metpolice190405

Bring on Dulwich!

STRIKER Adolph Amoako came off the bench to score his 20th goal of the season but Bromley should have gained more than a point against play-off rivals Metropolitan Police at Hayes Lane.

Bromley go into their home clash with arch rivals Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday full of confidence.  They are two points inside the play-offs and unbeaten in seven games (winning six out of six before this game) so who could blame them?

But they had to come from behind as former Bromley midfielder Scott Bennetts - who was dumped by George Wakeling in December - opened the scoring after 27 minutes to stun the Hayes Lane faithful.

But Amoako, who came off the bench after 57 minutes to replace Fraser Logan, kept Bromley on course for a play-off spot with two games remaining.

Wakeling, the club's joint-manager with Billy Smith, admitted it was two points dropped, rather than one gained as Wade Falana missed a whole host of chances to win the game for the Kent side.

Falana was fully pumped up for the game and he was very lucky to escape punishment from referee David Buck when he clattered into Simon Gregory inside the Police penalty box inside the opening three minutes.

Former Bromley striker Mark Watson, who was given a hostile welcome from the home fans, and was booed and abused throughout his 75 minute torture, nipped in front of defender Tutu Henriques to nod Ian Batten's cross just wide of the post.

The visitors, however, broke the deadlock after 27 minutes.  Craig Brown poked the ball behind Colin Luckett and managed to get around the former Kingstonian star to deliver a cross from the right by-line.  Jon Daly's header was palmed out superbly by goalkeeper Andy Walker and Bennetts made no mistake from inside the six yard box.

A mistake from visiting defender Dave Newman, miskicking the ball, sent Bromley winder Gary Drewett on his way down the middle before he was upended just outside the box.  Luckett's free kick, however, dropped just over the bar, after deflecting off the wall.

The visitors enjoyed a good spell, and Bromley skipper Steve Potterill had to hook an effort off the line, and after 37 minutes Watson nipped in front of marker Sam Okafor to head wide.

Falana should have equalised deep into stoppage time.  Meeting Fraser Logan's whipped in cross, the target man somehow powered his header agonisingly over the bar from six-yards.

Falana missed another gilt-edged chance after 61 minutes.  Latching onto Henriques' low defense splitting pass, Falana shrugged off Newman some 30-yards from goal and took the ball inside the box.  With only Stuart MacKenzie to beat, Falana tried to place the ball inside the bottom left hand corner but the experienced goalkeeper made a fine block.

Falana squandered another chance when poor control, with only the goalkeeper to beat inside the box, allowed MacKenzie to pick up the ball.

The introductions of Kevin George and Amoako sprung Bromley into life and they created more chances in the last ten minutes after Amoako's well taken goal with 17 minutes left.

Gavin McGowan flicked the ball towards goal and from an acute angle, the former Crystal Palace youngster, managed to get his foot around the ball to sweep the shot inside the near post, from close range, past a bemused goalkeeper but to the delight of the vocal home fans.

Amoako had one of a number of good chances late on, glancing Luckett's cross agonisingly wide of the post.

At the other end, Batten, a threat throughout from set pieces, drove a shot past Walker in the 90th minute but luckily for the home side his free kick was well wide of the post.

Speaking about Falana's contribution, Wakeling said: "I think he had three great chances and they couldn't go in - it's just one of those things.  I would have been really pleased for him if he had put them away but he didn't."

Wakeling admitted his side should have won their seventh successive game.

"We had our chances in the second half where we should have wrapped the game up," he said.

"But unfortunately we didn't take our chances - that's the name of the game.

"From my point of view we created chances.  If I came off here tonight, playing in this game, and not creating anything I would have been disappointed, but we're still creating chances.  I've got to take a little bit of satisfaction from that."

The Ravens finish their campaign on Saturday week with a trip to Banstead Athletic.  The A's have a number of former Bromley players in their ranks including John Myatt, Bobby George and Danny Arkwright and they will be doing all they can to beat their former club and possibly keeping them down.

Wakeling, however, is confident his side had cemented their play-off place by then - by collecting three points from Dulwich Hamlet at Hayes Lane on Saturday.

"We've got to get three points haven't we?" he said.

"I think we are capable of getting six - at the end of the day we are good enough and I think we'll do it."

When asked if he was worried about facing the Imber Court outfit in the play-off's Wakeling added: "You ask their manager.  He'll be more worried then I will be, put it that way.

"If we play them again he will be more worried than I will.  He couldn't wait for that final whistle - they were gone."

Bromley star midfielder Danny Carroll, who was given his chance at Hayes Lane earlier in his career by Wakeling, whilst he was a student, before joining Dulwich Hamlet, went on to earn his trade with clubs such as Crawley Town and Stevenage Borough.  Now a PE Teacher, he added: "Once a Raven, always a Raven!"

Players always score against their former sides, don't they Danny?

How the Bromley faithful would love to win a place in the play-offs and beating their pink shirted rivals to get there!

Bromley: Andy Walker, Gavin McGowan, Colin Luckett, Steve Potterill (Capt), Tutu Henriques, Sam Okafor, Danny Carroll, Wade Falana, Mark Tompkins (Kevin George 71), Fraser Logan (Adolph Amoako 57), Gary Drewett.  Subs: Billy Harding, Andy Silk

Metropolitan Police: Stuart MacKenzie, Simon Gregory, Paul Barrowcliff, Paul Sears, Dave Newman, Jon Daly (Capt), Craig Brown, Ian Batten, Mark Watson (Micahel Parma 75), Kevin Cooper, Scott Bennetts (Byron Brown 86).  Subs: Stuart Harte, Glenn Boosey, Matthew Fox

Attendance: 292
Referee: D Buck
Assistants: A Laver & W Bull