An excellent rearguard performance saw Bromley come away from the Gallagher stadium with three points and in the process put an end to Maidstone’s five match unbeaten run.
Having called for his side to show the same defensive resilience as Saturday with the exception being to see the game out for the full 90 minutes, Bromley manager Neil Smith was fully rewarded with a gutsy display.
In response to Bromley’s injury time defeat to Tranmere on Saturday, Smith had shuffled his pack ahead of the Kent derby. In came Jordan Higgs and Iffy Allen for Frankie Sutherland and Adam Mekki respectively. Both players justified their long awaited starts with excellent performances.
The first half was a cagey affair with both sides fully committed to the cause but neither able to summon the necessary guile to create clear cut chances.
Bromley fashioned the first half chance of the game in the 13th minute, a Louis Dennis corner was flicked on by George Porter but Magnus Okuonghae had to be alert to prevent Jack Holland converting the chance at the far post.
Joe Pigott hit a free kick narrowly wide from 25 yards for the home side in the 35th minute but it was Bromley who were to take the lead two minutes later. A Dennis free kick from the right wing touchline was inadvertently turned into his own net by Okuonghae to gift Bromley the lead.
The second half saw both sides come out of the traps quickly with chances a piece to add to the scoreline.
Substitute Jack Richards created the opening opportunity of the half when his cross was chested down in the box by Zavon Hines but as the striker was about to unleash his shot, Holland produced a last ditch challenge to prevent the opportunity.
Almost immediately Bromley broke down the other end of the pitch with Josh Rees playing in George Porter but the livewire frontman’s shot was expertly turned away by the fingertips of Lee Worgan.
The game really opened up in the last twenty minutes as Maidstone turned up the pressure and Bromley noticeably tired. David Gregory had to be at his very best as he magnificently blocked Johan Ter Horst’s volley from point blank range.
Pigott then beat Gregory all ends up with a sweetly struck free kick from 30 yards out but the crossbar came to Bromley’s rescue.
With Bromley having to rely on counter attacks to pose any kind of threat in the second half, it was from one such counter that Dennis nearly sealed the game. The striker’s mazy run saw him beat two defenders but his goalbound effort was denied by the fingertips of Worgan.
As the game entered injury time and with Maidstone continuing to press for an equaliser, Dennis led another counter attack that he himself finished off from close range after pinball in the penalty area.
A delighted Neil Smith beamed with pride post-match as he reflected on Bromley putting an end to Maidstone’s unbeaten home record, he said “I thought the boys and all the subs were phenomenal, we defended well as a team and had chances from George and Louis to wrap it up earlier than we did. They kept on going as a team and I know what these boys can produce. I’m happy for them all that they produced that performance tonight”
Maidstone United: Worgan, Twumasi, Okuonghae, A.Wynter, Anderson, Prestedge (Paxman 83), Lewis, Reason (Richards 45), Hines (Wraight 65), Ter Horst, Pigott
Subs not used: Finney, Muldoon
Bromley: Gregory, Dunne, Holland, Johnson, Sterling, Wanadio (Mekki 90), Higgs, Rees, Allen (Chorley 84), Dennis, Porter (Williams 90)
Subs not used: Raymond, B.Wynter
Goals: Bromley: Okuonghae (og) 38, Dennis 90+1
Attendance: 2,541 (Bromley 204)