BRADLEY Goldberg scored the only goal of the game eight minutes before half-time as leaders Bromley returned home from Somerset with three points from Weston-super-Mare.

Without the services of injured duo Jay May and Pierre Joseph-Dubois, Elliott Buchanan and Ryan Hall were drafted into the starting XI.

After an uneventful opening period, the hosts were denied on 10 minutes when Dean Pooley’s timely tackle in the area prevented Ash Kingston from getting his shot away.

And Pooley was again involved three minutes later at the other end when his rather hopeful shot from distance went wide.

A long free-kick was nearly headed into his own goal by Weston’s Dan Gregson on 16 minutes.

The hosts did have the ball in Bromley’s net nine minutes later but Dayle Grubb was adjudged to have taken the ball out of play in the build-up.

Weston went close within 60 seconds when Jordan Walker fed Grubb and his cross was headed narrowly wide by Chas Hemmings.

Lloyd Irish kept his side in the game with an excellent save from Buchanan on 28 minutes, which came to him through a crowd of players.

Goldberg shot just wide in a one-on-one with the keeper, while Hemmings might have done better at the other end when he shot wide despite being completely unmarked in the area.

That miss proved costly, as Goldberg put the visitors ahead on 37 minutes. Hall’s free-kick was headed back and forth across the goalmouth before dropping to the Bromley striker, who fired home from 10 yards.

The Lillywhites should have increased their lead on two occasions before the interval with both chances falling to Goldberg.

Firstly, he got onto a long defensive clearance and his shot just skimmed the bar.

Secondly, following keeper Joe Welch’s throw out helped on by Brendan Kiernan, Goldberg fired just the wrong side of the post with Irish well beaten.

The second half was a complete transformation as the home side had most of the play, pegging Bromley back into their own area for almost the rest of the game.

They forced a string of corners and keeper Welch had to pull off a number of important saves.

Hemmings shot wide from a good position before Welch saved superbly with his legs from the burly centre forward and then Naby Diallo put the loose ball over the bar from two yards.

Bromley’s keeper did well to divert Grubb’s corner away with his right hand and Alex Fiddes flashed a shot across the face of the goal.

With three minutes remaining, a flowing Weston movement ended with substitute Cameron Brown treading on the ball in front of goal when he only had Welch to beat.

In a similar movement, Kingston’s goal-bound shot was deflected at the last moment off a defender.

Deep into time added on, Diallo saw red for something he said to the match official after Weston had been denied a strong penalty appeal.

It was only a combination of poor finishing, over hit passes, good goalkeeping and stout defending which enabled Bromley to keep a seventh clean sheet from their last eight league meetings.

Next up are in-form Ebbsfleet at home on Boxing Day (3pm).

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Bromley: Welch, Pooley, Anderson, Waldren (Parmenter 75), Swaine, Holland, Kiernan (Swallow 82), Nicholls, Buchanan, Goldberg, Hall. Subs not used: McDonnell, Jarrett, Oyinsan. Att: 610.