In a classic game of two halves league leaders Bromley shared the spoils with seventh placed Harrogate Town at a chilly Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon, coming back from three goals down to grab a point late on thanks to two goals from Chris Bush.

The game started with Harrogate on top, pressing from the kick off and getting the ball forward early playing off target man Mark Beck.

Jack Diamond put the first effort over the bar before Beck had a header saved by Ryan Huddart in the Bromley goal. Ironically as The Ravens finally came into the game they fell behind when Josh Rees under hit a back pass to Huddart and Jack Emmett intercepted the ball before taking it past the stranded keeper and coolly running it into the unguarded net.

Beck went close soon after scuffing a shot wide before Bromley rallied.

At first a long throw from Bush found Reeco Hackett-Fairchild who poked the ball just over the bar and then Rarmani Edmonds-Green played in Hackett-Fairchild who fired over again when well placed.

As Bromley pressed though they were caught out at the back, as a quick break up field from the visitors saw Jack Muldoon play the ball come to ex-Bromley man Brendan Kiernan who coolly rolled the ball past Huddart for 2-0.

With The Ravens looking stunned they found themselves 3-0 down only minutes later when Huddart came out of his goal to challenge Emmett on the bye line and his clumsy challenge saw referee Parsons award a penalty.

Jack Muldoon comfortably put the penalty away to leave Neil Smith’s men three down on 41minutes. The Ravens didn’t give up though and clawed their way back into things two minutes later when a Bush free kick was brilliantly saved by James Belshaw who also blocked the rebound from Jack Holland, before the ball was eventually scrambled home by Hackett-Fairchild to make it 1-3.

Then right on the break Sam Wood crashed a shot against the bar from an Adam Mekki cross as the home side began to believe they were still in it.

The second half saw Bromley continue their momentum from the end of the opening half, with the Ravens causing big problems for Harrogate with set pieces.

A Frankie Raymond free kick was eventually cleared following a scramble in the box, but only as far as Bush who drove the ball home through a crowd of players from the edge of the box for 2-3.

The Ravens pressure continued, Bush had a free kick saved by Belshaw and the keeper also denied a Holland header from a Luke Coulson dead ball. Bromley continued to look the more likely to score, but Kiernan almost put Harrogate further in from when he broke clear only to shoot narrowly wide from just inside the box and the winger also set up Emmett who was just off target. 

The Ravens momentum built up again with corners, free kicks and long throws pinning Harrogate back in their own half. The pressure eventually paid off on 71minutes when Bush hit a powerful free kick that hit the wall, but the visitors failed to clear the ball and it was played back in by Raymond to the centre back as he ran in to follow his effort up and head home.

After a brief lull in proceedings Kizzi headed over from a Raymond corner, before the game opened up in the final minutes. 

Huddart saved a Kiernan shot with his feet at the near post at one end while a long throw from Bush found Michael Cheek at the other end, but the striker’s shot was tipped on to the bar by Belshaw and away to safety as it finished all square.

A point each was about fair over the piece, a result that saw Bromley slip from first place in the National League as they prepare for the visit of Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup replay on Tuesday night. 

Bromley: Huddart, Kizzi, Wood, Bush, Holland, Mekki (Coulson 45), Raymond, Rees, Edmonds-Green, Hackett-Fairchild, Cheek.

Subs Not Used: Bingham, Najia, Tanner, Klass.

Harrogate: Belshaw, Fallowfield, G Smith, Falkingham, Emmett (Bradley 75), Beck, Kiernan, Muldoon, W Smith, Diamond (Thompson 60).

Subs Not Used: Taylor, Cracknell, Brown.

Goals:

Bromley – Hackett-Fairchild 45, Bush 49 & 71mins.
Harrogate – Emmett 13, Kiernan 37, Muldoon 41pen.

     
HT 1-3 FT 3-3

Att: 2,177 (81 away)

Referee: Mr Thomas Parsons