BROMLEY 2 BECKENHAM TOWN 3 – FRIENDLY 22/07/03

Anybody who had to pay a fiver for this one would have been pretty pissed off, unless they were a Beckenham fan of course!

From the kick off this was a physical competitive encounter and on 6 mins Dean Thomas was ordered to be subbed by Ref Mr Crouch (yes the one from the London Cup final) after reacting badly to two awful challenges. Kirk Watts came on and produced the best piece of play by Bromley when he combined with Amoako who was just denied by a good late tackle. Dean Forbes looked good at the back and so did new striker Read who worked hard and competed well. For all of Bromley’s pressure they failed to score and just before the break Beckenham’s Sean Cooney hit an unstoppable curling shot from outside the box and we went in one down.

In the second half virtually the whole Bromley team changed, on 48 mins Goodwin crashed a great shot from distance to equalize, but within 2 mins Mohammed finished smartly at the other end to put the visitors back in front. On 70 mins Ravens keeper Neggs who had looked very shaky since coming on dropped a looping cross from the right into his own net and it was 1-3! The game got even more physical and nasty challenges were flying in all over the place, with Beckenham defending stoutly and fighting hard for a prestigious win. On 87 mins Jerome Bennett smashed in a second for Bromley from close range, but it wasn’t to be enough and The Ravens lost their first friendly of the season at home to a Kent league team who looked sharper and fitter.

Quote for the game: ‘This place sucks the energy out of you.’

First half team: Harwood, Smith, Forbes, Luckett, Vines, Wade, Thomas, Amoako, Ellis, George, Read. Sub: K Watts.

Second half team: Neggs, McKoy, Smith Jnr, Potterill, Butler, Willy, G Watts, Goodwin, K Watts, Amaning, Barclay. Subs: Bennett.