Honours were shared in this entertaining Kent derby at Hayes Lane, watched by over 2,000 despite the driving rain and freezing temperature, with both sides having spells of dominance in the game.

The match got off to a lively start with Bromley having the better of things and they went in front on 5 minutes when Stones Keeper Lee Worgan slipped with the ball at his feet and Josh Rees pounced to roll the ball home from the edge of the box into an empty net.

Louis Dennis set up Rees again soon after, but the midfielder put this chance over the bar. Dennis then had a chance saved by Worgan after good work from Luke Woolfenden who posed a real threat down the right as an over lapping full back, but they couldn’t make the pressure count for any more.

Late in the half Maidstone came back into things Ross Lafayette put a good opportunity over from close range and Tyrone Sterling cleared Andre Coker’s goal bound cross off the line before the visitors finally drew level on 35 minutes.

Former Bromley player Joe Anderson sending in a great free kick that was nodded down by Alex Wynter for Jamar Loza to turn the ball in from close range.

It looked like the sides would go in all square from there, but in first half injury time Sterling played in George Porter down the left and he clipped the ball over the advancing Worgan and into the net to make it 2-1 to Bromley at the break.

The second half saw The Ravens start well again, Dennis put a Luke Wanadio cross wide and Rees had a header saved after good work from Porter and Wanadio again.

Brandon Hanlan looked lively for the home side, but was caught offside on numerous occasions when looking to break clear from the Stones back line.

Then almost out of the blue Maidstone drew level for the second time when Ben Chorley slipped on the edge of the Bromley box and former Raven Blair Turgott raced into the box before twisting and turning his way past the home defence and slipping the ball past Gregory to equalise against his old side.

The momentum shifted to The Stones for a spell after the goal with Turgott going narrowly wide with a free kick, but Bromley battled back with Omar Bugeil shooting wide following a scramble in the box from a set piece.

Then Rees, Frankie Raymond and Hanlan had shots saved by Worgan as the game flowed from end to end in an open finish.

In injury time there looked to be one more chance for Neil Smith’s team but Hanlan was crudely brought down by Dean Beckwith when breaking clear and the newly arrived Maidstone man was sent off for a second yellow card offence.

In the end Bromley weren’t ruthless enough in front of goal when the chances came and Maidstone battled hard for their point with the inevitable goal from Turgott against the team he top scored for last season.

The two sides now meet again on Tuesday at Maidstone in the semi final of the Kent Reliance Senior Cup.

 

Bromley: Gregory, Woolfenden (Bugeil 76), Sterling, Chorley, Holland, Porter, Rees, Raymond, Wanadio (Higgs 70), Dennis, Hanlan.

Subs Not Used: D Johnson, R Johnson, Sutherland.

Maidstone: Worgan, Wynter, Loza (Turgott 64), Lewis, Muldoon (Paxman 41), Anderson, Reason (Sam-Yorke 75), Twumasi, Beckwith, Lafayette, Coker.

Subs Not Used: Hare, Osei.

Goals: Bromley – Rees 5, Porter 45mins. Stones – Loza 35, Turgott 76mins

Red Card- Beckwith 90mins.

HT 2-1 FT 2-2

Att: 2,027

Ref: Mr S Purkiss