Bromley 0-0 Thurrock - We're not safe yet and that's my biggest disappointment, says Mark Goldberg

BROMLEY  0-0  THURROCK
Blue Square Bet South
Saturday 21^st April 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

BROMLEY manager Mark Goldberg rued missed chances as his dominant side had to settle for  a point against basement side Thurrock on an agonising day at Hayes Lane.

The relegation threatened Ravens missed numerous chances in a one-sided side against an already relegated Thurrock side, who offered very little in the final third.

Bromley striker Michael Malcolm was guilty of a glaring first half miss and substitute Hakeem Araba, who was presented with the supporters’ player-of-the-year award before the game, could have had a hat-trick in the second half, but failed to hit the back of the net.

But Bromley’s 44^th point of the season may be enough to maintain their Blue Square Bet (Conference) South status.

If second-from-bottom Hampton & Richmond Borough fail to beat play-off chasing Basingstoke Town on Tuesday night, then Bromley will travel to Dorchester Town next Saturday to play their final game of the season knowing that they can’t suffer their fourth relegation of their history.

A victory for Basingstoke will see the Hampshire side leapfrog over Chelmsford City in fifth-place in the league table going into the final game of the season.

The Bromley boss said: “I never thought I wanted to rely on other results, but I think we could do with a little good fortune during the week then we can go to Dorchester with the knowledge that we’re safe and go and enjoy the game.

“As it stands at the moment we have got to do a professional job right to the end. I didn’t want it to be like this, but it is and no-one can doubt the fact that we deserved more today, but we just didn’t finish when we needed to.”

Goldberg just couldn’t believe his side bad luck in front of goal.

He said:  “Greatly disappointed in the fact that we didn’t take all of the chances we created.

“I’m pleased with the effort.  I’m pleased with the way we played, our approach play, the way we defended, the resilience that we showed having created what, must have been more than 20 goalscoring opportunities throughout the game and not be able to be clinical enough to finish is a great disappointment for me.

“It was clear domination but unfortunately we needed to win and the draw wasn’t good enough today.

“We had a chance to be safe today and I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite us!”

Bromley made their intensions known early, as they pegged their Essex opponents back in their own half, with a high-tempo start.

Wingers Albert Jarrett and Pierre Joseph-Dubois were both terrorising the two Thurrock full-backs during the half.

Bromley’s first chance came inside the opening ten minutes.  Malcolm swept the ball out wide to left-winger Jarrett, who whipped in a cross with his left foot and found striker Anthony Thomas at the far post, but his header from ten-yards went across keeper Ross Kitteridge and dropped wide of the far post.

The former Dover Athletic keeper made a fine save to thwart Bromley skipper, Ali Fuseini, who stroked a right-footed shot from 20-yards from the corner of the penalty area and Kitteridge produced a fine save, high to his left.

Seconds later, Bromley retained possession and Malcolm clipped the ball back into the penalty area and right-back Tutu Henriques headed over from ten-yards.

But Goldberg and the Hayes Lane faithful were left in agony when they should have taken the first half’s best chance in the 28^th minute.

A ball over the top released Malcolm through on goal and with only Kitteridge to beat the former Lewes striker clipped a left-footed shot agonisingly wide of the left-hand post, to the delight of the small but vocal Thurrock contingent at the other end.

Goldberg said: “It’s fair to say he should’ve scored two or three.  He was instrumental in our opportunities in the second half.  He created two or three chances for Hakeem through his good work from deep and out wide when he ran at players he caused the Thurrock defence all kinds of problems and put in some great crosses and unfortunately we just couldn’t finish.

“There were some clear cut opportunities that another day we may have had four or five but unfortunately the result went against us.”

Thurrock grew in confidence and went close with their first real chance in the 35^th minute. 

Left-back Ahmed Khan, who was forced off with cramp in his left leg later on in the game, played the ball to Paul Terry, who swept the ball forward to Sam Cutler, who flicked the ball beyond Moses Swaibu and striker Lee Boylan swept a right-footed shot from the edge of the box, which bounced across Bromley keeper Joe Welch and bounced just past the far post.

Welch made a comfortable save to deny Boylan, who cracked an angled drive from the right hand side of the penalty area and then the former Ebbsfleet United stopper plucked Stuart Thurgood’s chip out of the air high above his head.

Frenchman Joseph-Dubois, who was seeing plenty of the ball in his orange boots, released Malcolm racing through on goal, before diving a low drive with his left-foot, which Kitteridge saved low to his left on his six-yard line.

Another chance fell Bromley’s way just before half-time, but Kitteridge stuck out his left arm to turn away Thomas’ shot on the turn, which looked destined to find the far corner.

Bromley started the second half slowly and Thurrock should have snatched the lead ten minutes into the half.

Boylan picked up the ball and spread the ball out wide to David Knight, who whipped in an excellent right-footed cross from the right and the Bromley’s two central defenders Swaibu and Liam Harwood failed to pick up Boylan, who cracked a right-footed hooked volley, which sailed just wide of the post.

The introduction of Araba, however, lifted the Bromley side as they camped themselves inside Thurrock’s half for the final thirty minutes and if this was a boxing fight then the referee would have stopped the game, but all that Bromley lacked was a killer punch.

A corner from the right was swung in by Jarrett and Tutu Henriques rose with his marker and his near post header was blocked. The ball came out to Fuseini, but he couldn’t keep his right-footed drive from just outside the penalty area down.

A fine pass from Joseph-Pierre released Malcolm, who cut inside, but his shot lacked power and rolled into Kitteridge’s gloves, who got there just before a Araba, who stretched out his right leg in an attempt to poke the ball over the line.

And there was agony for Bromley in the 64^th minute when Araba powered his way into the penalty area before laying the ball off to Malcolm, whose right-footed angled drive nestled into the bottom far corner, but an offside flag had already been raised.

Malcolm, who switched to the right, played a major part in creating numerous chances, as Bromley desperately went for the kill.

The striker cut in from the right and played the ball inside to Joseph-Dubois, who swept a right-footed shot on the turn, which was palmed up into the air by Kitteridge, but the Thurrock keeper was fouled by Araba after the powerful striker clattered into him as he nodded the ball down and wide of the left-post from inside the six-yard box.

Yet another low centre from Malcolm was swept towards goal by the French winger, but Kitteridge made a fine low block. 

Jarrett swung in another excellent corner from the right and Fuseini’s acrobatic overhead kick put the ball back into the danger area and Henriques headed over.

Bromley continued to mount constant pressure on the Thurrock defence, with Malcolm whipping in many crosses for sixteen-goal target man Araba to score a hat-trick.

Goldberg agreed, saying, “Especially one of the headers, but it wasn’t to be today.  We just have to make sure we do a professional job on Saturday.”

Araba rose above his marker to plant his header over from six-yards and then swept a right-footed shot, which was saved low down by the busy Thurrock keeper.

And with the Bromley faithful giving their side excellent support, Bromley went into the final ten minutes with Thurrock struggling to live with Bromley’s attacking play.

Yet another cross from Malcolm from the right found Araba, who outjumped Kitteridge and nodded over from six-yards, but the keeper went down injured and needed treatment, much to the frustrated home fans’ behind his goal.

Those fans’ were just asking how their hero Araba didn’t hit the target.

Jarrett slid the ball over to Malcolm and his cross was met by Araba in the middle, who headed agonisingly wide of the far post from 12-yards.

And when Araba blasted a right-footed volley agonisingly over the crossbar from six-yards, you just knew it wasn’t going to be Bromley’s day!

Kitteridge was forced to dive low to his right to deny Malcolm scoring with a right-footed drive from 25-yards, before Thurrock walked off the bumpy Hayes Lane playing surface with an undeserved point.

On this performance, Bromley will be playing Conference South football next August.

“It’s fair to say we totally dominated the game,” added Goldberg.  “We created enough goalscoring opportunities.  I can’t ask any more from the players in terms of effort. It’s just we have to be more clinical. I don’t know why we’re not.

“We’re not safe yet and that’s the biggest disappointment.”

Henriques, meanwhile, who was playing his 312^th game for Bromley today, admitted tension was in the air.

The versatile South African said: “We had possession, we had territory, created chances, but unfortunately the ball didn’t cross the line and all that’s what counts at the end.

“Hakeem should’ve had a hat-trick.  He had a hatful of chances where a finish was required. 

“A good performance from (former team-mate) Rob Gillman at the back for them and they managed to somehow see it through and steal a 0-0 to put it mildly.

“The management did put the pressure on us before the game.  When I say pressure, I say tension. It was quite tense out there when we were playing.  Chances kept getting missed and with this tension the pressure does grow.  The team does collectively get tighter and snatch at a few chances. That’s what we saw.

“We tried but we didn’t succeed as we wanted today.”

Bromley slip to eighteenth-place in the table, but by the time they travel to Dorchester Town next Saturday, the relegation battle will hopefully be won by then. 

Many Bromley fans will be making the trip to Hampton & Richmond Borough on Tuesday night to support Basingstoke Town!

Bromley:  Joe Welch, Tutu Henriques, Marlon Patterson, Ali Fuseini, Moses Swaibu, Liam Harwood, Pierre Joseph-Dubois, Danny Waldren (Gareth Williams 83), Anthony Thomas (Hakeem Araba 59), Michael Malcolm, Albert Jarrett.
Subs: Michael Jones, Aaron Rhule, Salifou Ibrahima

Booked:  Moses Swaibu 74

Thurrock:  Ross Kitteridge, Warren Goodhind (James Smith 70), Ahmed Khan, Rob Gillman, James White, Stuart Thurgood, Paul Terry, Sam Cutler, David Knight, Lee Boylan, Daniel Okan (James Woodward 87).
Subs: Eku Deen, Nathan Ashton, David Hughes

Booked: Warren Goodhind 63

Attendance: 688
Referee:  Mr Daniel Cook (Gosport, Hampshire)
Assistants:  Mr Oliver Roguez (London E14) & Mr Andrew Parker (Stanford-le-Hope, Essex)