In blazing temperatures, Bromley came from behind to win the Kent Reliance Under 15 Youth Cup Final with in the end a comfortable win over Greenwich Borough.

Behind to Greenwich Borough’s Perry Donaie’s brilliant header, Bromley levelled almost immediately out of nothing courtesy of Andeas Aranganathan, before a contentious penalty – awarded when Greenwich keeper Archie Brown completely misjudged a bouncing ball before being penalised in his recovery as a Bromley man went down – Bobby Dunn duly obliging from twelve yards.

Try as they might, Borough tried to get level but were denied with Bromley always looking dangerous on the break and so it proved when Ryan Pickles played Aranganathan through to seal Bromley’s win.

Bromley boss Danny Harris was naturally enough a happy man as he spoke to KSN after the game. “The boys have worked so hard for this this season and I’m delighted for them. We’re a new team together only in May and they’re a credit to the club and their parents, and hopefully this is just the start. I think overall, we were the better team and we had subs to come on late on to change the game. Both teams adapted brilliantly to the baking conditions and it caps a great weekend for the club after the first team’s win yesterday got them back into Play Off contention in the National League.”

For Greenwich boss Jon Stevens however, it was a tale of two penalties! “We didn’t step up and let the occasion get the better of us,” he admitted to KSN. “We’re a lot better than we showed and the third goal summed our day up I think – it wasn’t a 3-1 game it really wasn’t! This isn’t the first time that certain decisions have gone against us in Cup Finals. The first one – OK he didn’t give it, but we scored from the free kick, but the guy was ten yards into the box – but for the second one for me that’s a stonewall one. And then he gives the one with our keeper – every decision went against us to be fair. No disrespect to Bromley – they played well; the better football – and we’ve learned big from today that we must put a full shift in. Bottom line, the occasion definitely didn’t help…”

It was Greenwich indeed who had the first chance when only Donaie will know how he didn’t open the scoring after Ibrahim Aoi’s brilliant charging run found him in front of goal and with it at his mercy he spurned the chance.

Donaie didn’t have to wait long for redemption however as from a free kick, he got in front of his man to brilliantly steer a header up over keeper Ryan McCourt to give Greenwich the lead.

It was a lead that they didn’t hold for long as Bromley were level almost immediately as Aranganathan raced clear o drill the ball beyond Brown and into the corner of the net.

In Borough’s next attack, Harmeed Ishola brilliant run forward was crudely ended, but with the crowd expecting a penalty, referee Smit waved the appeals away and the game continued. And how did Bromley take advantage of the let off as following Brown’s horrible misjudgement of a long bouncing ball ended up with three players in a heap, this time the official (after consulting with an assistant) pointed to the spot and Dunn made no mistake to give Bromley the lead at the break.

With the mercury rising in the thermometer, the second half became a real battle and as the half wore on it became more and more open as Greenwich became even more desperate for an equaliser. Jack Stevens powerful burst into the box was only blocked by keeper McCourt, whilst Aaron Komagum was desperately unlucky as his shot deflected off a defender, completely wrong footing the keeper only for the ball to spin not into the net but back towards the keeper.

Man of the Match Pickles almost sealed the win as Borough noticeably tired in the last ten minutes – Pickles being denied by Brown’s knees before the same player fed the ball through to Aranganathan who raced through to settle the trophy and another Kent Reliance Kent Cup is heading to Hayes Lane.

Footnote – both sides too are to be congratulated on forming respective guard of honours for their opponents as the medals were presented.

BROMLEY – Ryan McCourt, Rashid Braima, Harry Fisk, Patrick Jackson, Joe Turner, Ryan Pickles, Kayden Turner-Bernard, Andreas Aranganathan, Bobby Dunn, Riley Goatham, Emanuel O’Connor

Subs – Divine Ayangbola, Luke Cooke, Theo McKenzie, Tyreece Kamara, Danny Bruce

GREENWICH BOROUGH – Archie Brown, Ryan Theobald, Jack Stevens, Harmeed Ishola, Aaron Komagum, Perry Donaie, Emmanuel Oduguwa, Ibrahim Aoi, Gabriel Caddgan, Malik Adenkule

Subs – Alexander Sodje, Jaydan Davy, Danny Keane, Oluwatobi Oduguna, Udeze Ogbuka

Referee – Robin Smit

Assistants – Sam Reed, Liam How and Ben Fuller

Pictures supplied by PSP Images.