BROMLEY’S season ended in triumph as they lifted the London Senior Cup at Imber Court on Tuesday evening with victory against Isthmian Premier Division side Kingstonian.
But Bromley made life hard for themselves as, seemingly cruising to a comfortable victory at 2-0, youngster Helge Orome was dismissed with half an hour to play for denying Jamil Okai a goal-scoring opportunity.
Bromley got off to the perfect start by opening the scoring inside two minutes when Elliott Buchanan cracked home a 25 yard volley following good work from Tony Finn and Danny Waldren.
However, Kingstonian came back as Matt Pattison created, and missed, a chance for himself by shooting wildly over before Luke Wanadio was denied by Bromley keeper George Howard.
Sanchez Ming’s penetrating cross was taken off the head of Louie Theophanous by a timely header from defender Kieran Murphy and then Okai was denied by Orome’s tackle at the other end.
Bromley increased their advantage on 38 minutes as Finn broke down the right before slipping a pass to Theophanous. He held off the challenge of two defenders before squeezing a low cross across the face of the goal, where Aaron Rhule was presented with a simple tap in.
The half closed with Moses Swaibu on the end of a crunching tackle which put him out of the game for the second period. Mike Jones replaced him.
Kingstonian had the first chance of the second half.
Howard misjudged a high ball to his near post before it was scrambled away as Wade Small closed in.
Bromley should have gone further clear on 53 minutes when Rhule did well to get around the full-back and pick out Theophanous, who cleverly back headed to Jones.
But the substitute’s effort went straight at Kingstonian keeper Louis Bragg, who spread himself well to block the shot.
Jones picked out Waldren two minutes later, whose shot was wide of the intended target, before Howard deflected Okai’s attempt wide after the forward had twisted Orome to get his effort away.
Bromley were reduced to 10 men on 59 minutes.
Murphy’s defence splitting pass put Okai free on goal but Orome, who was not going to catch him, pulled the Ks player back on the edge of the area before being shown an inevitable red card.
A man down, Bromley came under increased pressure and were hanging on grimly in the final quarter of an hour.
Howard tipped away a long shot from Wanadio and then got down well to save two Murphy efforts.
Carlos Talbot was brought down in full flight by Matt Somner in an isolated Bromley attack.
Former Bromley player and substitute Lewis Taylor saw two efforts cleared by Marlon Patterson, the second of which was off the line after Howard was beaten.
Kingstonian’s goal came with the last kick of the match in the fourth minute of time added on.
A cross from the right deceived defenders and Okai crashed home from close range at the far post.
But before the ball had even been retrieved from the back of the net, the referee ended the game, much to the annoyance of the Kingstonian fans congregated behind the goal.
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Bromley: Howard, Ming, Patterson, Waldren, Swaibu (Jones 46), Orome, Finn (O’Connor 89), Buchanan, Theophanous, Holland, Rhule (Talbot 69). Subs not used: Welch, Joseph-Dubois.
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