Bromley extended their lead at the top of Skrill South to seven points with a performance that guaranteed Dover Athletic suffered a FA Cup hang over on a cold misty night at Crabble.

It was the sixth win on the spin for Mark Goldberg’s side, and their fourth consecutive clean sheet…

Dover boss Chris Kinnear admitted after the game, “This was that last game that we wanted after the Cup tie at Milton Keynes at the weekend. There were some very heavy legs after Saturday, and sadly it showed tonight.”

“That said, I was disappointed that despite having loads of possession we didn’t work their keeper enough. Bottom line is that we’ve made two mistakes, and against the league leaders that’s something that you just cannot do!”

Meanwhile, Bromley manager Mark Goldberg was delighted. “We knew what we had to do tonight – we went longer than we normally do, but how can I be anything but happy after a performance like that.”

“Overall we had the better chances and I thought we took both goals very well – very pleased!”

It was a strange game in ever gloomy conditions and with the temperature dropping all the time, this was one of those games that was grippingly absorbing without ever being spectacular, as the men from Hayes Lane laid down a marker at the tables top.

The opening quarter saw both sides sounding each other out with the only half chance of note falling to Bradley Goldberg who was denied by the feet of Dover keeper Mitch Walker, and it was 27 minutes before the home side really tested the Bromley rear guard.

Tom Murphy fed the over lapping Tom Wynter down Dover’s left and his first time cross was prodded inches past the near post by the stretching Ricky Modeste.

Bromley took the lead on the half hour courtesy of left back Joe Anderson. Pierre Joseph-Dubois drove across the Dover box before feeding in Brendan Kiernan who seemed to be heading out of the box, until an outrageous back heel that seemed to wrong foot the entire home defence.

First to react was Anderson who’s low drive beat Walker as the ball flew into the bottom corner of the net. It was so very nearly two within minutes. Jay May did brilliantly to nod the ball on for Goldberg who’s shot from the edge of the box brought a fine save from Walker. The Dover keeper then produced an even better save to deny Joseph-Dubois as he followed up.

Murphy then tested Joe Welch at his near post and the Bromley keeper pulled off a smart save, before moments later racing outside of his box to deny the save player as Bromley’s admirable offside trap was breached.

Then on the stroke of half time Walker produced the save of the night to keep Dover in the game. May was initially denied by a great block from Terrell Forbes and from the resulting corner the ball fell to May again with so much room you felt he had to score, yet the Dover keeper made himself seem huge and the strikers hooked shot thudded into Walkers chest and away to safety.

The second half began as the first with Dover in the ascendency but unable to breach the red wall that Bromley threw across the edge of the box which was magnificently marshalled by skipper Rob Swaine even if the Bromley captain possibly had one word too many with referee Busby for the purists!

That said you could see why Bromley have only conceded 12 goals in their 17 league games as their defensive unit were superb – yes they were helped by some very poor delivery from the Dover wide men.

Try as they might Dover just couldn’t find a way through and as they piled forward trying to break through, the home side were caught out with the classic break. Another Dover move was brilliantly broken down by Ashley Nicholls on half way and his fabulous through ball released Goldberg who as Walker advanced coolly dinked the ball over the keeper and despite the best efforts of Forbes the ball ended up in the net and the game was won.

Half way through the second half, Dover boss Kinnear was heard to shout to his players “Don’t feel sorry for yourselves – get on with it!”

And that sadly summed the home sides night up. As for Bromley, its Basingstoke next stop for the Goldberg juggernault that seems destined for their best ever crack at promotion to the Conference!

DOVER – Walker, Stone, Wynter, Kinnear, Raggett, Forbes, Modeste (Woodall 69), Rogers (Bellamy 83), Elder (Charles 76), Cogan, Murphy

Subs not used – Orlu and Kamara

BROMLEY – Welch, Pooley, Anderson, Waldron, Swaine, Holland, Joseph-Dubois, Nicholls, May, Goldberg (Buchanan 89), Kiernan (Hall 89)

Subs not used – Parmenter, Swallow and Oyinsan

Referee – Mr J Busby
Assistants – Mr D Berry and Mr M Lee

Picture supplied by SM Harris