Bromley closed the gap on leaders Boreham Wood, to two points with two games in hand on Saturday at Hayes Lane with a 2-0 victory over third placed Havant & Waterlooville. 

On a heavy pitch which cut up badly, the hosts started the game on top and really should have been two goals to the good in the opening 17 minutes. 

But it took more than an hour for Bromley to finally break the deadlock before a second goal in the 89th minute clinched the points. 

Moses Ademola was unlucky not to open the scoring with an early overhead kick which beat visiting keeper Ryan Young before dropping just the wrong side of the bar.

And two minutes later an intricate passing movement ended with Ademola in front of goal with only the keeper to beat, but he fired straight at the custodian.

Another passing movement in the 17th minute saw Anthony Cook’s shot beat Young, only for Brian Stock to be in the right place at the right time to chest the winger’s shot off the line.

Two Reece Prestedge corners were met by Rob Swaine, the first going over the bar and the second being well saved by Young at the foot of the post.

However, Bromley let Havant back into the game as the Hampshire side ended the half strongly and former Ravens player Ben Swallow played Perry Ryan in, only for Swaine to head away the striker’s strongly hit effort after 33 minutes.

Swallow was then allowed to run at the defence before dispatching a low shot which Bromley keeper Alan Julian shepherded past the post.

Jonathan Hooper shot wide from a central position and with almost the last kick of the half, Scott Donnelly curled an effort wide. 

It was Bromley who had the first chance of the second half on 59 minutes when Ali Fuseini dispossessed a defender to set up Ben May, but his first-time shot was just wide of the upright.

Swaine headed over Cook’s corner before Jack Holland put the home side ahead in the 66th minute. 

A Cook corner from the right was headed down by Swaine and Holland turned to hammer a right-footed shot into the top corner of the net.

Young produced a fine save to deny a deflected attempt from Cook.

Bradley Goldberg’s shot on the turn was a little too high before substitute, Jamie Slabber’s goal-bound effort deflected off a defender following a fine cross from Ugo Udoji.

Bromley made sure of the points with one minute remaining when Fuseini was on hand to send a low diagonal shot towards goal and as Goldberg ran across the keeper’s sight line, the ball rolled into the far corner of the net.

In time added on Goldberg just failed to connect with Louis Dennis’s low cross as Bromley recorded back-to-back victories over two of their nearest challengers in the Conference South table.

Bromley: Julian, Udoji, Anderson, Fuseini, Swaine, Holland, Ademola (Dennis 69), Prestedge (Waldren 63), May (Slabber 73), Goldberg, Cook. Subs not used: McNaughton, Robertson. Att: 945