Bromley suffered their third consecutive defeat on a frustrating afternoon at Hayes Lane on Saturday losing out to a resurgent Dagenham side who defended resolutely and took their chances.

The game got off to an open start with play flowing from end to end, but it was the visitors who took the lead on 17 minutes when a low corner from the right came to Conor Wilkinson on the edge of the box who was given the space and time to drive the ball into the corner of the net.

Bromley, playing 4-5-1, looked to respond straight away, new loan signing Jack Barham had a shot saved by Elliott Justham and from the corner Jack Holland headed over.

Joe Quigley crossed for Barham who this time fired over and then Frankie Sutherland saw his overhead kick fly over the bar.

On the break Wilkinson had a speculative long range effort saved by David Gregory who quickly retreated back into his box to gather the ball and avoid embarrassment.

Going into the half Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe cut in from the left set set up Quigley, but the big striker scuffed the ball wide from ten yards out.

The second half saw The Daggers go close early on when Wilkinson put a chance wide, but it was Bromley who went on to have the majority of possession and ask questions of the Dagenham defence.

There were a number of free kicks, corners and long throws sent into The Daggers box, but each time Peter Taylor’s side were equal to the test.

One partially cleared free kick fell to Marc-Antony Okoye who chested the ball and sent in a superb volley which Justham turned round the post and from the corner Okoye had another shot pushed on to the post by the impressive Daggers keeper.

Adam Mekki had a volley saved and Ogedi-Uzokwe headed a Sutherland free kick over, but for all The Ravens huff and puff it just didn’t look like they would get a breakthrough.

Then with six minutes remaining Dagenham broke upfield and forced a throw in, which came to Angelo Balanta who found the corner of the net with a well placed shot from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 to the visitors.

For the final five minutes Neil Smith threw his captain Holland up front and the makeshift forward had a header saved by Justham, but despite continued pressure and a corner count of 16-1 Mekki and George Porter were denied by the keeper while Richard Brindley fired over on an afternoon to forget for The Ravens.

Bromley now travel to Chesterfield on Tuesday night needing a win against fellow strugglers to try and turn this poor run for results around having slipped to seventeenth in the National League table.

 

Bromley: Gregory, Brindley, Wood, Holland, Johnson (Higgs 85), Goddard (Porter 52), Okoye, Sutherland, Ogedi-Uzokwe, Barham, Quigley (Mekki 59).

Subs Not Used: Goodman, Rooney.

Dagenham: Justham, Nunn, Robinson, Pennell, McQueen, Balanta (Adeloye 86), Goodliffe, Phipps, Wilkinson (Kandl 69), Munns (Gordon 81), Onaraise.

Subs Not Used:

Goals: Wilkinson 17mins, Balanta 84mins.

Ref: Mr A Quelch

HT 0-1 FT 0-2

Att: 1,162