Bromley missed the chance to go top of the National League in front of a bumper crowd and the BT Sport cameras on Boxing Day as they shared the points with Southend United. 

Hayes Lane was buzzing with supporters taking up the chance of the ‘football for a fiver’ offer and both teams took to the field in their change strips to support the Shelter Homeless charity.    

Lining up 3-5-2 The Ravens started well, placing Southend under pressure getting the ball into the box with long throws and set pieces putting keeper Steve Arnold under pressure. Omar Sowunmi had a header from a corner cleared off the line by Will Atkinson, before The Shrimpers finally got going.

Sowunmi put another header just wide of the goal before Matthew Dennis turned and shot from the edge of the area at the other end, which Mark Cousins got down well to save.

The Ravens suffered a blow when Louis Dennis had to go off injured just before the break, but they had the final chance of the first half when Bromley broke up field with Chris Bush, Michael Cheek and Luke Coulson combining to set up Jude Arthurs whose shot was deflected over the bar. 

The second half saw Southend start well, Dennis fired wide and Jason Demetriou shot over following a slip by Byron Webster. Demetriou went close again soon after when he headed wide from a Nathan Ralph cross.

Shrimpers captain John White had to go off injured after he was initially hurt blocking a shot from Liam Trotter and then he crashed into the fence behind the goal in a challenge with George Alexander.

As the game reached the hour mark Bromley got going again, Bush hit a free kick just over, before they took the lead on 64 minutes when a set piece came out to Trotter who crossed for Michael Cheek to expertly guide his header just inside the far post for 1-0.

The lead only lasted two minutes though, when on a break up the right the ball eventually came to Sam Dalby on the edge of the box and he coolly played in Dennis who clipped the ball into the net past Cousins to equalise.

With seventeen minutes to go Andy Woodman’s team went down to ten men when Trotter had to go off with a hamstring injury after all three subs had already been used.

Southend sensed the chance to pick up all three points from there and Kevin Maher’s side pressed The Ravens back. Lewis Gard hit the foot of the post after a great ball from Rhys Murphy and then Murphy was just off target himself following a great knock down from Dalby.

Bromley still tried to look for a winner relying on the Bush long throw and big balls into the box, but the visitors had two more chances late on when Murphy shot wide at the far post under pressure from emergency wing back Alexander and then in injury time Gard crossed for Murphy, but he was denied the winning goal by a superb sliding tackle from Bush just a few feet from the goal. 

The draw leaves Bromley in fourth and Southend nineteenth in the National League ahead of another set of fixtures on 28th and the return fixture of this match on 2nd January. 

Bromley: Cousins, Bush, Webster, Sowunmi, Coulson, Arthurs, Sablier (Whitely 53), Trotter, Forster (Alabi 65), Cheek, Dennis (Alexander 44).

Subs Not Used: Partington, Cawley. 

Southend: Arnold, Ralph, Hobson, Dunne (Gard 45), Dalby, Clifford, Atkinson, Demetriou, Dennis (Murphy 69), Brunt, White (Coulson 58).

Subs Not Used: Andeng-Ndi, Walsh.  

Goals: BFC – Cheek 64 mins. SUFC – Matthews 66mins. 

Ref: Mr Lewis Smith 

HT 0-0 FT 1-1                                

Att: 3,759 

Pictures supplied by Keith Gillard.