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McIntyre learns from home defeat

BROMLEY manager Stuart McIntyre admitted he learnt a lot about the trialists on show during the first 45 minutes of their latest pre-season friendly, against Southern League Division One East outfit Erith & Belvedere at Hayes Lane, writes Stephen McCartney.

He said: "We probably learnt that most of them are either ring rusty because they haven't played games or they are just very unfit.

"In the case of Kalis, on the left, he has played Division One football in Greece but he hasn't played much football recently.  He has just moved into this area, just married a Beckenham girl.  However, he is tidy and doesn't give the ball away much but he is not strong enough at this point in time."

He continued: "In the main I learnt today that most of the trialists can compete with an organised side, but they have things to learn about looking after each other.

"Other than that, I set about obtaining a particular exercise and we achieved that so that's good, from my point of view.

"I set the players a challenge to come through and they worked hard in the second half which was good.

"We are not taking chances as well as we might, but after the blow of Mark Willy's injury on Thursday night, today has been a worth while exercise.  We achieved what we wanted to achieve."

After central defender Willy, was stretchered off during the second half of Thursday's 1-1 draw against Windsor & Eton at Hayes Lane, McIntyre revealed the injury is a lot worse than first thought.

He revealed: "Mark has a broken main bone in his left leg - he will be out for at least six months."

Erith & Belvedere took the lead after only six minutes in the summer heat at Hayes Lane with a wonderful strike from former Redbridge (formerly Ford United) midfielder Dean Fenton.

Unleashing a fierce 30-yard shot, Bromley's young goalkeeper Harry Hunter dived to his left, but was unable to stop the rocketing shot crashing into the back of his net.

Ahmet Suleymanoglu, a disappointing performer since his move from Horsham at the end of last season, found the side netting from a 16 yard low shot out on the right hand side of the visitors penalty area, but the home side were unlucky not to equalise when Chris Hill, Bromley's youth team skipper last season, clipped the right upright from a 16 yard shot after 13 minutes.

Suleymanoglu then planted a header inches over the crossbar following John Myatt's pin-point cross from the right flank.

Fenton's progress was charged down by Hill and the ball fell nicely for Steve Taylor, but the Erith & Belvedere full-back saw his 30 yard shot rise high over the crossbar.

Visiting goalkeeper Jani Steinsteoin's 31st minute clearance was charged down by Bromley forward Joel Bevis, but the former Hastings United striker saw the ball ricochet wide of the right upright.

Lively Sol Henry used his pace, but was tracked well by Michael Ebanks, who until recently, played for Dulwich Hamlet.  Hunter came rushing out of his goal and got a touch of the ball but Taylor squared the ball to Paul Abbot and his shot deflected over the crossbar from 25 yards.

The Southern Leaguers doubled their lead in the 44th minute when Abbott's flag kick was headed home by skipper Lewis Tozer, getting to the ball before Hunter, who slowly came off his line.

McIntyre made wholesale changes during the break, as intended, and players, who should start their Ryman League Division One campaign next Saturday, when Horsham are the visitors to Hayes Lane, played the second half.

After Solomon Taywo struck a shot straight at the visiting goalkeeper, and Watson was denied by the shot-stopper and Tim Murdoch fired high over the bar following Taywo's flag kick, the home side found the back of the net in the 58th minute.

Prolific striker Mark Watson's downward header, following Taywo's corner, which was flicked on at the near post, beat the goalkeeper from eight yards.

Goalkeeper Andy Walker, who has fought of Matt Martin, Alex O'Reilly and Harry Hunter to claim the number one jersey for the Horsham game, it would appear, launched a 64th minute clearance which Paul Vines latched onto.

Unfortunately, the former Cray Wanderers' striker, dragged a shot across the face of goal from ten yards.

With fourteen minutes remaining, Tutu Henriques slipped the ball via Mark Cumberbath into the path of Amoako, who raced towards goal, but shot straight at the goalkeeper, positioned on the near post.

Walker made sure a lopping header in the 82nd minute was put out of harms way from the edge of the penalty area, by gently pushing the attempt wide of the right upright.

Creating many chances is fine, but Bromley must take their chances to punish teams, and in the 89th minute, Vines' 16-yard shot was pushed around the post by the goalkeeper.

Bromley have one last remaining pre-season friendly on Tuesday night when McIntyre hinted he will field a 17-man squad against Go Travel Kent League neighbours Beckenham Town.

He revealed: "We go into Tuesday's game and there will be maybe 5 outfield players and one goalkeeper on the substitutes bench.

"We will be running through set plays before the game and will be trying to work on them during the game. 

"But it's all about shape retention and working properly, retaining a good shape and protecting eachother, which I thought we did in the second half against Erith & Belvedere."


Bromley:
Harry Hunter (Andy Walker HT), Ahmet Akdag (Steve Potterill HT), Michael Ebanks (Adolph Amoako 58), John Myatt (Tutu Henriques HT), Steve Wade (Dean Frost HT), Matt Kember (Danny Arkwright HT), Chris Hill (Tim Murdoch HT), Norbert (Solomon Taywo HT), Joel Bevis (Scott Bennetts HT), Ahmet Suleymanoglu (Mark Watson HT), Kalis (Paul Vines 32).

Erith & Belvedere:  Jani Steinsteoin, Steve Taylor, Darren Spinks, Mark Cumberbatch, Lewis Tozer, Ray Aboagye, Dean Fenton, Paul Abbott, Darren Adams, Brett Northover, Sol Henry.  Subs (from): Mark Chapman, Mo Cessay, Sean Bradshaw, Chris Whitehouse, Stuart Abbott, Richard Vercesi

Referee: Mike Kempster
Assistants: Paul Chick & Steve Bassett