Eastleigh 2 Bromley 1

In the proverbial game of two halves, it was the hosts who outplayed and totally outclassed the visitors in the first 45 minutes, in which they went two goals ahead.

However, Bromley must count themselves unlucky not to have got a point from the game with a complete reversal of form in the second period.

It was the Hampshire side that pressed from the start, and Bromley’s goalkeeper Lewis Carey denied Stuart Fleetwood twice in the first six minutes; before Dan Spence’s shot from a narrow angle skimmed the crossbar a few minutes later.

Eastleigh opened the scoring on 20 minutes. Rob Swaine clumsily conceded a free-kick on the right touchline from which Craig McAllister’s far-post header back across goal was helped into the net by Bromley’s Dean Pooley.

Carey saved well at the foot of the post from Jai Reason, before the home side doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when Fleetwood ghosted past Pooley to cut inside and bend a shot around Carey and into the top corner.

A cross from the left was headed wide by McAllister when in a good position, and the half closed after Glen Southam and Ben Strevens both went close to increasing the home side's lead.

The second half was a complete turnaround from the first, as Bromley dominated play. They might have reduced the arrears after 48 minutes when Pierre Joseph-Dubois’s low shot was pushed around by Eastleigh goalkeeper Ross Flitney at full length.

The visitors did reduce the deficit two minutes later, when Bradley Goldberg picked up a loose ball midway in the Eastleigh half before running on to crack a low shot into the bottom corner, giving Flitney no chance.

Goldberg should have levelled the scores on 56 minutes when a brilliant crossfield pass by Joseph-Dubois picked the centre-forward out on the edge of the area, but he wildly put his effort high and wide of the target.

Another chance went begging just after the hour mark when a long clearance by Carey was headed on by Joseph-Dubois into the path of Jay May, who ran clear and, with only Flitney to beat, he screwed his shot wide.

Joseph-Dubois headed Joe Anderson’s cross over, following a mix-up by Eastleigh’s Reason and Romone Rose; and Goldberg’s shot on the run was just over as Bromley continued to press forward.

Strevens was allowed a free run at goal after 78 minutes, but the former Dagenham & Redbridge forward was denied by a good save by Carey at the foot of the post.

And Fleetwood’s shot on the turn lacked power and was easily gathered by the goalkeeper moments later.

With four minutes remaining Flitney flung himself across goal to somehow block Joseph-Dubois’s volley from seven yards, after the ball had been cut back across by substitute Shamir Mullings.

A minute later Flitney just managed to gather Steven Smith’s 20-yard volley.

But the home side held on for the three points when probably a draw would have been a fairer result.

Bromley: Carey, Pooley, Anderson, Smith, Swaine, Holland, Joseph-Dubois, Buchanan (McBean, 81), Goldberg, May (Mullings, 76), Kiernan (Waldren, 38), Subs not used: Clarke, Nicholls. Gate: 837.

Follow us on Twitter @NewsShopperSprt

More Bromley news and reports: