In a game that had just about everything, including two red cards for players and one for a manager, plus two penalties and four goals, Bromley and Barnet battled out a dramatic 2-2 draw at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon.

Bromley went into the game unchanged from their win at Eastleigh last week, while Barnet had changed manager on Wednesday with Tim Flowers leaving and Paul Fairclough returning as caretaker boss to try and steer The Bees away from the bottom three. 

Barnet started the game the brighter, looking sharp and moving the ball round well with Ephron Mason-Clark having a shot saved by Mark Cousins low down at his near post, but it was Bromley who took the lead on 7 minutes after Luke Couslon & Frankie Raymond’s free kick routine from the right found Joe Kizzi whose shot was saved at the far post by Scott Loach, but the ball eventually came to Michael Cheek who forced two great stops from Loach before Liam Trotter found the back of the net from ten yards out with a powerful drive.

Coulson then found Courtney Duffus who fired the ball just over, before Barnet battled back into things. A long ball over the top found Courtney Baker-Richardson and with the home defence appealing for off side, Kizzi was judged to have fouled Baker-Richardson in the box as he turned and Referee Bishop pointed to the penalty spot and sent off the Bromley right back, the eighth red card for a Bromley player this season.

Baker-Richardson stepped up to convert the penalty and make it 1-1 on 13minutes and throw the game wide open. Despite being down a man The Ravens pushed from the re-start and when Taylor Maloney crossed for Cheek, the striker collided with Loach and after a long spell of treatment The Bees custodian had to be taken off with an injured shoulder.

Aymen Azaze came on as sub keeper with only 15 minutes gone on the clock. Neil Smith’s side adjusted to the sending off by moving Coulson to right back and playing three in midfield and Barnet made the most of their numerical advantage by pressing for a long spell going into the half hour mark.

Michael Petrasso set up Baker-Richardson who fired wide and  Harry Taylor played in Lee Vaughan who drove the ball over the bar. Late in the half The Ravens rallied and they had a strong shout for a penalty turned down when Jack Bridge was brought down in the box, before Petrasso played in Mason-Clark at the other end who hit the side netting from a tight angle.

With the home bench incensed at the lack of a penalty, Smith was sent off by Mr Bishop and the Bromley boss will have been further annoyed when the Referee turned down two more penalty appeals for two clear fouls on Duffus as he was pushed in the back challenging for headers in the area.

In five minutes of added on time at the end of the half Raymond had a powerful shot tipped over the bar by Aazaze, but the scores remained level. 

The second half saw Barnet make a bright start again, but then Bromley had a strong spell with Coulson sending in a dangerous free kick from the left which just missed everyone in the box and shortly afterwards Cheek was off target with an audacious chip from 40 yards out.

The Ravens went back in front on the hour mark when Raymon’s free kick cross from the right was directed towards goal by Jack Holland at the far post and Referee Bishop spotted that Liam Daly had handled the ball in the six yard box.

Cheek stepped up to convert the penalty and make it 2-1 to Bromley. The ten men’s lead only lasted two minutes though, the dangerous Mason-Cark broke down the right and crossed for Petrasso who turned the ball home off his knee to equalise with the home defence flat footed.

Barnet’s spirit and fight belied their league position and current form, they were tested for long spells from there with The Ravens pressing. Raymond found Cheek with another dangerous ball that saw the top scorer colide with Azaze, but with both players down injured Ben Williamson could only turn the ball wide of the post from ten yards out.

Cheek had to go off injured soon after with Williamson playing lone role up front. The game opened up and became more stretched in the final fifteen minutes with chances at either end. Jerome Binnon-Williams going close fo the visitors before James Dunne was sent off for The Bees after being shown two yellow cards for dissent in the space of a few seconds.

With both sides down to ten men for the last nine minutes, neither side wanted to settle for a point, Raymond shot narrowly over after a quick break up field by The Ravens, while at the other end Muhammadu Fall set up Petrasso who was just off target firing across goal.

Then following a foul on James Alabi by Ben Richards-Everton, Couslon had a dangerous looking free kick cleared by Barnet who deserved their hard fought point from this entertaining and controversial encounter.                                           
The draw sees Bromley slip one place to ninth in the National League table ahead of their trip to Yeovil Town on Tuesday night, while Barnet are still second from bottom ten points off safety. 

Bromley – Cousins, Kizzi, Raymond, Webster, Holland, Bridge (Alabi 87), Trotter, Maloney, Coulson, Cheek (Wakefield 67), Duffus (Williamson 55). Subs Not Used: Roberts, Purrington.

Barnet – Loach (Azaze 15), Dunne, McQueen, Petrasso, H Taylor, Richards-Everton, Binnon-Williams, Baker-Richardson, Mason-Clark (Faal 75), Vaughan, Daly (Kefalas 65). Subs Not Used: McBurnie, R Taylor.      
Goals: Bromley – Trotter 7, Cheek 60 Pen. Barnet  – Baker-Richardson 13 pen, Petrasso 62mins.  
Red cards: Bromley – Kizzi 12mins, Barnet – Dunne 81mins. 
HT 1-1 FT 2-2
Ref: Mr Thomas Bishop