Bromley and Chesterfield shared the spoils at a chilly Hayes Lane on Tuesday night, thanks to a thrilling second half, which saw the lead change hands and five goals scored.
Lining up 5-3-2 Bromley struggled to get going in the first half and were pinned back for long spells, Joe Rowley went close and then David Gregory saved another early effort from Marc-Antione Fortune low down at the near post.
When Bromley did break up field Richard Brindley had an effort blocked on the line by Hayden Hills after good work by debutant Reeco Hackett and Frankie Raymond clipped the top of the bar with a long range effort.
For a spell the pace of the game slowed down, but just before the break Chesterfield took the lead when Jerome Williams headed home a Lee Shaw cross to give the visitors the lead at half time.
Bromley changed their shape for the second half going 4-4-2 and it paid off within ten minutes when a free kick from the right was headed against his own bar by Williams, before Roger Johnson bundled the ball home from the rebound. Three minutes later Bromley were in front when JJ Hooper broke clear of the home defence and beat Shwan Jalal from twenty yards with a powerful low drive into the corner of the net.
Scott Boden missed a good chance to equalise soon after when he hit the bar from close range, but it took the introduction of Tom Denton to give The Spirerites more of a threat up front. The Ravens lost captain Jack Holland to a nasty looking head injury following a brave header to deny Denton in the box and they missed his presence when Chesterfield levelled up on 81 minutes, Boden turning the ball home at the far post following a scramble from a corner.
The scores didn’t stay level for long though as Hooper was on target again four minutes from time when he swept home a superb effort from the edge of the box into the far corner of the net giving Jalal no chance. The visitors rallied again as Kyel Reid crossed for Denton who had a header saved just under the bar by Gregory, but the same supply line did pay off in injury time when Reid’s cross was knocked down by Denton for Rowley to convert from close range and make it 3-3.
Deep into added time Sam Wood surged forward and crossed for Omar Bugeil, but he glanced his header wide of the far post.
In the end a draw was probably a fair result and Bromley now have a week to get some players back from injury before their Kent Senior Cup Semi Final at Tonbridge Angels next Tuesday night.
Bromley: Gregory, Brindley, Wood, Johnson, Dunne, Holland (Higgs 76), Sutherland (Wiredu 64), Raymond, Coulson, Hackett (Bugeil 66), Hooper.
Subs Not Used: Meekums, Lewis.
Chesterfield: Jalal, Williams, Evans, Weston, Shaw (Kiwomya 79), Rowley, Hollis, Smith (Reid 79), Fortune (Denton 69), Yarney, Boden.
Subs Not Used: Anyon, McKay.
Goals: Bromley – Johnson 56mins Hooper 59 & 86mins. Chesterfield – Williams 44mins, Boden 83mins, Rowley 90mins.
Ref: Mr Josh Smith
HT 0-1 FT 3-3
Att: 910