Bromley 0-2 Dover Athletic - We're blowing hot and cold, admits Dover boss Martin Hayes

Although 31-goal striker Adam Birchall was not on the scoresheet, the 26-year-old played a major role in his strike partner, Donovan Simmonds and midfielder Barry Cogan scoring as Dover Athletic sealed their ninth league win on the road, compared to three at Crabble.

Dover Athletic leapfrogged over Eastleigh into seventh place in a congested Blue Square Bet South table, although Bromley - who twice hit the woodwork in the second half through Jerrome Sobers and Harry Harding - failed to capitalise on leaders Braintree Town losing 1-0 away to Dartford and as a result of their fourth home league defeat of the season slip down one place into third.

“It was a massive win for us tonight, especially after the disappointment of Saturday at home,” said Hayes after the game.

“I can’t work it out at the moment.  We do play well away from home and we can’t take it to Dover and we disappoint a lot of home fans, but tonight was massive, a big three points, hopefully (this) puts us back in amongst the chasing pack for Braintree and it’s another big team that we’ve had to deal with.

“We’ve got a string of back-to-back big sides and yes, very, very pleased with the lads, they responded well (to losing 3-1 at home to Ebbsfleet United at the weekend).

Four points now separate Dover Athletic to Bromley and for Lillywhites boss Hayden Bird he was bitterly disappointed at the final whistle.

“Disappointed with the result.  It was a big game for us today,” said Bird, who was without influential left-back Harrison Dunk, through an ankle injury.

“Had we beaten Dover we would’ve gone ten points clear of them, albeit they have games-in-hand. Now it’s four with (four) games in hand so obviously the picture’s changed so it was an important result.

“I’m not very much disappointed with the performance. I thought they were two good sides out there to be fair.  You could see why Dover have been so successful on their travels and for our part I think that small details have lost us the game.

“We had opportunities, their first two opportunities they’ve scored from and in the last third there’s no doubt they’re a very good side.”

The first half didn’t excite both sets of supporters, who ventured out to Hayes Lane despite the misty conditions.

Both team’s central defenders, David Graves and Sobers (Bromley) and their opposite numbers Olly Schulz and Rob Gillman were not giving anything away and the first half saw both sides cancel each other out.

The only shot on target came Dover Athletic’s way in the 23rd minute.

Simmonds laid the ball off to the lethal Birchall, who drilled a low, right-footed shot from 35-yards, which forced Bromley goalkeeper Craig Holloway into making a low save to his right.

Everybody wished for a more exciting second half!  Thankfully we got it!

Reflecting on the boring first half, Hayes said: “They had a couple of chances and we seemed we couldn’t pass the ball properly and it was bouncing around everywhere and we just needed to settle down.  I was happy to go in nil-nil.

“We went downhill second half and I think we stamped a bit more authority on it, showed a little bit of quality, kept the ball well.  Very, very pleased with the goals and win and it sets us up now for Saturday (away to Basingstoke) and gives us a good crack at Braintree in our next home match (in seven days time).

Expressing his thoughts on the first half,  Bird, the Bromley boss added: “Both teams didn’t want to give anything away.  Games like this is often a game of chess isn’t it?  It’s very tight.  It’s won or lost on small details and the small details today was a moment of magic on two occasions.”

Birchall almost broke the stalemate within eight minutes after the interval when he won a footrace with Sobers but dragged a low right-footed shot on the angle agonisingly past the far post.

Bromley’s first real chance of the game finally arrived in the 55th minute.

Nine-goal striker, Warren McBean’s power and pace saw him burst through the middle of the pitch and on the edge of the box he laid the ball off to Ryan Dolby, but the former Cray Valley left winger shanked his left-footed shot past the near post.

The mist started to roll in and Dover Athletic held the upper hand with the opening goal in the 61st minute.

Quality play from Birchall saw him reach the right by-line as he fought off the attentions of central defender Graves and he slid the ball across goal for Simmonds to blast a right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner from four-yards out.

Bromley should have equalised when McBean was released through on goal and from a tight angle he cut inside and slammed a low right-footed shot which was blocked expertly by visiting goalkeeper Ross Flitney.

With just over twenty minutes remaining, Birchall was forced to shoot from 30-yards but his left-footed drive on the run straight down the middle of the pitch was powerfully struck into Holloway’s arms.

But Bromley were cursing their bad luck again when they should have equalised but they were punished just 75 seconds later when Dover Athletic wrapped up the victory with a piece of sheer magic from the classy Cogan.

Tony Finn swung in a corner from the left into the Dover penalty area and Sobers rose to plant a header towards goal, but the ball dropped down and agonisingly clipped the foot of the right-hand post.

Dover Athletic swiftly attacked and sealed the game immediately - with eighteen minutes remaining.

Birchall’s ball forward was flicked by Simmonds (lurking around the D) and he found Cogan unmarked and the former Crawley Town midfielder had time and space to pick his spot, curling a beautiful right-footed shot from 22-yards which he caressed into the top-right hand corner, giving Craig Holloway no chance at all.

Dover secretary Frank Clarke and chairman Jim Parmenter rose to their feet to applaud such class, worthy to win any game of football.

Hayes said: “It was a great finish.  He’s cool and calm and he’s just picked his spot.  You haven’t got to smash it, he’s just curled it in.

“The second one was the killer for them, I’m sure, and to come here and win two-nil that’s a massive three points and hopefully we’ll take points of others now and we get to play some of the sides down at the bottom.”

Hayes praised the front two of Simmonds (who scored his fourth goal for the club) and Birchall.

“The two of them work well together, very clever players, good ability, good awareness,” said the former Arsenal star.

“It wasn’t Adam’s night tonight, although he could’ve had a couple right at the end and he will be disappointed that he didn’t (score) but it was a great bit of skill to put it into the box.  It was nice to see Donovan get there, he doesn’t get inside the box enough and hopefully he can now and he should be scoring more goals.

“There’s some good players out there, obviously Barry showed a bit of class for the second goal as well and it’s so frustrating working with them.  

“We’re blowing hot and cold, we’ve really got to sort it and make ourselves really serious challenges for this top five.”

Bromley struck the woodwork for the second time in the 77th minute when midfielder Harry Harding burst into the Dover box and his left-footed deflected effort looped onto the bar and out for a corner.

Another chance went begging for the home side when substitute Dean Lodge cut inside Tom Wynter and played the ball inside to Wes Daly who released McBean through on goal but his driven shot was blocked by Flitney, who was relieved to see Daly blast Finn’s cut back past his post following the resulting corner.

Birchall flashed two low right-footed drives past the foot of the near post inside stoppage time but it was Dover Athletic that sealed the points in a disappointing Kent derby.

Bird, meanwhile, acknowledged his Bromley side lost to two quality Dover goals.

“It’s easy to criticise when you concede goals, it’s easy to criticise your defenders but I give credit to Dover today.  I think the two goals they scored today were very good,” said Bird.

“It was really their first two opportunities on goal of any significance where as we had one or two from Warren McBean, Ryan Dolby, just a few moments before (they scored) he missed the target.  In games like this those opportunities have to go in because it’s either one-nil to us and we’re on our way to three points and two minutes later after Ryan’s missed it we’ve seen a moment of magic from Birchall to get the cross over and we’re one-nil down.

“It’s those small margins that wins these games.”

Bird, who has targeted another 30 points from their last 15 league games to secure a play-off place, was left cursing his luck as Sobers could have levelled before Cogan popped up with some quality.

He said: “Jerrome’s hit the post, everybody’s screaming goal thinking it’s going in, 90 seconds later Cogan’s scored with a great strike.  

“I can’t blame Craig (Holloway), I thought it was a great goal.  

“Dover have come here, they look a good side and they’ve scored two good goals today.  That’s ultimately the difference.  They were better in the last third of the field than we are.”

Bromley: Craig Holloway, Tutu Henriques, Marlon Patterson, Wes Daly, David Graves, Jerrome Sobers, Tony Finn, Harry Harding, Leon McKenzie (Paul Vines 85), Warren McBean, Ryan Dolby (Dean Lodge 63).

Subs:  Reis Boyle, Arron Fray, Salifou Ibrahima

Dover Athletic: Ross Flitney, Matt Fish, Tom Wynter, Jon Wallis (Luke I‘Anson 83), Olly Schulz, Rob Gillman, Harry Baker (Danny Kelly 75), Lewwis Spence, Donovan Simmonds (Sam Long 90), Adam Birchall, Barry Cogan.

Subs:  Ben Hunt, Lee Hook

Goals: Donovan Simmonds 61, Barry Cogan 72

Booked: Jon Wallis 44

Attendance: 420

Referee: Mr Paul Harris (Maidstone)

Assistants:  Mr Darren Eaton (Crowborough, East Sussex) & Mr Elad Amir (Maidstone)