BROMLEY will be in the hat for draw of the first round of the FA Cup after defeating local rivals Dartford 2-1 at Princes Park.

A Hakeem Araba penalty was cancelled out within four minutes by Jack Pallen in the first half, but a free-kick from Gareth Williams in the final quarter of an hour won it for the Ravens.

They will find out their opponents for next month’s first proper tie, after making it through the qualification process, tomorrow lunchtime – and could draw local league sides Charlton or Gillingham.

The hosts got off to a bright start, winning a corner with less than two minutes on the clock, but were caught on the break when the set piece came to nothing leading to an early booking for Lee Burns for a cynical challenge on Araba.

Further yellows came in the opening quarter of an hour for Bromley keeper Tommy Forecast for coming in late to salvage a poor backpass outside his area, and team-mate Aaron Rhule for a lunge in on Tom Bonner.

The scrappy start to the game began to ease and chances were made by each side, the closest of which coming from Araba who went inches wide of the far post from Joe Dolan’s cut back of a Bromley free-kick.

But the forward would be the one to break the deadlock with 27 minutes played after strike partner Williams was adjudged to have been brought down in the box, Araba slotting the penalty low to give Bromley the lead.

The lead lasted just four minutes, however, with an impressive Darts move culminating in a low cross from Danny Harris being converted at close range by Pallen to the roars of the home fans behind the goal at the club shop end.

The lively Ryan Hayes almost turned the game on its head three minutes before the interval after beating two defenders to fire wide of the near post, before Rob Gillman inexplicably attempted an overhead kick back pass which Forecast had to save with his chest.

Dartford had a golden chance to take the lead and earn a little justice from twelve yards, feeling Williams had gone down a little easily in the first half for the penalty, when Harris was fouled for a spot kick ten minutes after the break.

But Hayes was unable to deliver the same quality from a dead ball scenario as he had throughout the game in open play, dribbling a poor penalty attempt wide of Forecast’s goal with the keeper guessing correctly anyway.

The pendulum began to swing the visitors’ favour from there, growing into a game they’d previously been second best in, and a header from a corner had to be cleared off the line by the hosts on 72 minutes.

Moments later, the improving Lilywhites got back in front courtesy of an unstoppable Williams free-kick just outside the left-hand corner of the area, sending the away dugout into raptures as well as ill-advised dance manoeuvres.

Nonetheless, they had to brave a Dartford bombardment in the closing stages and Forecast kept his side ahead with a superb save from Burns’ point-blank range header at the death.

Dartford: Ibrahim; Burns, Goodcare, Champion, Green; Hayes (Noble 87), Bonner, Rogers, Harris; Pallen (Graham 69), Bradbrook. Subs not used: Young, Wallis, Cooper.

Bromley: Forecast; Henriques, Dolan, Gillman, Patterson; Hill (Smith 63), Harwood, Ibrahima (Udoji 79), Rhule; Araba (McBean 53), Williams. Subs not used: Agu, Harding, Jones, McKenzie. Att: 1,567.