Leaders Bromley march on at top of table

The visitors opened strongly, taking the game to Bromley.

Scott Donnolly put an early free-kick straight into the arms of keeper Joe Welch before David Tarpey shot through a crowd of players but narrowly wide of the post, five minutes later.

However, Bromley opened the scoring after 16 minutes with their first significant attack.

From a corner on the left, the ball was played back to Brendan Kiernan, whose shot went unchallenged to nestle in the far corner of the net.

The afternoon took a turn for the worse for the visitors, as two minutes later Adam Doyle was shown a straight red card for a vicious tackle on Ashley Nicholls.

Having committed the offence right under the referee’s nose, Doyle can have few complaints with the decision.

Nicholls was again in the wars a few moments later having just returned to the field following treatment when he was again the victim of a very late tackle from Dan Bennett, who was very lucky to receive only a caution.

Bromley took advantage of their extra man and began to dominate proceedings with some attractive attacking play.

After Farnborough keeper Kevin Scriven had come quickly off his line to deny Bradley Goldberg, the ball ricocheted upwards to Dean Pooley who fired over the bar from six yards.

Bromley increased their lead on 28 minutes as a great pass over the top from Pooley allowed Jay May to run onto it.

Despite a challenge from Oli Treacher, the Lillywhites centre forward volleyed home, giving Scriven no chance.

Kiernan and May went close to adding to Bromley’s tally before the visitors conceded again on 41 minutes.

Pierre Joseph-Dubois’ downward header was pushed upwards by Scriven and helped over the line by Farnborough’s captain Alan Inns.

Scriven was replaced at the break by Matt Lovett, and the substitute keeper was soon in action to block May’s shot after Joseph-Dubois had beaten the offside trap to cross to his colleague.

Bromley were unlucky not to have increased their lead on 54 minutes when another Kiernan cross was touched on by Goldberg to May, who just failed to find the target.

Welch, who had been a virtual spectator for much of the game, was at his brilliant best on 57 minutes as he tipped around Donnolly’s volley from the edge of the area.

But Bromley continued to impress and created several chances to go further ahead.

Joseph-Dubois’ bullet-like header went wide, Lovett denied Goldberg and a glancing header from Rob Swaine was inches the wrong side of the bar.

After May had put another good chance over the bar, Welch again saved well from Tarpey, who seemed the only Farnborough player who knew where the goal was.

As the minutes ticked away, May did well to pull Ben Swallow’s cross down before swivelling to get his shot away, which was deflected.

Ryan Hall took the resultant corner and Swaine’s header bounced off the top of the bar.

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Bromley: Welch, Pooley, Anderson, Waldren (Buchanan 61), Swaine, Holland, Joseph-Dubois (Swallow 74), Nicholls, May, Goldberg, Kiernan (Hall 64). Subs not used: Parmenter, O’Connor. Att: 580.