A turgid and uninspiring game was settled ten minutes from time as Gerry Mcdonagh lashed in a fierce strike from the edge of the box to deny Bromley a share of the spoils.
Smarting from respective FA Cup defeats in the previous week both teams made several changes with Bromley bringing in Jack Holland for Joe Howe and Jamie Philpott, on loan from Millwall, replacing Tobi Sho-Silva.
Despite the changes the match started very tentatively with neither side able to string together an enterprising passage of play as the game reflected the lowly position of both sides.
Tyler Harvey worked the first opportunity of the match in the 11th minute, his 20 yard drive forced Alan Julian to parry the ball back into danger however a combination of three Bromley defenders managed to clear the ball in the ensuing goalmouth scramble.
Fans of both sides were forced to wait a further 24 minutes for the next chance of note, Adam Cunnington did well to chest a long ball into the path of Blair Turgott but the latter’s first time volley from the edge of the 18 yard box flashed narrowly wide of the post with Shwan Jalal beaten.
With neither side demonstrating the necessary quality to awaken the crowd from their early afternoon slumber it was a surprise to everyone in the ground when Wrexham took the lead right on the stroke of half-time. An innocuous looking right wing cross by Robbie Evans was headed back into the danger area via a combination of Mark Carrington and Jack Holland where Shaun Harrad was on hand to strike the loose ball home from four yards out.
The second half started with Wrexham on the ascendancy looking to add to their one goal advantage however it was Bromley who struck first with their initial incision into the Wrexham penalty area. Joe Anderson’s long throw was flicked on by Cunnington into the path of Dave Martin’s who laid off for Turgott to finish low into the corner of the net for his 8th goal of the season.
The goal seemed to sap the energy out of Wrexham and over the next 15 minutes the same lack of confidence that had seen them knocked out by minnows Stamford AFC, in the FA Cup, returned.
Martin should have put Bromley ahead five minutes later when he was played through by Cunnington, however his effort was smothered by the legs of Jalal with the ball then squirming agonisingly past the wrong side of the post.
Mcdonagh briefly foreshadowed what was to come later when he curled a 20 yard effort past Julians’s post. However it was Martin again who had the chance to put Bromley ahead, 15 minutes from time, his forceful drive into the box ended with a fierce strike that Jalal tipped away for a corner.
With Bromley failing to take their chances whilst Wrexham were on the ropes, it was the home side who pressed for a winner in the remaining 15 minutes. John Rooney benefitted from Lee Minshull’s mis-kick but his goalbound effort was wonderfully blocked for a corner by Rob Swaine.
However from the resultant corner Bromley gave the game away with some slack play, despite Julian claiming the ball well his attempt to get Bromley away on a quick counter brought doom. His quick throw went straight to Mark Carrington whose cross eventually found itself through to an unmarked Mcdonagh. Mcdonagh made no mistake with the time and space he was afforded by unleashing a howitzer beyond Julian.
Once again Bromley had transpired to needlessly throw a game away with a situation entirely of their own making. That said Adam Cunnington will perhaps feel he should have rescued the game for Bromley five minutes from time. Anderson’s delicious cross found Cunnington in space at the back post but his looped header fell on the roof of the net with Jalal well beaten.
Despite the defeat Bromley will take heart from the fact that none of the seven teams below them were able to win as the clear daylight between Bromley and the bottom four remains intact. However the continued propensity of the side to give away easy goals is a situation that must be addressed sooner rather than later if Neil Smith does not want to find his side heading into a winter relegation dogfight.
They get a quick opportunity to see if lessons have been learnt with the visit of high-flying Kent rivals Dover to Hayes Lane on Tuesday night.
Wrexham: Jalal, Edwards, Bencherif, Tilt, J.Evans, Carrington, Barry (Rooney 56), R.Evans (Powell 68), Harvey (Smith 61), Harrad, Mcdonagh
Subs not used: Dunn, Bailey-Nicholls
Goals: Harrad 45, Mcdonagh 80
Bromley: Julian, Holland, Johnson, Swaine, Anderson, Turgott, Higgs, Minshull (Prestedge 83), Martin, Cunnington, Philpott (Sho-Silva 65)
Subs not used: Dymond, Howe, Goldberg
Goals: Turgott 57
Attendance: 3,531 (65 Bromley)
Referee: Mr Joe Johnson