Bromley’s Under 23 side recorded an impressive Suburban League win over Met Police Reserves at a sunny Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon thanks to a strong second half display and some great goalkeeping from Ryan McCourt. 

With no first team game a number of fans made their way down for this one to make the most of a pleasant late February afternoon at The Lane.

It was the visitors who got off to the perfect start though when a deep cross from the left was spilled by McCourt and Archie Taylor pounced to score from close range and put the Met in front in the first minute.

The Police went on to have a strong opening spell, but as the half went on Bromley got stronger. The ever impressive Marcus Sablier crossed for Zac Ajose who fired over and then Palace Francis had a shot saved by Luke Roberts in the visitors goal.

Francis was involved again when he played in Soul Kader, but his shot was blocked for a corner. The young Ravens finally drew level on 18 minutes when Tunji Obembe crossed from the left for Kader who bundled the ball home to equalise inside the six yard box.

Ollie Brown went close for The Boys in Blue, before a foul on Archie Parks saw Sablier strike a free kick from 25 yards which skimmed the roof of the net. Kader then saw a shot from range tipped over by Roberts and from the corner Ajose hit the post from the edge of the area.

The game was broken up for a time with delays for injuries and a number of offside calls, but late on Bromley keeper McCourt made up for his early error with a superb double save to deny Jayden James and then Bayley Mummery from close range, while at the other end after another free kick Rhys Wyborn crossed for Obembe who headed just wide at the far post.          

The second half saw Bromley concede a penalty almost immediately when Obembe fouled Mummery just inside the box, but McCourt made a superb save from Taylor’s spot kick tipping the well struck effort on to the post and then James hit the upright from the rebound before Bromley cleared the danger.

Bromley picked up the pace from there though, Kader, Wyborn and Kellen Fisher all went close before they made their pressure pay on 59 minutes when Ajose’s deep cross from the right caught everybody out and dropped just inside the angle of post and bar to make it 2-1.

The Ravens went on to dominate the play with Francis setting up Fisher whose shot was saved at the near post by Roberts and then Francis was again the provider when he played in Kader who was pushed to the floor as he burst into the box and won a penalty. Kader drove home the spot kick to make it 3-1 on 73 minutes and it was almost four soon after when Ajose hit the side netting from a tight angle.

The final goal came with four minutes to go when sub Andy Aranganathan played a great through ball to Lateef Adaja who coolly slipped the ball under the keeper and into the net to make it 4-1 to Steve Aris’ team.  

The win over the third placed Met, takes Bromley up to fifth in the Suburban League Premier Division table.                  

Bromley: McCourt, Fisher, Wyborn, Missoum, Read-Newth, German, Ajose, Sablier, Kader, Obembe, Francis.

Subs: Miller, Tofan, Ling, Aranganathan, Adaja. 

Met Police: Roberts, Dunstan, Parks, Brown, Green, Ernest, A Taylor, Hooper, James, Mummery, Burrowes.

Subs: L Taylor, Baion, Waul, Nyama, Reyes.   

Goals: BFC – Kader 18 & 68 pen, Ajose 59, Adaja 86mins. MPFC – A Taylor 1min. 

Att: 60 (approx) 

HT 1-1

FT 4-1