A competitive end to end game, in which both sides had the better of one half respectively ended with honours even and claims from either side that they could have taken all three points.

Having won their last three games, Neil Smith had the luxury of a buoyant squad now playing with the confidence of a side expecting to win games. The only change for the game was an enforced one as Ben Chorley replaced the injured Lee Minshull in midfield with Bromley lining up in a familiar 4-4-2 shape with Corley screening the back four.

That said it was Chester who started the match the stronger, taking the game to their visitors, within three minutes good interplay between Ryan Lloyd and James Alabi led to the latter curling a 20 yard effort just over the bar. With Bromley failing to get any influence on the game going forward, it came as no surprise when Chester took the lead in the 16^th minute. The dangerous on-loan winger Danny O’Brien launched a blistering counter attack down the Bromley left, feeding Chester top-scorer Ross Hannah inside the box who expertly nutmegged Rob Swaine before finishing calmly past Alan Julian.

The goal seemed to shock Bromley into life and over the next ten minutes they served warning to the Chester rearguard that they not be in for an easy day’s work. First on 20 minutes, good work from Adam Coombes on the left wing presented an opportunity for Moses Emmanuel inside the penalty area but as he collected the cross and turned his marker his goal bound shot was expertly blocked by Ben Heneghan. Eight minutes later Emmanuel was to spurn a far better opportunity, again good work by Coombes on the wing created a clearer opening for Emmanuel in the penalty area but he could only toe-poke his effort wide of the post.

Recovering from that lifeline, Chester should have doubled their lead in the 34^th minute, Ryan Astles did well to flick a partially cleared corner back into the six yard box but as all of the Bromley defence stood still Hannah reacted quickest to ghost in behind. Inexplicably having timed the run perfectly Hannah placed his shot hopelessly wide with only Julian to beat.

There was time for Chester to fashion one last opportunity before the half time break when Ryan Higgins sent in an inviting cross which Lloyd looked to get on the end of only for an alert Jack Holland clearance to save the day for Bromley.

With Chester good value for their lead at the break, there was always the worry that they would rue their missed opportunities and so it was to prove in the second half as Bromley emerged for the second half re-energised and no doubt smarting from the half-time team talk.

Within ten minutes of the re-start Bromley had equalised taking advantage of some lacklustre Chester defending. A Bromley free-kick from Rohdell Gordon caused panic and disarray in the Chester box and Emmanuel was quickest to react with a swivelled effort that Tony Thompson was unable to claw away in time before Rob Swaine smashed in on the line to make sure all the same. The goal was credited eventually to Emmanuel despite the frantic celebrations from Swaine.

Chester were to nearly re-take the lead minutes later, an excellent break led by the industrious Lloyd found Johnny Hunt inside the penalty area who turned inside Holland only for his outside of the boot effort to beat Julian in the Bromley goal but not Swaine on the goal line.

Bromley were the next threaten with two identical efforts three minutes apart. Emmnanuel who was now causing untold problems for the Chester rearguard was played in only for his lob from the edge of the 18 yard box to beat Thompson but agonisingly also drop inches past the far post.

Adam Cunnington was next to go close, he was played in courtesy of a fantastic Gordon pass but in a similar position to Emmanuel, his lobbed effort also beat Thompson but dropped the wrong side of the crossbar unto the roof of the net.

Chester came back into the game in the last 15 minutes; firstly Hannah had a 20 yard effort deflected just wide past the despairing dive of Julian and the post, before Nyal Bell also went close with a scuffed effort that flashed wide of the far post.

Bromley were to fashion the last meaningful effort of the game when substitute Bradley Goldberg went on a marauding run from just inside the Chester half but his low skimmed 20 yard effort  beat Thompson but alas also the far post.

As the final whistle sounded bringing a blistering second half to a close, it was undoubtedly the Bromley fans that were happier with the point as the team took one step closer to the magic 50 that many deem enough to guarantee survival this season. For Chester they will be glancing nervously over their shoulders as teams below them continue to pick up points and suck them into a relegation battle.

Bromley now entertain 19^th place Halifax on Tuesday night at Hayes Lane hoping to extend their four match unbeaten run and also secure the three points that would surely mean safety in their inaugural season in the Vanarama National League.

 

 

Chester FC: Thompson, Higgins, Heneghan, Astles, Hunt, O’Brien (Mahon 83), Hughes, Lloyd, Chapell (Rooney 76), Alabi (Bell 76), Hannah

Subs not used: Worsnop, Shaw

Goals: Hannah 16

 

Bromley:  Julian, Fuseini, Swaine, Holland, Cunnington, Anderson, Emmanuel (Goldberg 79), Francis, Coombes (Joseph-Dubois 71), Chorley (Rogers 83), Gordon.

Subs not used: May, Allassani,

Goals: Emmanuel 53

 

Referee: Mr Oliver Yates

Attendance: 2,058