In the scorching heat Bromley picked up their first point of the new National League season at home to Altrincham at Hayes Lane on Saturday, but they really should have done better considering the visitors played for over half an hour with an outfield player in goal after an injury to Matthew Gould. 

Altrincham made the better start to the game for the first ten minutes our so before Bromley settled into the match, but it was Phil Parkinson’s side who created the better chances with Ryan Colclough having a shot deflected wide for a corner and then forcing a save from Reice Charles-Cook when connecting to a low cross from just inside the area soon after.

The Ravens’ only effort on goal was a tame shot from Michael Cheek comfortably gathered by Gould, other than that the impressive Kellen Fisher had a shot blocked by Toby Mullarckey and Reece Hannam set up James Vennings with a great pass down the left, but the young midfielder went down far too easily as he headed towards the bye line and Referee Gary Parsons waved the appeals for a penalty away.

Andy Woodman’s team finished the half on top, but couldn’t find the right pass in the final third to make it count. 

The second half saw Bromley start on top, Fisher put in a great ball across the crowded area, but no one in white shirt could connect to it.

Then just after the hour mark, Gould collided with one of his own defenders and had to be taken off injured after a lengthy delay for treatment.

Alty number 9 Jordan Hulme took the gloves from there for the visitors for the rest of the match. Bromley tried to press home their advantage with Louis Dennis shooting wide from range, but Altrincham held out and then made chances of their own.

Mullarkey seeing a long range shot deflect wide for a corner and then having another effort well saved by Charles-Cook at the far post from the set piece, which took a deflection off Byron Webster on the way.

Corey Whitely curled a twenty yarder over the bar for the home side, before Hulme was booked for time wasting with ten minutes to go in normal time when delaying a goal kick.

Going into ten minutes of injury time Colclough had a shot from distance saved by Charles-Cook, before The Ravens pressed again, one scramble in the box was eventually cleared and then Mason Bloomfield volleyed over from just inside the area.

Right at the death a great move from Alty saw the ball come to Christopher Conn, but his driven effort was brilliantly tipped away by Charles-Cook for a corner to keep the scores tied at zero and secure a point for The Ravens.   

The result was probably fair over the whole match, but Bromley will be frustrated that they failed to take advantage of playing against a stand in keeper for the majority of the second half.

The Ravens now prepare for a home game with Torquay Utd on Tuesday night, hoping to notch their first league win of the campaign.

Bromley: Charles-Cook, Sowunmi. Webster, Bush, Fisher (Forster 64), Hannam (Dennis 45), Bingham, Vennings (Coleman 75), Whitely, Bloomfield, Cheek.

Subs Not Used: Boylan, Reynolds.  

Altrincham: Gould (Dinanga 67), Baines, Jones, Osbourne, Mullarkey, Brockbank (Cooper 86), Lundstram, Bennett (Pringle 86), Conn, Hulme, Colclough.

Subs Not Used: Hussain, Samizadeh.  

Referee: Gary Parsons           

Attendance: 1618