Havant 1-2 Bromley

However, it might have been a different story if Havant had taken some of the first half chances which presented themselves.

They could have been three goals to the good before Bromley opened the scoring on nine minutes.

In the second minute Steve Ramsey skimmed the bar with a volley which was always rising, while two minutes later Tony Taggert blazed over from in front of goal.

Joe Pigott saw his goal-bound effort deflect off a defender for a corner.

But from the resultant flag kick, the ball was quickly cleared down the right flank and from the cross Bromley keeper Joe Welch did well to block Eddie Hutchinson’s flick on at the near post.

The home side were stunned in the ninth minute as Bromley took the lead with a well-worked goal.

Tony Finn squeezed a pass down the line between two defenders to debutant Louis Theophanous, whose tantalising cross found Pigott to convert at the far post.

Havant continued to have the better of the play and Bromley were on the back foot for long periods.

Therefore it came as no real surprise when the equaliser came in the 23rd minute.

Pigott had just shot wide for Bromley in an isolated attack and from the short goal kick, a long pass was played by Dan Butler up field for Ollie Palmer to run onto.

Palmer shot in between Sanchez Ming and Welch, who both seemed to hesitate, into the corner of the net.

Danny Waldren tried his luck from 30 yards before Hutchinson’s snap-shot from 25 yards was just wide of the upright.

The home side might have taken the lead when, under pressure from Palmer, Welch could only punch away a right wing cross as far as Ryan Moss, who wildly shot over from 12 yards.

As the half drew to a close Finn’s cross was headed out straight to Elliott Buchanan, whose first time effort was just off target, and then Theophanous was just over with an effort from the edge of the area.

The visitors upped the tempo after the break and, after the ball had bounced off the top of the Bromley bar from a cross, they controlled much of the play thereafter.

On the hour Finn sent Ming away down the right and the full-back’s cross was knocked over the bar by Theophanous before Bromley went ahead for the second time in the match in the 68th minute.

Buchanan’s cross from the byline saw Pigott’s first effort blocked at the near post before Theopanous picked up the loose ball to give the on-loan striker a second chance, which he buried from close range.

Ryan Moss should have equalised two minutes later when completely unmarked at the far post, but he failed to connect with a left wing diagonal pass into the area.

At the other end Waldren’s long range shot did not trouble Clark Masters in the Havant goal.

A series of substitutions for both sides broke up the pattern of play in the latter stages as Bromley held on for a valuable three points that lifts them two places in the league table.

Tomorrow night sees the Lillywhites make the short trip to Welling (7.45pm) before returning to Hayes Lane on Saturday to host Farnborough (3pm).

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Bromley: Welch, Ming, Patterson, Fuseini, Swaibu, Harwood, Finn (Joseph-Dubois 68), Waldren, Pigott, Buchanan (Rhule 81), Theophanous (Pacquette 85). Subs not used: Gillman, Jones. Att: 748.