Bromley returned from their Friday night trip to Spotland with a hard earned point in a hugely entertaining game despite having played with ten men for over half the game, the home side also having a player sent off in even more bizarre circumstances in the second half.
The young Ravens side started the game with Sam Woods making his debut at the base of midfield and striker Bim Pepple partnering Michael Cheek up front, while Callum Reynolds came in for the suspended Cole Kpepawa.
For the first ten minutes Rochdale did the early pressing, but it was Bromley who took the lead on 15 mins when a corner from the right was headed home by Chin Okoli, who guided the ball just inside the far post to put Andy Woodman’s team in front.
It was pretty even from there with both sides creating half chances, right up until the 38th minute when Cameron John got past Josh Passley in the Bromley area and went down six yard from goal to the left of the posts.
Referee Aaron Jackson awarded the home side a penalty and then also issued Passley with a straight red card, presumably as he thought the Bromley wing back had used his hands to impede John.
Tyrese Sinclair despatched the penalty to equalise and only a couple of fine saves from Grant Smith kept the sides level at the break with Woodman having to replace Pepple with Jude Arthurs to shore things up in midfield.
The second half got off to the worst possible start for The Ravens when Rochdale went in front on 50 minutes as Sinclair hit a powerful drive from 25 yards out that wrong footed Smith and skipped inside the near post to make it 2-1.
Things looked pretty grim for Bromley at this point, but they dug deep and battled back levelling up on 62minutes when Corey Whitely raced down the left and played in Michael Cheek who showed all of his finishers class by slipping the ball under the advancing Moulden to make it 2-2, his first goal of this campaign.
Eight minutes later Rochdale were also reduced to ten men when Adam Clayton was sent off for a foul on Whitely, clumsily stopping the Bromley midfielder’s run, although he was 35 yards from goal.
Late on the home side had the better chances, Sinclair struck the post with a shot and Smith made one incredible point blank save from a header at a corner, but Bromley held out for a vital point.
Bromley now entertain Southend Utd in the National League on Bank Holiday Monday, still looking for their first win of the season and with so many players either injured or suspended, Woodman will probably just have to pick whoever is available.
Rochdale: Moudlen, Jogn (Conway 63), East, Mitchell, Sinclair, Ebanks-Landell, Clayton, Keohane (Afuaye 90), Gilmour, Ferguson, Henderson.
Subs Not Used: McDermott, Nevett, Odoruh.
Bromley: Smith, Reynolds, Webster, Okoli, Topalloj, Passley, Woods, Whitely (Miller 80), Krauhuas, Pepple (Arthurs 40), Cheek (Dennis 86).
Subs Not Used: Marriott, Sharman-Lowe.
Goals: Dale – Sinclair 38pen, 50mins. Bromley – Okoli 15, Cheek 68mins.
Image courtesy of Bromley FC