Bromley 2-3 Newport (From News Shopper)

Bromley 2-3 Newport

12:55pm Sunday 31st January 2010 in

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NEWPORT County extended their lead at the top of the table on Saturday to 17 points when they overcame a stubborn Bromley side at Hayes Lane.

Leading 2-0 after 53 minutes, they had the shock of their lives as Bromley fought back to level the scores, only to then gift their opponents a winning goal.

Bromley enjoyed much of the early possession but found it very difficult to break down the opposition defence, which had only conceded nine goals in 24 league matches.

Steve Ferguson beat the offside trap on nine minutes to break clear, but his cross for the unmarked Warren McBean was too heavy.

However, Newport began to exert their authority on the game and Craig Reid took the ball to the byline four minutes later before laying it back to Sam Foley, whose volley was way wide of the target.

The visitors opened the scoring on 21 minutes. Mark Corneille’s sloppy cross into the Newport penalty area was cleared upfield to Foley, whose low drive was pushed around the post by Williams.

From the resultant corner, Paul Cochlin had the freedom of the six yard box to send a header into the corner of the net.

Kerry Morgan nearly added a second 10 minutes later, but his drive from a right wing cross was always rising and went over the crossbar, before Reid’s cheeky chip wrong-footed Williams and dropped just the wrong side of the bar.

Bromley’s keeper saved well from Reid on 35 minutes and he reacted quickly to Foley’s long shot tipping over on 43 minutes.

The half closed with Ashley Carew being denied an equaliser by a full-length save from Newport keeper Glyn Thompson.

Man of the match Williams was in action early in the second half when he saved well from Reid and then brilliantly tipped over Foley’s rasping volley.

Newport their lead on 53 minutes when, after an excellent double save from Williams to deny Reid, Charlie Henry who crashed home the loose ball into the roof of the net.

Bromley rallied and a Ryan Hall free-kick was pushed around the post by Thompson before a 25-yard volley by Hall went just wide of the post.

Two goals for Bromley in the space of three minutes had the visitors rocking.

The first arrived on 62 minutes when Hall run onto a pass over the top and squeezed a shot past Thompson.

Bromley were back on terms by the 65th minute after a long throw in by Ferguson was back headed across goal by Jerrome Sobers for McBean to tap home from close range.

But Bromley could not extend the pressure and the visitors regained their lead within four minutes.

An error by Wes Daly was capitalised on by Foley and he gave an exposed Williams no chance with a fierce shot from the edge of the 18 yard box.

The Welsh side then shut up shop to hang on to their lead and Bromley could not find any more to give, as the league leaders saw out time to add another three points to their total in their quest for promotion to the top flight of non-league football.

Bromley: Williams, Corneille (Calliste 54), Dunk, Daly, Sobers, Gillman, Carew, Ibrahima (I’Anson 69), McBean, Hall, Ferguson (Ruggles 84). Subs not used: Henriques, Dolby. Att: 817.