Bromley 1 Braintree Town 4 – BSS – 14/03/09
Danny Hokcton returned to Hayes Lane with his new club Braintree and scored two well taken goals as the Essex side blew a disjointed Bromley away in the first half.
Lining up 3-5-2 and with an injured Keeper Bromley really didn’t settle at all and were behind after 10mins when Hockton was left unmarked at a corner and headed home for 1-0. Braintree were 2-0 up 4mins later when Bromley’s defence failed to clear their lines and Andy Porter crashed home from just outside the box. The Ravens finally mustered some resistance with Ryan Hall and Luke I’Anson having chances, but the game was all over on 33mins when Hockton latched on to a ball down the middle and finished well for 3-0. Fellow former Raven Gareth Williams hit the bar soon after while Bromley had one late chance when Ali Chabban forced a save from one time Bromley Keeper Craig Holloway. Just to cap off a miserable first half top scorer Warren McBean went down injured and had to be replaced during the break.
Mark Goldberg changed the formation in the second half moving to a back four and there was a marked improvement from the kick off. Sub Ashley Robinson forced a save from Holloway, Jerome Sobers went close and Chabban was also foiled by Holloway at a corner before the ball was scrambled away. The Ravens injured Keeper Gareth Williams saved well from his name sake and Hockton fluffed a couple of opportunities for a hatrick, but The Irons did make it 4-0 on 78mins when Louis Riddle curled in a fantastic free kick from 25yards out after Bromley had given the ball away from a goal kick. Robinson was the one real positive for Bromley in the second half and he had one good effort saved before he finally found the net in injury time finishing well through a crowd of players. Hall then also had a good shot saved by Holloway before the final whistle came and Braintree’s former Bromley contingent could celebrate their victorious return.
Quote for the game, ‘How can you start a game with an injured keeper?’ – Mikey.
Bromley: Williams, Norval, Dolby, Zanzi, Sobers, Gillman, I’Anson, Hall, Beaney, McBean, Chabban. Subs: Robinson, Harding, Stone, Davis, Pakasa.
