A disappointing defeat at relegated Chester on Tuesday night saw Bromley fall further behind in the race for the playoffs and barring results now going in their favour it is hard to see how Bromley will play a role in the post-season.
Following the goalless draw at home to Gateshead on Saturday Ravens manager Neil Smith freshened up his starting XI recalling Dan Johnson, Josh Rees and Louis Dennis to the lineup.
Despite the changes Bromley put in a highly lacklustre performance that had many at times wondering which side was the relegated one.
Whether through the fatigue of another long journey North on a Tuesday night or underestimating the quality of the opposition Bromley failed to display the necessary zip or tempo to their game and were guilty of several misplaced passes and intensity across the 90 minutes.
That said although Bromley started the game poorly it took until the 22nd minute for anything of note to take place in the game, a Chester corner was only cleared as far as Craig Mahon but his scuffed half volley took a deflection of James Akintunde taking the pace off the ball and allowing time for David Gregory to recover in the Bromley goal.
Akintunde was to be at the heart of most Chester attacking play and a minute later his cross found former Bromley player Dominic Vose in space but the mercurial midfielder saw Gregory tip away his curling effort.
Bromley were posing little to no attacking threat but nearly took the lead completely against the run of the play and with their only real chance of the half. Dennis’s defence splitting pass allowed Brandon Hanlan a run in on goal, however despite Hanlan taking the ball around Andrew Firth his goalbound strike was blocked by Tom Crawford.
Chester continued to command the lion share of possession and were denied by Gregory once more when Harry White’s instinctive shot from an Andy Halls cross was tipped away.
On the stroke of half-time the home side took a deserved lead, Mahon did well to work space on the left wing and his cut back to Vose was expertly curled home from 22 yards.
With a half time rebuke no doubt ringing in their ears, Bromley were sent back out on to the pitch five minutes before the re-start.
If Neil Smith had asked for a response it took until his introduction of Luke Wanadio for Bromley to actually show real attacking impetus.
The tricky winger chased down and harried a Chester defender into a mistake before crossing for Josh Rees whose low shot found the bottom corner.
The goal whilst completely out of the blue represented a milestone for Rees as it was his 20th strike of the season.
If the goal should have given Bromley the impetus to seize the initiative and go on the hunt for the three points it was the home side who came back the stronger.
In the 72nd minute Akintunde fed Crawford but the midfielder saw his poked effort beat Gregory but go the wrong side of the post.
The home side were not to be denied, however, as they retook the lead five minutes later, Vose released Akintunde inside the penalty area and the lively front man was able to cros, sbefore Gregory could intercept, for substitute Jordan Archer to tap into an empty net.
Inexplicably Bromley were able to equalise for the second time three minutes later, sub Omar Bugiel heading in a Frankie Sutherland free kick.
However Chester were to have the last laugh on the stroke of full time, more loose play in the Bromley midfield allowed diminutive winger Nathan Brown to run at the Bromley defence before smashing an unstoppable drive past Gregory into the roof of the net.
In truth the winner was no more than Chester deserved for being the more cohesive side on the night.
That fact notwithstanding Bromley nearly salvaged an unlikely point deep into injury time, more good work from Wanadio saw his cross turned goalward by Rees but Firth pulled off a fine double save from Rees’ initial effort then Bugiel’s follow up.
Bromley will now head to relegation threatened Woking on Saturday nine points off the playoffs with two games in hand knowing anything other than a win will see their slim hopes all but extinguished.
Chester: Firth, Halls, Astles, Hobson, Anderson (Gough 57), Vose, Crawford, Mahon (Brown 79), Roberts, Akintunde, White (Archer 72)
Subs not used: Dawson, Cunningham
Bromley: Gregory, Woolfenden, Holland, Johnson, Sterling, Rees, Raymond (Bugiel 72) , Sutherland, Porter, Dennis (Wanadio 54), Hanlan
Subs not used: Dunne, Allen, Higgs
Goal scorers / Time of goal: Chester: Vose 45, Archer 78, Brown 90 Bromley: Rees 65, Bugiel 81
Attendance: 754
Referee: Mr K.Evans