A topsy-turvy eight goal thriller left Bromley fans none the wiser as to the destination of this year’s Vanarama Conference South title as Bromley once again let in a last minute equaliser that surrendered some of the initiative in the title race.

Fresh off a two one victory over fellow title challengers Boreham Wood on Easter Saturday, Bromley were unable to press home the advantage by dropping two crucial points to Conference South strugglers Maidenhead.

That Bromley were able to get anything out of the game was a surprise in itself following the lethargic start to the match inside the opening fifteen minutes. Robbed of their skipper Rob Swaine in the warm up, the reshuffled Bromley backline was all at sea and continually exploited by a rampant Maidenhead.

It took Maidenhead only six minutes to open the scoring when a long through ball by Leon Soloman split Ugo Udoji and Jack Holland and the onrushing Adrian Clifton made no mistake with a fierce low drive past Alan Julian in the Bromley goal. Worse was to follow eight minutes later when Clifton rose unchallenged to head in a Dave Tarpey corner to put the Magpies two goals to the good.

With Bromley fans watching on in horror, Maidenhead nearly added a third when Paul Rodgers’ mis-control just outside his penalty area let Tarpey through only for his shot to be saved by Julian at his near post.

Inexplicably against the run of play Bromley then proceeded to level the game with two goals inside three minutes. Firstly in the 23rd minute a dangerous Anthony Cook free kick was headed past his own keeper by Maidenhead defender Simon Downer.

This was quickly followed by the equaliser minutes later, Joe Anderson’s long through ball found an onrushing Cook whose toe-poke managed to lob Ashley Timms in the Maidenhead goal. However as the ball seemed to be drifting wide Moses Ademola, restored to the front line, put his body on the line to head the ball in as he collided with the post.

The turnaround was almost complete in the 36th minute, another raking long ball this time by Rodgers found Pierre-Joseph Dubois whose first time toe-poke volley lobbed Timms but rebounded off the crossbar into Timms grateful hands.

There was still time before the half time whistle for Maidenhead to try and regain the lead. Another corner by Tarpey caused disarray in the Bromley penalty area and David Hunt hit a fierce volley that whistled narrowly over the Bromley crossbar.

If half time presented an opportunity for both managers to drill their respective defences on the art of defending, neither side was to heed this message as the goals continued to flow after the restart.

No less than three minutes into the second half Maidenhead promptly retook the lead. Another set piece and more defensive ineptitude by Bromley allowed a gleeful Tarpey to sweep in at the far post.

Six minutes later and Maidenhead should have scored their fourth, more shambolic Bromley defending led to a failure to clear lines. Maidenhead striker Stefan Brown showed good strength to lay off the ball to Clifton whose fierce drive could only be parried by Julian into the path of the unmarked Tarpey however his shot went high and wide from no more than 5 yards out.

With Bromley fans baying for a substitution the first move by Mark Goldberg was enforced as the injured Jack Holland was replaced by Danny Waldren prompting further reshuffling in the Bromley backline. However the change was to add some impetus to the Bromley performance as they proceeded to dominate the next ten minutes in which they miraculously took the lead for the first time in the match.

The first warning sign had come in the 60th minute, good link up play between Anderson and Ademola led to the latter breaking into the penalty area but his excellent cross for the unmarked Ali Fuseini was wasted when Fuseini volleyed wildly over the bar.

Bromley were not to be deterred and three minutes later they fashioned an equaliser Ademola played a delightful defence splitting through ball for Joseph-Dubois, Dubois’s first shot was blocked by the defender but he profited from the rebound and drilled his second effort low past Timms.

Buoyed by the equaliser Bromley promptly scored the go ahead goal with their next attack. Reece Prestedge broke through from midfield unchallenged and left fly from 20 yards out, his precise effort rolled past the outstretched hands of Timms to send the travelling Bromley fans into ecstacy.

In a game of so many goals there was always a deep sense that Bromley would need at least one more to guarantee the win and as the clocked ticked deep into injury time Maidenhead punished Bromley’s failure to see out the game. A Bromley free kick in the Maidenhead half of the pitch was chipped up to no-one as opposed to being used to run the clock down and from the break away a low cross by Sam Barratt was turned in by Tarpey for the equaliser at the death.

 

Maidenhead United: Timms, Solomon, Pritchard, Hunt, Morris (Erksine 45), Downer (Hippolyte 90), Green, Clifton (c), Brown (Barratt 79), Upward, Tarpey

Subs not used: Miller-Rodney, Hutchinson,

Bromley: Julian, Rodgers, Anderson, Fuseini (McNaughton 88), Udoji, Holland (Waldren 62), Joseph-Dubois (Goldberg 65), Prestedge ©, May, Ademola, Cook

Subs not used: Dennis, Birchall,

Attendance: 423
Referee: Mr Richard Hulme
Assistants: Mr Joshua Ainscow and Mr James Vallance