A bizarre Joe Anderson free-kick five minutes from time, settled a game extremely low on quality and in turn furthered cemented another nail in the Kidderminster Harriers relegation coffin.
Fresh off a welcome win at home to Woking the previous week, Neil Smith had spoken of hard work in training being the difference and the players clearly responding to a specific game plan. With the luxury of a first win in seven games behind them Bromley fielded an unchanged side hoping to make it two consecutive wins, something not achieved since early October.
However, with basement side Kidderminster desperate for points themselves the game predictably was a cagey affair with neither side willing to gamble too much going forward thus this had a knock on effect on the quality of the match. Clear cut chances remained at a premium throughout the match and it was perhaps fitting that the goal that won the game was an innocuous free-kick that drifted into the net apologetically.
The first opportunity of the game came in the fifteenth minute, a James McQuilkin corner deep to the backpost was met by a firm header by Kelvin Langmead but Alan Julian was up to the task with a fine parried save.
Bromley whilst solid in defence were unable to offer much going forward and their only opportunity of the first half came courtesy of a breakaway lead by Adam Coombes, his through ball found Adam Cunnington whose low cross into the penalty area was inches away from being turned in by Moses Emmanuel only for an excellent blocking challenge by Tyrone Williams.
That those two opportunities represented the sum effort of both sides combined said much about the quality of the game.
The second half followed the same pattern, whilst both sides ran around with much heart and endeavour quality in the final third left a lot to be desired.
In the 59h minute, another Kidderminster corner, this time by Ben Whitfield was met by the head of Keith Lowe but Julian again stood strong with a point blank stop to keep the scores level.
Emmanuel was to have Bromley’s best chance of the game, eight minutes later. Farcical defending on the Kidderminster 18 yard box when attempting to deal with a high ball let in an alert Emmanuel but as he advanced on the goal he could only toe-poke his effort over the crossbar past the onrushing Kidderminster custodian.
The major talking point of the game and possibly the turning point came in the 78th minute. Evan Garnett was played through on goal and as he ran into the penalty area, he appeared to all intents and purposes to be bought down by Rob Swaine. The only person in the ground who seemingly didn’t see the blatant penalty was the referee who to the shock of the whole ground waved the appeal away.
This seemed to galvanise the Bromley players as from that point onwards they finished the game much stronger. A winning goal if it was ever going to come was always likely to come from a set-piece that it came from a speculative free-kick into the penalty area was no more than the quality of the game deserved.
Goalkeeper Dean Snedker will surely be embarrassed as ultimately his misjudgement allowed Anderson’s free-kick to meekly settle into the far corner of the net with no player able to attack said set piece. That Snedker stood stationary assuming the ball was going out of play only compounded the comical nature of the goal.
How Bromley got the win will be neither here nor there for Neil Smith, that they were able to go away from home and collect three points whilst keeping a clean sheet will be the main reflection. That in itself is testament to the character and diligence Smith has been espousing on since his appointment to the interim manager’s post.
Kidderminster Harriers: Snedker, Hodgkiss, Langmead, Lowe, Kinsella, Fane, Williams, Patrick (Whitfield, 46), McQuilkin (Maxwell, 63), Gnahoua, White (Garnett, 63).
Subs not used: Brown, Jones
Bromley: Julian, Holland, Swaine, Francis, Anderson, Fuseini, Minshull, Gordon, Coombes (Joseph-Dubois, 64), Emmanuel (Goldberg, 82), Cunnington (Chorley 90)
Subs not used: May, Allassani,
Goals: Anderson 86
Referee: Mr Alan Young
Attendance: 1,539 (101 Bromley)