Bromley won the Kent Under 18 Youth Cup at a cold and damp Shepherd Neame Stadium, as Greenwich Borough were left to rue missed chances as yet more silverware headed for the Hayes Lane trophy cabinet.

For Borough boss Simon Powell though it was a bit much to take as he told KSN after the game.

He said, “I’m so very disappointed I couldn’t tell you! If only we’d taken at least one chance first half it would have been completely different.”

“I honestly thought that after the disappointment of last year, I honestly thought that this would be our year! One of those things that a football manager has to go through!”

The game started strangely with Bromley keeper Connor Rowson twice receiving treatment early on for knocks taken denying Borough attacks, before Bromley at long last got into their stride and Dan Fleming had a header flipped over the bar by a back pedalling keeper Bailey Whittington.

Greenwich then had a spell of domination that effectively turned the game as they failed to take advantage of their chances was to cost them the trophy.

Stevie Jerrom shot wide from the edge of the box, before Greg Williams sent in a vicious ball that Jerrom just could reach as Rowson hesitated.

Then on the stroke of half time and against the run of Bromley took the lead as Dejaun Johnson-Pedro held off a couple of challenges before shooting beyond Whittington and into the bottom corner.

In the final play of the half, Bonar Maguire thought he’d doubled the lead only for Whittington to make a fine full length save away to his right.

Maguire wasn’t to be denied though as he did double the lead ten minutes after half time with a shot from the edge of the box which took a slight deflection – it was the deflection that took it beyond the desperate stretch of Whittington.

Whittington made his third fine save to deny a 2 on one break where Alex Anderson should have made the Trophy safe before Jack Mahon glanced a header wide for Greenwich after timing his run almost perfectly to meet a free kick.

Greenwich’s possession finally paid off when Jerrom finally beat Rowson after the keeper had come to the edge of his box without the conviction of getting there before the Borough striker.

Sadly though for Greenwich time was against them and referee Hill almost immediately ended the game to leave Bromley triumphant, yet boss Guy Thomson had mixed emotions – one of delight to see his side win the trophy on the same day that one of his twin son’s – Nick – missed the game to play for England.

“Yes Nick’s not here, but” he said shrugging with a huge smile on his face, “I’m so pleased for these boys. I’ve had some of these boys since they were under sevens and to see the way that we recovered from a disappointing start – we had another Final on Wednesday that I feared may have taken too much out of us but we showed some real spirit and in the end I think we just about deserved the result.”

“Now how can I get to Staffordshire in an hour!!!”

BROMLEY – Connor Rowson, Casey Lumamba, Nick Kelliher, Dan Fleming, Sol Adu, Miles Brathwaite, Harvey Skeet, Dejaun, Johnson-Pdero, Abraham Eniraiyetan, Andy Somo

Subs – Reuben McPherson, Stevie Panayi, Bonar McBuire, Alex Anderson, Jorge Diaz.

GREENWICH BORORUGH – Barry Whittington, Elliot Moon, Ross Phillips, Billy Muckle, George Harris, Jordan Lovell, Reiss Powell, Ben Eades, Jack Mahon, Stevie Jerrom, Greg Williams

Subs – Tony Robinson, Stanley Nganba, Basit Shoyomi, Ross Phillips

Referee – Jak Hill
Assistants – Dan Doyle & Kirsty Dowle
Fourth Official – Harry Phillips

 

Pictures supplied by www.psp-images.co.uk