Lillies grab lucky point

2:26pm Monday 8th September 2008

Hampton & Richmond 1-1 Bromley

BROMLEY were fortunate to leave The Beveree on Saturday with a point after being outplayed for long periods by a not particularly good Hampton & Richmond Borough side.

In a sterile game Bromley were without direction and lacked the basic instincts.

Much of their play was poor, while passing and positioning was, to say the least, very untidy.

Bromley might have gone behind in the seventh minute when goalkeeper Gareth Williams allowed a simple headed back pass to squirm out of his hands and the quick thinking Steve Clark tidied up as Lawrence Yaku was about to pounce.

Barrie Matthews beat Mark Corneille on the touchline seven minutes later, but his cross evaded everyone before Marcello Fernandes shot wide after being gifted a chance by a panicky defence.

Bromley's first attempt at goal came on the half hour mark when a four man passing move ended with Matt Lovett saving Jay May's header.

Shambolic defending gifted Fernandes another chance, but his curling shot from the edge of the area skimmed the crossbar with Williams beaten.

In a rare Bromley attack the visitors broke the deadlock on 38 minutes, but it was a Hampton player who scored the goal.

With no apparent danger Loui Fazakerley skipped past two defenders on the byline and his soft cross was headed into his own net by Hampton's full back Graham Harper.

The lead only lasted three minutes as Donal O'Sullivan, on for the injured Adam Everitt, unnecessarily tackled Yaku from behind in the area when the striker had nowhere to go.

Ryan Lake stepped up to blast the spot kick past Williams.

The second half was no better than the first as Bromley went from bad to worse.

In fact, their only worthwhile effort on goal did not come until the first minute of injury time when Mark Corneille picked up possession in his own half and ran the length of the park before his final touch was deflected for a corner.

Hampton had a number of opportunities to seal victory before this, but some wayward shooting and a couple of decent saves from Williams saved the day.

Yaku's 70th minute shot on the turn was saved and Stuart Lake shot wide of an open goal four minutes later.

Williams saved at the second attempt Lake's fiercely struck 77th minute volley.

The Lillywhites keeper went full length to push Ben Wright's free-kick around the post and in the last three minutes, Nana Badu, Ian Hodges and John Scarborough all missed simple chances from within the six yard box.

Then came Corneille' cameo, which might have given Bromley an unlikely three points.

Bromley: Williams, Corneille, Everitt (O'Sullivan 25), Toppin (Swaibu 55), Clark, Gilman, Fazakerley, I'Anson, McBean, May (Hockton 46), Hall. Subs not used: Haverson, Davis. Att: 517

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