BROMLEY survived most of the match with 10-men but still managed to beat Boreham Wood to remain clear at the top of the Conference South table.
Captain Rob Swaine was dismissed on 25 minutes for a second yellow card offence, having already been cautioned in the ninth minute.
Both bookings seemed extremely harsh, especially in view of subsequent fouls from the visitors which went unpunished.
The hosts opened the scoring with their first attack in the 12th minute when Jay May headed on a defensive clearance into the path of Bradley Goldberg, who drew the visiting keeper before slipping his shot into the far corner.
Bromley doubled their advantage six minutes later as Swaine headed down a corner from the right and Pierre Joseph-Dubois pounced to fire home through a crowd of players.
The visitors made the most of the one-man advantage following Swaine’s untimely departure and Bromley keeper Joe Welch denied Mario Noto before Graeme Montgomery fired high and wide from a good position.
Sam Cox did likewise from a free-kick minutes later, while at the other end Ali Fuseini’s 30-yard effort was saved by Boreham Wood keeper James Russell.
As half-time approached, the visitors twice hit the post and the crossbar in a mad goalmouth scramble before the assistant referee flagged for offside.
Boreham Wood had the better of the second half exchanges and Callum Reynolds missed a great chance to reduce the arrears within a minute of the restart when he scuffed an effort over from just a yard.
Montgomery and Cox both went close on two occasions each in the opening stages, but could not break down a determined Bromley defence.
However, they did halve the deficit on 70 minutes as the hosts lost possession just inside their own half and two quick passes later Luke Garrard’s firm volley from 14 yards gave Welch no chance.
Joseph-Dubois and Albert Jarrett combined to give Goldberg an opening, but the leading scorer was just unable to direct his effort towards goal.
With Bromley sitting deeper and deeper, substitute Matty Whichelow blasted over for the visitors and Cox wasted a good chance to level the scores when he shot wide with only Welch in his way.
Jarrett could have made sure of the points with six minutes remaining when he broke clear on the left before cutting in to shoot narrowly the wrong side of the upright.
Junior Morias was off target at the other end following a mistake by Fuseini, but the Lillywhites held on to secure an 11th home win of the season.
They are back in action at Hayes Lane this Saturday against Bath City (3pm).
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Bromley: Welch, Pooley (Parmenter 58), Anderson, Waldren, Swaine, Holland, Joseph-Dubois (Kiernan 81), Fuseini, J May (Nicholls 71), Goldberg, Jarrett. Subs not used: Buchanan, McDonnell. Att: 550
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