Bromley share spoils with Basingstoke (From News Shopper)

Basingstoke 1-1 Bromley

3:02pm Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in Non-League Football

INJURY-PLAGUED Bromley did extremely well to return home from the Camrose with a point last night.

The Hayes Lane club, already missing Captain Ali Fuseini, Richard Pacquette, Albert Jarrett and Ali Chaaban, were further hampered when the inform Pierre Joseph-Dubois failed a late fitness test following a knock on Saturday.

Keeper Joe Welch, also injured on Saturday, was also forced to pull out after the warm-up before the game.

Bradley Goldberg replaced Joseph-Dubois and George Howard made his debut between the sticks after signing from Charlton Athletic in the summer. It was largely thanks to the 18-year-old that Bromley came away with a draw after the rookie keeper made three important saves during the match.

The hosts had the first chances of the game when Delano Sam-York burst clear on the right before cutting in and firing wide of the far post, and Tim Sills just failed to connect with a cross from the left.

Bromley’s first chance came on 13 minutes when Michael Malcolm’s free-kick was only half cleared to Aaron Rhule, who saw his goal-bound shot deflected for a corner by Chris Patterson.

From the resultant flag kick Moses Swaibu headed back across goal to Elliott Buchanan, who swivelled and fired into the corner of the net for his first goal for Bromley since signing from Boreham Wood earlier in the season.

Buchanan might have increased the lead on 24 minutes when Danny Waldron chipped over the top of the defence, but the striker fired just wide following good approach work from Goldberg, Marlon Patterson and Rhule.

The home side levelled the score on 33 minutes when Sills was on the end of a long deep cross from the left to head wide of Howard.

Howard did well five minutes later to save Stefan Brown’s header after another deep cross before Sills flashed two headers wide of the post following similar crosses.

Sills put wide a cross from Brown in the first minute of the second half before Rhule fired wildly over at the other end after Buchanan had set up the chance.

Buchanan ran onto a long ball just after the hour before attempting to lob Ashley Bayes in the Basingstoke goal, but the experienced goalkeeper just managed to get his fingertips to the ball.

Two minutes later the custodian did well to tip Buchanan’s volley over.

Howard again did well to deny Callum McNish by saving at his feet when clear on goal, while Waldron’s poke at goal was blocked on the line by a defender.

Two strange decisions by the referee denied Bromley corners when Goldberg chased the ball into the corner before shooting across Bayes, which he clearly tipped around the post.

Waldron’s 30-yard drive was then also tipped over but the official awarded a goal kick in both instances.

Basingstoke caused problems all evening with their deep crosses and headers, but with five minutes remaining Howard excelled again with a point blank tip around the post from another Sills header.

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Bromley: Howard, Ming, Patterson, Waldren, Swaibu, Harwood, Malcolm, Jones, Goldberg, Buchanan, Rhule (Finn 56). Subs not used: Sobers, Hughes, Daly, Welch. Att: 252