BROMLEY 2 BAT SPORTS 1 – FA CUP 1ST QUAL ROUND 14/09/02

For a great part of this game it looked like Bromley were at best going to be heading for a replay in Totton, but yet again they pulled it out of the fire in the last minute and grabbed a place in the next round. The main talking point of the first half was when Ferguson finished off a good move down the right on 26 mins and Bromley just looked stifled and lost. The obviously injured Thompson had to be subbed and there were no strikers on the Bromley bench to replace him. BAT had obviously done their homework and clogged up the midfield, double teaming Watts and winding up Bartley. It looked pretty grim going into the break at 0-1.

3 mins into the second half The Ravens received a lucky break with a penalty for handball, which was smashed home by Luckett. With the game level Bromley looked to be pressing for the lead when they were deprived of Bartley just a minute later thanks to a blatant act of cheating by BAT’s Hodder. After squaring up to Carl he threw himself on the ground holding his face and the Ref was conned into showing the red card despite their being no contact made! From this point on the atmosphere of the game changed and Bromley fans rightly outraged hurled abuse at the Wessex League cancer peddlers. With the game becoming a scrap Bromley still dominated with 10 men and justice of sorts was done late on when Hodder found himself sent off for a second yellow. He seemed strangely reluctant to go into the tunnel and re-acquaint himself with the waiting Bartley! The BATty boys looked shattered and were broken in injury time when Luckett cut in and squared the ball to Langley who coolly slotted the ball in for 2-1 and a massive roar of relief from the benches end. Harris was awesome leading from the back and Kirk Watts worked tirelessly up front on his own for a long time.

Quote for the game, ‘You sell death to children you c***s!’

Martini, Lester, Luckett, Vines, Saunders, Harris, Drewett, Ellis, Bartley, Thompson, K Watts.

Subs: Amaning, Harney, Wilfort, Langley, Harwood.