Bromley’s chances of making club history and beating Football League opposition in the FA Cup were dashed in one minute of madness just before half time at a sold out Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon, where they eventually lost out to League One Peterborough.
Bromley lining up 4-1-4-1 started the game on the back foot with The Posh pushing for an early break through. George Cooper fired a free kick just over and then saw another shot deflected wide. Bromley found their feet though and had a good spell of their own with Frankie Raymond having a shot tipped wide by Aaron Chapman and from the corner Omar Bugeil had a back heel saved.
Steve Evans’ side rallied again from there with Joe Ward and Jason Cummings going close, before Matt Godden had a header saved by David Gregory.
The Bromley keep was then on hand to save again soon after, bravely gathering at the feet of Godden to halt his strong run. Bromley still looked to hit Posh on the break and almost went in front when Bugeil had a shot cleared off the line by Ryan Tafazolli following a corner. As the game opened up Adam Mekki had a shot saved for The Ravens while Cummings was denied by Gregory at the other end. Ten minutes from the break though it was Bromley who took the lead when a deep Frankie Sutherland free kick from the left was headed back across goal and just inside the far post by Roger Johnson.
It looked like Neil Smith’s side were set to go into half time leading, but in injury time Frankie Raymond refused to release the ball after giving away a free kick out wide and as Cooper tried to free the ball from his grasp the Peterborough player crashed to the ground claiming to have been elbowed and Referee Kevin Johnson showed the Bromley midfielder a red card.
To compound the home side’s misery the free kick caught The Ravens back line flat footed and as they appealed for offside Godden smashed the ball home on the volley from ten yards out to level the scores at the break.
The second half saw Bromley start brightly, having a shout for a penalty turned down when Sam Wood appeared to be pulled back in the box, but after losing Bugeil to injury they went behind on 55minutes as an unmarked Godden got his second goal, coolly sweeping home a cross from Jason Naismith from ten yards.
Posh then pushed on with Bromley dropping even deeper, Gregory made a great one handed save from Naismith and Ward hit the crossbar from twenty five yards out. George Porter had a half chance saved by Chapman after a surging run from The Ravens’ forward, but Cummins then had two more shots saved by Gregory.
Smith decided to try and be more adventurous in the final fifteen minutes giving a debut to Academy striker Billy Craske and the youngster fired over after latching on to a John Goddard ball on the edge of the box. But as Bromley pressed for an unlikely equaliser Peterborough killed the game on with six minutes to go, when a quick break up field ended with Ward driving the ball home for 3-1. Bromley carried on giving it a go until the end, but the closest they came was when Sutherland had a shot from the edge of the area saved by Chapman.
In the end the game turned on the red card just before half time when Bromley looked to be executing their game plan perfectly, but Peterborough are a very good side, sitting third in League One and Neil Smith’s men certainly weren’t disgraced. The Ravens now prepare for a trip to Leyton Orient next weekend
Bromley: Gregory, Brindley, Holland, Johnson, Wood, Okoye (Craske 75) Sutherland, Raymond, Mekki (Goddard 68), Porter, Bugeil (Quigley 50).
Subs Not Used: Dunne, Naja, Goodman, Rooney.
Posh: Chapman, Naismith, Woodyard, Tafazolli, O’Hara, Godden (Reed 90), Ward, Bennett, Cooper (Dembele 76), Denton, Cummings (Toney 85).
Subs Not Used: O’Malley, Walker, Maddison, Bassong.
Goals: Bromley – Johnson 39mins. Posh- Godden 45 & 55, Ward 84mins.
Ref: K Johnson
HT 1-1 FT 1-3
Att: 3,107