Bromley 3-0 Eastleigh

BROMLEY v EASTLEIGH

MONDAY 28th DECEMBER 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Ray Murphy

Having produced their best performance for many a year, forty-eight hours earlier, Eastleigh were brought back down to earth following a sterling second half display by Bromley. Jamie Brown returned to the side following his one match suspension with Andy Forbes dropping down to the bench. The rest of the side remained the same as the Basingstoke fixture. Bromley were without regular defenders Rob Gilman and Arron Fray through injury.

The first half saw Eastleigh have the majority of the play though chances created were limited and the home goalkeeper Gareth I Williams was rarely troubled. Having had the better of the opening stages Eastleigh were delivered a shock warning on the eighth minute as Bromley broke away and a volley from Luke I’Anson saw the effort blocked and the ball falling for Tutu Henriques who also had a shot diverted away. Warren McBean had an attempt strike the foot of the post soon after.

There really was no other goalmouth action as the game developed into a midfield battle until the thirty-fifth minute. Steve Cook’s long throw was then flicked on by Brown only for Tom Jordan to head over. A minute later Steve Cook was again the instigator with a short throw this time into the path of Danny Smith, Smith’s cross was then met with a Brown glancing header which was turned away by Williams for a corner. On thirty-nine minutes Anthony Riviere drilled a shot just wide of the target from twenty yards.

Shortly before the interval Bromley created two openings. The first on forty minutes when the home side thought they had opened the scoring. Ex-Eastleigh duo Ashley Carew and McBean combined as Carew’s free kick fell for McBean to side foot into the net, only for his effort to be disallowed for offside. On the stroke of half time McBean picked up a clearance and with Eastleigh short on numbers in defence following an attack, McBean ran half the length of the pitch but showed no composure when firing for goal and shot wildly over.

Ten minutes into the second period Brown’s header from Brett Poate’s cross contained no power and was easily collected by Williams. A minute later Shaun McAuley’s low shot was pushed away by the diving Williams and Richard Gillespie’s shot from the loose ball was blocked. Both sides had attempts on the hour mark with Smith firing over for Eastleigh and yet again McBean off target for Bromley.

Eastleigh were to pay for their missed attempts on sixty-three minutes. A miscued goal-bound drive by Salifou Ibrahima was controlled neatly by McBean who turned and sweetly swept the ball past Jason Matthews to give Bromley the lead.

Tony Taggart miscued a volley when well placed on sixty-eight minutes before Bromley added their second goal ten minutes later. McBean flicked the ball past Steve Cook and then ran on to get the ball but fell over the defender’s outstretched leg and Carew stepped forward to send Matthews the wrong way from the resultant penalty kick.

With eight minutes remaining and following another Eastleigh corner, Taggart had a shot blocked then Steve Cook had another attempt saved by Williams. Two minutes later McAuley sent a shot just wide of the target as Eastleigh tried to resurrect their chances on the match.

But with all out attack in an attempt to get themselves back in the game, the usually reliable Jordan let the ball slip away from him in the middle of the park and substitute Marcus Cassius with his first touches of the ball sent Bromley into a three goal lead.

Eastleigh still had the final two chances of the afternoon as Taggart dragged a shot wide of goal then Poate’s cross was chested down by Forbes only for Riviere to fire the ball over the bar.