Bromley put an end to their three match losing streak with a draw away to newly promoted AFC Fylde. However it was very much a case of two points dropped as Bromley contrived to throw away a two goal lead from a possession of superiority.
Stinging from Neil Smith’s rebuke following Bromley’s meek surrender to Wrexham the previous week, Bromley came out of the traps flying and had their hosts on the back foot from the first minute.
George Porter was the first to go close in the opening minute of the game, latching on to Josh Rees long pass Porter outstripped the AFC Fylde defence but was unable to find a way past Rhys Taylor in the Fylde goal.
Luke Wanadio then hit the crossbar with a curling effort from the edge of the 18 yard box as Bromley laid siege to the Fylde goal.
The Bromley opening goal when it came was fully deserved, Porter played in Wanadio down the right wing and his cross was turned in by the on-rushing Frankie Sutherland.
With Bromley happy to play on the counter attack, Wanadio and Brett Williams then combined but the latter’s shot from a tight angle was well saved by the feet of Taylor.
Although AFC Fylde grew into the game and dominated the last 20 minutes of the first half their only genuine effort of note was a cross-cum shot from Zaine Francis-Angol that deceived David Gregory but rebounded against the underside of the crossbar.
Just as they did in the first half Bromley started the second at a high tempo and were rewarded with the second goal of the game five minutes after the restart.
Josh Rees flicked home Frankie Sutherland’s corner to give the box to box midfielder his fourth goal of the campaign.
However if the two goal lead should have represented a chance for Bromley to claim three welcome points the Coasters had other ideas.
In a ten minute stretch of play just after the hour mark Fylde not only restored parity in the scoreline but could have completed a miraculous turn around to take the lead in the game.
Warning signs were there when a looping header from Fylde top scorer Danny Rowe forced Gregory to scramble back to claw the ball off the line after the Bromley custodian had misjudged the flight of the cross.
Bromley were to be punished, however, with two goals in two minutes that turned the game completely on its head. In the 67th minute good play on the Fylde left hand side between Francis-Angol and substitute Jonny Smith allowed space for Henry Jones to get off a shot, but his strike deflected into the path of 17 year old Serhat Tasdemir who made no mistake with a low shot across Gregory to halve the deficit.
With their next attack Fylde were level, Rowe was played in by Jones and the frontman made no mistake with a fine left foot across Gregory into the opposite corner of the net.
The Mill Farm stadium was now rocking and with Bromley shell-shocked Jones nearly completely the turn around a minute later. Receiving the ball on the left touchline the winger cut in and unleashed a vicious dipping, swerving effort that beat Gregory but fizzed narrowly past the post.
A trio of substitutions, from Neil Smith, over the remaining 20 minutes of the game helped to take the sting out of the game and restore order although Lewis Montrose nearly won the game for the Coasters deep into injury time when his 25 yard drive was narrowly off target.
Up next for Bromley on Tuesday night are Torquay United who sit bottom of the table without a league win. Having arrested the slide of consecutive defeats Smith will be hoping Bromley can continue to be clinical in the 6 yard box and achieve their first win in 5 games.
AFC Fylde: Taylor, Burke, Tunnicliffe, Grand, Francis-Angol, Montrose, Bond (Smith 53), Finley, Jones (McCready 82), Muldoon (Tasdemir 53), Rowe.
Subs not used: Lynch, Ezewele
Bromley: Gregory, Chorley, Holland, Sterling, Dunne (Wynter 77), Sutherland, Raymond (Higgs 80), Porter, Rees, Wanadio, Williams (Dennis 83).
Subs not used: Johnson, Allen
Goals: AFC Fylde: Tasdemir 67, Rowe 69 Bromley: Sutherland 8, Rees 50
Attendance: 1,514 (Bromley 64)
Referee: Mr Andrew Miller