Bromley extended their unbeaten home run to eight games with a 3-1 win over National League new boys Oxford City on Saturday, but they certainly made hard work of it and were made to fight all the way by their visitors.
After re-joining on loan from Charlton, Deji Elerewe came into the back three with Lewis Leigh and Louis Dennis returning to the bench.
Bromley started positively with Josh Passley crossing for Michael Cheek who headed wide and after a further good spell they took the lead on 7minutes when a long ball out of defence caught the Oxford defence flat footed and Olufela Olamola coolly slotted the ball into the corner of the net from just inside the area.
Cheek then had a goal ruled out for offside, before City settled into the game and started playing it around. After a spell of possession from the visitors they were handed a way back into the game when Pierre Fonkeu beat Deji Elerewe to a ball into the box and was brought down by the Charlton loanee for a penalty.
Josh Parker stepped up and comfortably tucked away the spot kick to equalise on 20 minutes. With the game wide open Passley’s free kick found Alex Kirk whose header was tipped over by Chris Haigh and then Olomola collected another long ball and had shot blocked before Corey Whitely fired wide from the rebound.
Parker had a long shot saved by Grant Smith for City prior to another good spell from The Ravens which saw Passley head a Besart Toplalloj just cross wide.
The second half saw Andy Woodman make two changes with Lewis Leigh and Todd Miller coming on, but it was Oxford City who had the better of things initially.
Bromley’s main tactic of playing high crosses into the box saw Haigh comfortably gather the ball on numerous occasions and the game seemed at a stalemate, but just after the hour The Ravens started to press and after Passley had seen his header saved, Bromley made it 2-1 when Miller’s cross found Cheek who had his shot blocked only for Olomola to crash home the rebound.
Miller then set up Whitely who had a low effort saved at his near post by Haigh. The game opened up again with Parker forcing two saves from Smith while at the other end Elerewe had a header from corner tipped over by Haigh.
City pressed for an equaliser late on with Parker and Latrell Humphrey-Ewers hitting long range efforts that were both saved by Smith, but then deep into added time Bromley made it 3-1 when the returning Louis Dennis received the ball on the edge of the area and drilled it low into the corner of the net to seal the three points for the home team.
Bromley move up to fourth in the table ahead of their home game with Dorking Wanderers on Tuesday night.
Bromley: Smith, Passley, Elerewe, Webster, Kirk (Miller 45), Topalloj, Woods (Leigh 45), Krauhaus, Whitely, Cheek, Olomola (Dennis 73). Subs Not Used: Sharman-Lowe, Pepple.
Oxford: Haigh, Burley, Miccio, McEachran, Pedder (Coyle 79), Roberts, Parker, Smith, Fonkeu (Sanderson 74), Humphrey-Ewers, Wilson (Moore 74). Subs Not Used: Brzozowski.
Goals: BFC – Olomola 7 & 65, Dennis 94mins. OCFC – Parker 20pen.
Att: 1,903
HT 1-0 FT 3-1
Ref: Michael Barlow