Braintree Town’s resurgence under caretaker boss Hakan Hayrettin continued on Tuesday night as his side dismantled Bromley with a vibrant display of high octane direct counter attacking football.
The Braintree front three of Reece Grant, Justin Amaluzor and Virgil Gomis were a persistent threat as they played on the shoulders of the centre backs and full backs often leaving Bromley defenders in their wake as they exploited the space in behind.
However, for as good as Braintree were Bromley were awful in equal measure particularly in a first half defensive display that left a lot to be desired.
Perversely it was Bromley who could have taken the lead with the first meaningful attack of the game, Frankie Raymond’s free kick was headed unto the Braintree crossbar by Bromley captain Jack Holland.
That scare did not faze Braintree who promptly took the lead with their first opportunity of the game after six minutes. A long through ball from Cameron James caught the Bromley defence flat, on loan Nottingham Forest striker Virgil Gomis easily outstripped them for pace before expertly lobbing the ball over the onrushing David Gregory into the unguarded net.
That goal and attack set the tone for the remainder of the half as time and again Braintree looked to get to second balls and lay-offs first before launching a quick direct ball over the top to the front three. Despite the repeated warnings Bromley failed to adapt to the pattern of play and in truth were lucky to go in at half time with only a one goal deficit to overturn.
Surprisingly Bromley did equalise just shy of 20 minutes, a neat one-two between John Goddard and George Porter opened up space for the latter to drive into the penalty area before crossing for an unmarked Joe Quigley to slot in on his home debut.
The Bromley joy proved to be shortlived as ten minutes later Braintree regained the lead. Another rapid counter attack led by Amaluzor and Jonathan Muleba created an opening for Muleba on the overlap, his cross eventually fell into the path of Grant who stabbed home beyond Gregory at the second attempt.
Braintree could and should have had a third five minutes before the interval, Joe Ellul rising highest at the back post to head down a corner but despite the goal gaping Grant fluffed his lines air-kicking in front of goal.
In truth the interval when it came was a welcome break for Bromley to regroup and rejig the defensive shape of the side. Ravens manager Neil Smith made one change bringing on Marc-Anthony Okoye for Paul Rooney to add defensive solidity.
For the most part the change worked as Braintree were far less threatening in the second half, however that was also due in part to the two goal cushion that was opened up early in the second 45 thus allowing Braintree to sit back.
With their first attack of the second half Lyle Della-Verde took advantage of some slack play in the Bromley midfield before running clear, shrugging off Frankie Sutherland in the process and curling home imperiously from 22 yards out.
Neil Smith responded immediately with the introduction of Omar Bugiel and this led to Bromley’s best passage of play as they changed system to a 4-4-2 in an attempt to try and salvage the game.
Bugiel himself reduced arrears in the 58th minute, Goddard did well to control a long ball before laying off to Bugiel who used the defender as a shield to curl home from the edge of the penalty area beyond an unsighted Ashlee Jones.
Buoyed by the goal Bromley began to dominate possession as Braintree dropped deeper but despite incessant pressure the best Bromley could muster was a Sutherland drive from the edge of the area that deflected just wide of Jones’ right hand post.
Having torn Bromley apart on the counter in the first half there was always the danger that as the game got into the latter stages that Braintree would unpick Bromley one more time as they chased the game. This predictably came to pass six minutes from time.
Seizing on a Bromley attack that broke down Christie Pattison broke away down the Bromley left before spraying a cross-field ball to the onrushing unmarked Grant, Grant’s first touch was heavy but he reacted quicker than Gregory to toe-poke the ball beyond the Bromley custodian to seal the game.
Bromley to their credit continue to press after the Braintree fourth and in injury time had a Bugiel header and Porter shot cleared off the line but the defeat was ultimately no more than Bromley deserved.
The display was easily Bromley’s poorest since the 5-0 humbling at Solihull Moors and Neil Smith, as ever, was just as forthright in pointing out the deficiencies of the performance. Criticising a sub-par first half in which he felt at least half of his side were below the required levels.
Given Bromley’s next three games are against playoff-chasing Hartlepool, Second in League One Peterborough United in the FA Cup 1st round and automatic promotion contenders Leyton Orient. Performances at anything other than maximum levels could well see Bromley back of a run of defeats that mimic their form in September.
Bromley: Gregory; Brindley, Holland, Rooney (Okoye 46), Wood; Raymond, Sutherland; Porter, Goddard (Mekki 69) , Ogedi-Uzokwe (Bugiel 53); Quigley
Subs not used: De Silva, Goodman
Braintree Town: Jones; Muleba, Ellul, Lyons-Forster, Gabriel; Sagaf, James (Ochieng 82); Amaluzor (Pattison 62), Della-Verde, Grant; Gomis (Cass 77)
Subs not used: Webber, Allen
Referee: Mr Gary Parsons
Attendance: 1,008