A BATTLING performance and dramatic stoppage time penalty winner from Danny Waldren secured Bromley maximum points at a bitterly cold Billericay Town on Saturday.

Billericay began strongly and Bromley keeper Joe Welch did well to block Alex Osborn’s short in the opening minute after Moses Swaibu had slipped when making a clearance.

At the other end Louie Theophanous’ shot on the turn was saved by home keeper Sam Beasant before Billericay’s Jay May saw an effort deflect off a defender.

Pierre Joseph-Dubois’ eighth minute stooping header flew just wide of the post after the Lillywhites striker met Waldren’s cross.

Mike Jones also went close for the visitors, but it was Billericay who opened the scoring after quarter of an hour.

Paul Semakula’s shot through a crowd of players was parried by Welch but Osborn, following up, slotted the loose ball home.

May might have made it two a couple of minutes later, but Welch was equal to the task and blocked the former Bromley player’s firm shot before the danger was cleared.

Waldren’s free-kick deflected off Billericay’s defensive wall after Theophanous had been fouled on the edge of the area, but on 34 minutes the teams were back on level terms.

Following good build up play, Jones cleverly beat two defenders before slipping a pass through to Ali Fuseini, who took a touch before placing a shot into the left corner of the net.

Fuseini tried to return the compliment on 42 minutes, but Jones’ header dropped just the wrong side of the bar from the captain’s cross.

The last action of the half came on 45 minutes when May got in front of Welch to head narrowly wide.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with Glen Poole firing over in early on and Welch saving from Osborn two minutes later.

Bromley then took command with Joseph-Dubois going close with a low shot following good work from Waldren, Fuseini and Jones.

Joseph-Dubois had better luck on 54 minutes when he converted Ishmael Welsh’s cross with a low shot under Beasant to put the visitors ahead.

Billericay should have equalised immediately from the restart when a deep cross from Poole picked out May, whose header was brilliantly tipped over by Welch.

At the other end, Jones broke before crossing to Welsh, whose curling shot beat Beasant but unfortunately curled just the wrong side of the post.

Jones was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet when he was denied by Beasant.

After riding three tackles, his low shot was just finger tipped away by a stretching keeper.

The hosts upped the tempo in the closing minutes and May missed an open goal before Welch somehow got his foot to the ball to deny substitute Dave Collins in a frantic goalmouth scramble.

In the first minute of time added on, Billericay got the equaliser which they thought would earn them a valuable point.

Poole fired home through a crowd of players from the edge of the box following a poor defensive header out from a right wing cross.

But the drama was not over as, right from the kick-off, Bromley went straight down the other end to win a penalty.

As Jones controlled the ball he was tripped over by an outstretched leg and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Waldren stepped up to convert via the post to give Bromley the three points and ease their relegation fears.

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Bromley: Welsh, Ming, Patterson, Fuseini, Swaibu, Holland, Joseph-Dubois (Finn, 67), Waldren, Theophanous, Jones, Welsh, Subs not used: Orome, Rhule, Buchanan, Howard. Att: 427.