Bromley improve but suffer familiar losing feeling (From News Shopper)

Bromley 1-3 Eastbourne Borough

10:03am Monday 5th December 2011 in Bromley

EASTBOURNE Borough enjoyed a win at Hayes Lane on Saturday to condemn Bromley to a seventh straight defeat.

Bromley’s starting line-up included two new professional loan players in Taylor Parmenter (QPR) and Freddie Warren (Charlton) and although there was a definite overall improvement from the Lillywhites, it was defensive blunders which led to Bromley’s downfall.

After Rory Hill mistimed his shot in the opening minute, it was the visitors who opened the scoring with their first attack in the 16th minute when Steve Brinkhurst looped a header from Ross Treleavan’s cross over keeper Tommy Forecast.

Bromley thought they had levelled two minutes later after Lewis Taylor ran onto a through ball to place a shot past Eastbourne keeper Clark Masters.

However, the goal was disallowed by the assistant referee who flagged Bradley Goldberg offside, although he did not appear to be interfering with play.

Taylor went close on the half hour with a first-time volley which skimmed the bar, while Hakeem Araba was unlucky when he charged down an Eastbourne clearance and the ball went agonisingly close to finding the target.

Gary Hart and Matt Crabb both shot wide for the visitors in an open first half which finished with Eastbourne still in front.

Bromley were back on terms within five minutes of the second half.

Salifou Ibrahima moved away from the Eastbourne goal after picking up possession from a corner before swivelling around to send a powerful low shot through a crowd of players and into the corner of Masters’ net.

Hill shot just over after turning three defenders, Ibrahima sent a free-kick straight into the midriff of Masters before the keeper made an excellent one-handed save from Araba’s downward header.

Slightly against the run of play, however, the visitors regained their advantage in the 69th minute when a completely unmarked Ben Austin was gifted a free header at the near post.

Ibrahima hit the bar with a header from Gareth Williams’ corner on 71 minutes, while Hill wasted a gilt-edged chance from Araba’s delicate header a few moments later.

But the game was put out of the reach of Bromley with ten minutes remaining as Rob Gillman’s poor backpass from the centre circle fell short of Forecast, allowing Treleavan to go around an exposed keeper before shooting into an empty net.

Bromley did not really threaten again and Eastbourne duly went on to complete a league double over their Hayes Lane hosts having won in Sussex in August.

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Bromley: Forecast, Parmenter, Patterson, Warren, Gillman, Harwood, Hill (Jones 90), Ibrahima, Araba, Taylor (Williams 62), Goldberg (Waldren 68). Subs not used: Dolan, Udoji. Att: 363.