Bromley are given SIX of the best!

EASTLEIGH 6-1 BROMLEY

TUESDAY 18th AUGUST 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

Eastleigh manager Ian Baird rung the changes through the side following their 1-2 reversal at St Albans City on the Saturday for this Tuesday evening Blue Square South fixture. A welcome back to the side for their first appearances of the season were the influential midfielder Anthony Riviere and striker Jamie Brown. Warren Goodhind and Trevor Challis were brought in to occupy the full back roles, which left Steve Clark, Brett Williams, Peter Adeniyi and Brett Poate to start the evening on the substitutes bench.

Eastleigh were off to a fine start opening the scoring on nine minutes with Andy Forbes guiding a header following a Tony Taggart right wing cross, past the rooted-to-the-spot Bromley goalkeeper Gareth A Williams. Eastleigh were all in the ascendancy and obviously on the lookout for more goals. Shaun McAuley had a long range drive that was saved by Williams then Forbes, Brown, McAuley and Riviere all interchanged passes before Riviere slid the ball across the face of goal but nobody could add the finishing touch.

Bromley found themselves level on twenty-three minutes. With one of their first attacks of the evening, a free kick was awarded on the edge of the Eastleigh penalty box. Gareth I Williams planted a shot round the Eastleigh defensive wall and past the fully stretched Jason Matthews for the equaliser.

An excellent tackle by Challis on thirty five minutes in the area on former Eastleigh striker Warren McBean kept Eastleigh on level terms after McBean had superbly controlled a through ball from Ryan Hall and brought himself a goal scoring position. Two minutes later another ex-Eastleigh player Ashley Carew produced a shot that brought another fine save by Matthews.

Eastleigh soon restored their advantage. On thirty-nine minutes Goodhind’s cross was flicked on by Forbes and a diving header at the far post from Brown gave Eastleigh their second goal of the evening. Four minutes later and Eastleigh were celebrating again. Taggart’s cross was met by the head of the soaring Tom Jordan and Eastleigh had a two goal advantage to take into the interval.

Having made a couple of changes at the break, Bromley were the first side to almost change the score in the second period. With fifty-two minutes played McBean cut inside Aaron Martin and the defender’s outstretched leg brought the striker stumbling for Eastleigh to concede their third penalty in two games. McBean took the resultant spot kick that was parried away by Matthews the keeper whom was quickly back on his feet to produce a tremendous stop from the rebound shot from Hall.

The game sprung instantly and as the ball travelled to the other end of the park this time Bromley substitute Salifou Ibrahima was penalised for a handball which brought a second penalty kick in as many minutes but this time Forbes made no mistake with the penalty kick for Eastleigh and the score was 4-1.

On fifty-nine minutes Carew played a ball into the path of Luke L’Anson who chipped the ball over the advancing Matthews but Jordan was behind his keeper to clear the ball to safety.

Eastleigh were still searching to increase their score. McAuley fired over after being set up by Forbes before a fifth goal was added on seventy-eight minutes. Richard Gillespie’s pass released Taggart who took the ball round the approaching Williams in the Bromley goal but dragging Taggart wide. Taggart turned and laid the ball back into the path of the on-running Adeniyi who thundered a shot into the roof of the Bromley net.

Bromley saw a curling shot from Marcus Cassius pushed away by Matthews but it was left to Eastleigh to have the final word in the final minute. An Eastleigh corner provided a melee in the Bromley six-yard area and finally Martin prodded home goal number six for Eastleigh.