WWW.BROMLEYFC.COM - MATCH REPORT
MAIDENHEAD UTD 3 BROMLEY 4 – FA TROPHY 1ST ROUND 6/11/04
I was still stunned from having paid £9 to get in when after less than 30 seconds a long ball over Okafor down the left was met by O’Connor and we were 1-0 down! For a while we were stunned behind the goal, and it was almost 2-0 when Patterson headed a great chance wide. Then both the fans and the team came to life and got back in the game. Drewett started to boss the midfield alongside Paul Kember and we pushed on. PK played in Okafor who went on a great run and sent over a good cross for Bennetts who headed in off the bar for 1-1 on 22 mins. Amoako was denied by Goldman and almost immediately Walker had to make a great save at the other end. Maidenhead had a goal disallowed for offside and looked very dangerous before on 32 mins Bromley went in front. A floated free kick by Drewett was flicked over his own keeper by right back Elsegood and it was 2-1 to Bromley! It could have been three before the break, but after keeper Goldman had collided with defender Elford the ball ran to Bennetts and as he was set to shoot into an open goal ref Tincknell stopped the game to allow treatment for the Keeper who then miraculously recovered after a squirt from the water bottle. Going into the half Maidenhead had several corners, but nothing came of them, despite lots of pressure.
The ref’s eccentric display continued into the second half with both sides looking surprised at some of his calls. Bromley had a great spell of pressure following a vital save by Walker. On 55 mins a Luckett free kick found Huggins in the box who headed home brilliantly to make it 3-1. One Kember brother seamlessly replaced another in the midfield battle. Maidenhead then went close again before the Ravens made it 4-1 on 73 mins. A corner found it’s way back out to Luckett who returned the ball first time and it sailed over Goldman and dropped into the net just inside the far post, No-one could quite believe it. Macca then brought off the front two and introduced Suleymanoglu and Watson up front and this seemed to give the Magpies impetus to get back into the game. On 80 mins a low cross was turned in by Matthews from close range for 2-4 and then on 86 mins Tom Stradwick, who had been flawless up to that point, was unlucky enough to slice a low ball into his own net for 3-4. This led to a nervous last couple of minutes. The Magpies threw on ex-Sunderland striker Phil Gray who threw some elbows about and shouted at the ref, but we held on with no real further scares and booked our place in the next round.
Quote for the game: ‘Conference South? You’re having a laugh’ - Again!
Team: Walker, Potterill, Okafor, Henriques, Luckett, Stradwick, Drewett, P Kember, Amoako, Huggins, Bennetts.
Subs: Arkwright, Watson, Suleymanoglu, M Kember.