Bromley continued their winless run in November as another injury ravaged side travelled to the north of the country and returned without a goal or point for their troubles.
Once again Mark Goldberg was forced to put out a weakened side as injury robbed him of several players, leading to two academy players and one returning ex-academy player filling the bench. Amongst the roll-call of injuried were Joe Anderson, Anthony Cook, Max Porter, Bradley Goldberg, Ben May, Sean Francis, Louis Dennis and Alan Julian. The re-shuffled Bromley pack featured Ugo Uoji returning at right back, Aaron Tumwa at left back, Reece Prestedge in an unfamiliar left midfield position and Jack Holland deputising upfront once again.
In the context of the injuries and enforced team selection it was perhaps no surprise that Bromley put in their most disjointed performance of the season that witnessed no shot on target over the course of 90 minutes.
The first half of the game was most noteworthy for the monsoon like rain and blustery wind that rendered any attempt at free flowing football obsolete as players on both sides regularly took turns to slip and slide. That said it was Guiseley who adapted better to the difficult conditions and who created all noteworthy opportunities in the first half.
First to go close was Will Hatfield, in the 10th minute, who profited from pin ball in the Bromley area only to see his fiercely struck drive whistle narrowly past the post. In the 25th minute good work from Adam Smith down the Guiseley right wing led to Anthony Dudley seeing his half-volley from Smith’s cross deflected just wide of the post.
With Bromley huffing and puffing but unable to get out of their own half it increasingly began to look like Guiseley would take the lead and they were to go agonisingly close in the 38th minute. The recently signed Ollie Norburn picked up a loose ball 25 yards out and he was unfortunate to see his deflected drive from distance hit the cross bar and cannon away.
Norburn was not to be denied, however, on the stroke of half time. Advancing from the middle of the park, Norburn let fly from 30 yards out with a fantastic effort that dipped and swerved past Chris Kettings in the Bromley goal.
On the balance of play a Guiseley goal was no more than they deserved as Bromley’s attacking threat had been non-existent in the first half.
If half-time represented an opportunity for Mark Goldberg to tweak a few things for Bromley it was to prove futile as much like the wind and rain Bromley were be-calmed in the second half.
The opening 25 minutes of the second half witnessed an attritional game of football with neither side able to get a grip on the game but more importantly Bromley unable to seize the initiative at any point. In that time Bromley fashioned two half chances which was to be as good as it got for them across the whole 90 minutes.
From a corner kick in the 56th minute a flick from Reece Prestedge landed on the roof of the net, then in the 70th minute Bromley’s best move of the match saw good link up play between Lee Minshull and Moses Emmanuel that freed up Pierre Joseph-Dubois in the penalty area. However Dubois could only succeed in lifting his effort over the advancing Drench and into the side netting.
From that point Guiseley took control of the match and but for an inspired performance from Kettings they should have been home and dry well before the second goal.
Adam Boyes was the first to test Kettings when he was played in inside the penalty area but his low effort was well stopped by Kettings only for Kettings to then out-do himself with an excellent reaction save to Hatfield’s follow up.
From the resulting corner, Kettings had to be at his best to block another Guiseley effort on goal.
Less than a minute later and from Guiseley’s next attack, Kettings was out sharply to deny Dudley, with a smart block, as he advanced into the penalty area.
Manager Mark Goldberg recognising the flow of the game looked to chase the game by bringing on two young players, the returning, Tom O’Connor for Prestedge and Daniel Ajakaiye for Aaron Tumwa and switched to a more attacking 3-5-2.
However despite the adventurous change it was Guiseley who wrapped up the game in the closing minute. With Bromley chasing the game, a quick counter attack down the Bromley left created an opening for Boyes whose close range effort was brilliantly saved by Kettings however Dudley was quick to the rebound to slot home past the unfortunate Bromley custodian.
Bromley were to fashion one late opportunity prior to the final whistle when the enterprising Ajakaiye ghosted past two Guiseley defenders on the left wing but his excellent cross was smashed wide by Minshull at the far post when it seemed easier to turn his effort towards goal.
Having now recorded four defeats on the spin, Mark Goldberg will be grateful to have a blank Saturday next week to allow the physio room to clear in time for Bromley’s next key assignment, an FA Trophy game against an as of yet announced opponent on December 12th.
Guiseley AFC: Drench, Lowe, Lockwood, Hatfield, Lawlor, Hurst, Rothery, Smith (Boshell 84), Dudley, Norburn, Boyes (Craddock 91)
Subs not used: Toulson, Dickinson, Atkinson
Goals: Norburn 45, Dudley 89
Bromley: Kettings, Udoji (Wall 62), Tumwa (O’Connor 79), Fuseini, Chorley, Swaine, Minshull, Joseph-Dubois, Prestedge (Ajakaiye 79), Emmanuel, Holland
Subs not used: Rodgers, Dewar-Douglas
Referee: Mr Richard Wigglesworth