National League
Hayes Lane, Bromley
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £2.50
Attendance: 3,759
Following the conclusion of my lunchtime game at Tonbridge, I made my way up the A21 to Bromley, to visit a ground that I had not been to since 2007, and never had I watched Bromley at home, with previous visits seeing Charlton Athletic Women and Cray Wanderers as the home clubs.
That this was an easy double to combine with Tonbridge was not the only appealing aspect of this game. Also, the admission fee was reduced to £5 to access all areas of the home areas, slashed from the usual £20. And with attractive opposition in former EFL club Southend United, and with Charlton's away game at AFC Wimbledon, along with nearby Dartford and Ebbsfleet, all succumbing to Covid issues, there promised to be a bumper attendance with no other games being played within or around South London.
There is a lot to like about Hayes Lane these days, which successfully combines tradition and character with modern facilities installed in recent years as the club has risen to the brink of the EFL. Three sides of the ground retain their old structures, with a large open terrace stretching along one length, a third of which is allocated to away supporters, a further terrace behind one of the goals with the rear section covered by an old fashioned structure. A 90's metallic all seater stand straddles the half way line on the other side, with an open bank of terracing to one side, and a tea bar and flat standing area to the other. By far the standout feature of the ground is the imposing single-tiered stand behind the remaining end, installed in 2019, which offers a great, unobstructed view of the action from behind the goal, and with a capacity of 1,450 seats. The stand has quite a high back wall, as club offices are located to the rear, but with no windows looking out over the pitch.
In their seventh season in the National League, Bromley are well placed, currently in fourth place, following eleven wins and five draws from 19 league games, and have won their last three games, two in the league and most recently, progressing in the FA Trophy at fellow National League outfit Dover. After 101 years, Southend United bade farewell to the Football League / EFL at the end of last season, and their ongoing financial issues has meant that they have continued to struggle in the National League, coming into this game in 19th place in the 23 club division, and only out of the three club relegation zone on goal difference, and have picked up just a win and a draw from their last five league games, although they did win last time out against Dorking Wanderers in the FA Trophy.
On a dry and mild evening, Bromley started strongly and came close to opening the scoring on 5 minutes, first forcing a good save from the visiting keeper, and from the resultant corner, Owar Sowunmi headed off the line before being hacked away. After Sowunmi then saw another header from a corner flash just wide of the post on 28 minutes, Southend started to settle and grow into the game, and the remainder of the half was an even affair, both sides creating chances, but the scoreline remained goalless at the break.
The deadlock was finally broken on 65 minutes by the home side, when Liam Trotter swung in the ball from the left wing, with Michael Cheek rising highest to divert the ball beyond the keeper's dive and inside the far post. But their lead was to only last a couple of minutes. Demetriou crossed the ball from the right, Dalby helped the ball into the feet of Matthew Dennis, and he bounced the ball over the keeper and into the net. It seemed that things were really turning into Southend's favour, when Bromley were reduced to ten men with 16 minutes left to play, when Trotter was forced to leave the pitch due to injury, after Bromley had already made their three permitted substitutions. And although they did most of the attacking in the closing minutes, they couldn't find a way through and in the end the points were shared.
Video highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here
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