Lillies Havant got a way to end goal drought (From News Shopper)

Bromley 0-0 Havant & Waterlooville

3:35pm Wednesday 21st March 2012 in Bromley

BROMLEY’S failure to convert chances may prove costly in a few weeks time when relegation issues are finally settled after they were held at home by Havant & Waterlooville last night.

Just one point behind Bromley and with a game in hand, the Hampshire club will be the happier of the two sides with the point gained, which was their first in 10 games.

In a poor quality match, it was the visitors who had the better of the first half and after Perry Ryan had skimmed the bar, former Bromley captain Joe Dolan should really have opened the scoring in the sixth minute.

Dolan was unmarked at the right hand post, but he skied his shot after receiving a headed flick on from Steve Ramsey’s free-kick.

Bromley’s first attempt should have produced a goal in the 16th minute.

Anthony Thomas collected possession from Marlon Patterson and cleverly threaded a pass through to Michael Malcolm, but keeper Dan Thomas was quickly out to block the striker’s shot.

Havant went close a few minutes later when Scott Jones’s bullet-like header from Ramsey’s free-kick went wide of the target, and the visitors continued to boss the play for the remainder of the half.

But just before the interval it was Bromley who might have been celebrating. Good link up play between Thomas and Pierre Joseph-Dubois set up Malcolm at the near post, but his back heal was blocked on the line by Dolan.

Bromley keeper Joe Welch denied Christian Nanetti in the early stages of the second half when he got down well to save the winger’s shot at the foot of the upright, but the home side gradually began to get on top.

Jarrett shot wide following a short free-kick, Malcolm was denied by the Havant keeper’s block and Mike Jones fired into the side netting as Bromley went in search of the three points.

Their best chance of the match came on 62 minutes when Thomas’ raking cross-field pass picked out Joseph-Dubois, who cut inside beating Chris Arthur and Nanetti. His first effort was blocked by a defender, only to rebound into his path but his drive was brilliantly tipped over by the keeper.

Havant weathered the storm and, following a mistake by a defender, Ollie Palmer blasted wide with only Welch to beat.

Ramsey sent a scorching shot across the face of Bromley’s goal and in the closing minute Palmer turned his defender on the edge of the area before shooting high and wide of goal.

Hakeem Araba and Aaron Rhule were introduced in injury time, but it was too late for them to have any impact on the game.

Bromley have now gone 338 minutes without scoring, and remain in 18th position in the table with seven games remaining.

The Lillywhites are back in action at hayes Lane on Saturday when they entertain Farnborough (3pm).

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Bromley: Welch, Henriques, Patterson, Fuseini, Sobers, Harwood, Joseph-Dubois, Jones, Malcolm, Thomas (Araba, 90), Jarrett, (Rhule, 90), SUBs (not used): Taylor, Ibrahima, Williams. Att: 303.