Bromley suffered their second league defeat in a row as they were outbattled and found no answer to Danny Cowley’s Colchester at a chilly Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon.
Staring with two up front and giving a debut to new striker Nicke Kabamba, Andy Woodman’s Bromley looked disjointed and fell behind after only 3 minutes. They were opened up by some slick passing around the area from the Essex side and they found a gap on the left when Lyle Taylor set up Owura Edwards who coolly slotted the ball past Smith and inside the far post.
Colchester continued to look the brighter from there with Jamie McDonnell having a header from a corner cleared by Omar Sowunmi and Jack Payne having a shot saved by Grant Smith after good work by Edwards down the left.
Fiacre Kelleher had a header saved from a free kick as The Ravens struggled to get going, with the referee happy to let the physical side of the game go unchecked.
After an injury to Michael Cheek, Bromley finally started to ask a few questions with long balls and throws into the box, Grant having a header saved from a Cameron Congreve free kick. Grant then dragged a shot wide and had another close range effort bravely blocked by Ellis Iandolo.
A late Bromley spell saw Idris Odutayo curl a shot over, but they were unable to find a way through.
The second half saw Bromley start on the front foot with a series of corners, but they couldn’t break the Colchester defence down.
Taylor had shot well saved by Smith from close range as the visitors rallied and Mandela Egbo had a fierce dipping effort parried away by Smith. Just after the hour Woodman made three changes and gave a debut to Brooklyn Ilunga who made an instant impression powering through two defenders to cross the ball for Michael Cheek who fired wide.
Ilunga then combined with Louie Dennis to put a ball across the face of goal, which was bundled wide by Iandolo. From the resulting corner, Deji Elerewe headed wide at the far post.
For the final fifteen minutes Colchester employed the dark arts at every opportunity, with lengthy injury delays, time wasting at dead balls and slow substitutions.
A late spell of Bromley pressure saw they whole team up in the area for a corner, but they were nearly caught on the break when Tom Hopper raced away, but his long range shot sailed wide as Imray closed in on him.
Right at the end Ben Thompson was caught in possession by Hopper as he set to lunch a ball forward, but Sowunmi made a superb saving tackle to deny the United substitute as he was about to shoot on goal.
This was a rare game when Bromley had more possession than their opposition, but they struggled to make any of it count.
The Ravens now have to regroup and get ready for the trip to Notts County next Saturday.
Bromley: Smith, Grant (Dennis 66), Sowunmi, Elerewe, Odutayo, Imray, Congreve (Arthurs 45), Whitely (Ilunga 66), Thompson, Kabamba (Passley 66), Cheek. Subs Not Used: Long, Webster, Amantchi.
Colchester: Macey, Landolo, Flanagan, Kelleher, Egbo, Bishop, McDonnell, Edwards (Thorn 77), Payne (Goodliffe 88), Anderson, Taylor (Hopper 78). Subs not Used: Read, Smith, Terry.
Goal: Edwards 3mins.
HT 0-1 FT 0-1
Referee: Greg Rollason
Attendance: 3907