drilling a low left-footed drive, which was tipped around the post by King.

Bromley sealed their passage into the Final with a third goal in the 54th minute.

Daly stepped up and drove a left-footed free-kick from 22-yards, which forced King to dive to his right to parry and Sobers (who was following up) powered his header into the net.

The Bromley fans offered a small ripple of applause after Dunk twice fired over from 30-yards, and a diving King spilt another long-range shot, this time from Harding, in a good Bromley spell.

But Cray Wanderers fought back and Lover scored his tenth goal of the season with a moment of sheer class.

Substitute Carl Gibbs was fouled about half-a-yard from the penalty area and Lover noticed that Holloway had left a gap to his right. The talented midfielder needed no prompting and took a couple of steps and curled a right-footed beauty into the top near corner, leaving the Bromley number one rooted to the spot.

Jenkins said: “We want to see more of that from Ross. I’ve just said to him “we know you can do it. You get in those positions quite a bit. Go for it!”

“Goalkeeper’s don’t expect it from that sort of area on the field but after that I thought we dominated and we put them under a bit of pressure and we could’ve nicked a draw there and should’ve done.”

Bird added: “We spoke about their free-kick’s at half-time and we gave away a very needless free-kick and it was a well executed free-kick. And as much as they huffed and puffed the truth is that was their only opportunity of the whole second half as Bromley had four or five and I think probably should’ve gone on to score more.”

Cray Wanderers almost forced extra time when Lover played his corner back to Clark and his cross found Guest at the far post, but his half-volley took a deflection and sailed wide.

Harding then released Dunk on the break and the Bromley number three cut in and unleashed a low left-footed shot, which was saved at the second attempt by King.

Jenkins explained why one of his players was red-carded after the final whistle, “Danny Phillips had a bit of an altercation with the linesman.”

At last! The Kent Senior Cup Final will be played on it’s spiritual date - the first Bank Holiday Monday in May!

Mr Michael Tapp - chairman of the Cup’s committee - tossed a 50 pence coin on to the boardroom floor at the end of the game and the Bromley secretary called “heads.” The coin landed as “tails”, so Dartford opted for home advantage and can now look forward to a crowd of at least 1,500.

Bird added: “I think it will be an excellent crowd. I think it’s a great game. Dartford-versus-Bromley is fitting for a Kent Senior Cup Final and I think we should go into the game very confident.

“These guys have been on a bit of a journey but if we can finish the season in our highest ever place and with a winners’ medal I think that’s a very good job done by all the players in this club.”

However, all we need next season is the return of Gillingham, Charlton Athletic and Millwall and a Cup Final played at one of those three clubs. Then the Kent Senior Cup will recapture it’s glorious past.

Cray Wanderers: Dave King, Allan McLeod (Tyrone Sterling 76), Alex Bentley, Jack Clark, Mark Willy, John Guest, Ross Lover, Aaron Day, Laurent Hamici (Carl Gibbs 70), Danny Phillips, Leigh Bremner.

Subs: Tony Dolby, Steve Lozano, Scott Chalmers-Stevens

Goals: Leigh Bremner 24, Ross Lover 71

Booked: Aaron Day 52

Sent Off: Danny Phillips 90

Bromley: Craig Holloway, David Graves, Harrison Dunk, Liam Harwood, Jerry Nnamani, Ugo Udoji (Jerrome Sobers 25), Wes Daly, Tutu Henriques, Leon McKenzie, Charlie Ide (Warren McBean 81), Harry Harding.

Subs: Arron Fray, Tony Finn, Jamie England

Goals: Harrison Dunk 35, Allan McLeod 45 (own goal), Jerrome Sobers 54

Booked: Leon McKenzie 67

Attendance: 335

Referee: Mr Paul Kelly (Walderslade)

Assistants: Mr James Macey (Bexley) & Mr Lee Dyson (Gravesend)