Setback hard to take for Bromley (From News Shopper)

Farnborough 2-1 Bromley

4:18pm Monday 19th December 2011 in Bromley

BROMLEY can feel hard done by after suffering a defeat at Farnborough on Saturday.

The Lillywhites had no luck at Cherrywood Road, as they went down to a late second half penalty after opening the scoring in the first half and then hitting the woodwork twice after the break.

Farnborough, just one point and one place above Bromley in the league table going into the match, were much the sharper side in the first half and early chances were missed by Daniel Bennett before Marcus Moody was fouled by Salifou Ibrahima.

From the free-kick, Bromley keeper Tommy Forecast, making his last appearance before his 93-day loan from Southampton expires on December 23, tipped Reece Connelly’s shot around the post.

Moody shot into the side netting on 26 minutes after a poor clearance from Moses Swaibu went straight to the Farnborough player, but three minutes later Bromley thought they had scored.

Lewis Taylor played Hakeem Araba through on goal but his touch took him wide.

However, he managed to find Rory Hill and his shot was deflected for a corner, from which Tutu Henriques’ goal-bound header was cleared off the line by Nathan Webb.

In Bromley’s second attack four minutes later, the visitors opened the scoring against the run of play.

Orlando Smith robbed Webb on the left before cutting in and planting a shot past former Bromley loanee keeper Tom Lovelock’s right-hand post.

The advantage lasted just five minutes. After Forecast had beat away Bennett’s fierce shot from the byline, there was some desperate defending by Bromley as the visitors conceded a number of corners.

It was from one Farnborough levelled the scores on 38 minutes when Doug Bergqvist had a free header at the back post from the home side’s fourth consecutive corner.

Bromley made two changes at half-time, replacing Rob Gillman and Salifou Ibrahima with Marlon Patterson and Ibra Sekajja, and the latter added more pace up front and also an ally for Araba.

This seemed to be successful initially, as Bromley looked a far better team and Sekajja was unlucky on 53 minutes when Taylor’s long clearance from defence was headed on by Araba and the substitute saw his touch pass Lovelock before rebounding off the post.

Two minutes later Hill’s volley was well saved by the Farnborough keeper before Sekajja hit the post again when he chased down another Taylor clearance.

Sekajja dispossessed Oliver Treacher, only to see his effort from close to the byline come bouncing back off the woodwork just after the hour mark.

Bromley made their final substitution by bringing on Bradley Goldberg for Araba.

Goldberg should have scored when, with almost his first touch, Sekajja put him clear on goal but with only Lovelock to beat, he shot tamely at the goalkeeper.

This miss was to prove costly as Farnborough earned themselves a valuable three points with a hotly contested penalty.

After Bennett had jinked his way into the danger zone only to be denied by a smart block by Forecast, Moses Swaibu was harshly adjudged to have fouled Ashley Winn on the side of the area.

After a lengthy argument, Connolly stepped up to blast the spot kick home with 11 minutes remaining.

Bromley lacked the ability to raise their game in the minutes remaining and, as a consequence, dropped a place in the table, where the three clubs below them all have a game in hand on the Hayes Lane club.

The Lillywhites are at home to Tonbridge Angels on Boxing Day, kick-off 3pm.

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Bromley: Forecast, Henriques, Harwood, Warren, Swaibu, Gillman (Patterson 46), Hill, Ibrahima (Sekajja 46), Araba (Goldberg 66), Taylor, Smith. Subs not used: Jones, Rhule. Att: 409.