Neil Smith’s side played host to Dover Athletic in their opening home league fixture of the season. The Raven’s were looking to make amends following Saturday’s defeat to AFC Fylde.

Bromley almost got off to the worst possible start. The Ravens back-line were caught napping and Jamie Allen found a way through. The angle was against him but he lofted his effort of the crossbar and onto the roof of the net.

That seemingly woke Bromley up. And the Ravens went on a quick attack down the left, spearheaded by Dan Johnson. The left-back found space on the edge of the box and was allowed to shoot. His effort picked up a fortunate deflection and evaded Mitch Walker in the Dover goal to give the home side the lead.

The away side struggle to create chances, after Allen’s first minute effort, with much of the play going quickly from front to back. But, the away side were patient and when the chance came they took it. Brundle got the better of Dan Johnson down the right and crossed into the box. Jamie Allen was lurking and he tapped the ball into the net to level up the match.

That induced new confidence into the visiting team and Brundle smelt blood. He eyed up a strike from 25-yards and sent in a thunderbolt. However, David Gregory pulled a stunning finger tip save to deny the Dover skipper and push the effort onto the crossbar and away for a corner.

After the break, it was again Brundle who would go close for the visitors, taking aim and firing narrowly over the bar from 25 yards.

They would go even closer on 62 minutes, as poor marking allowed Josh Passley time and space in the box to fire a shot at goal from the right, forcing Gregory into another reaction save, diverting the ball wide.

Just a minute later, a carbon-copy of Passley’s chance fell to Bedsente Gomis, but the former Sutton United man failed to hit the target, blasting an effort high and wide of goal.

However, the visitors’ persistence would pay off on 73 minutes, albeit rather fortuitously. After Reece Meekums had been caught in possession out on the left side of the box, allowing a low cross to fizz into the six yard box and divert into the net via the foot of the unlucky Dan Johnson.

Brundle, who was unlucky not to have scored, then had a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the box after a foul from Frankie Sutherland. He stepped up and curled an effort towards the top left corner of the goal, only for a slight deflection to deflect the ball over.

However, Bromley were determined not to go down without a fight, and their persistence paid off with just one minute left. After a melee in the box, Tim Schmoll’s flailing arm made contact with the ball, prompting referee Carl Brook to point straight to the spot, presenting a golden chance for Bromley to level up.

It would be Sutherland who would step up to take the spot kick, and he made no mistake, dispatching a powerful effort to Mitch Walker’s right, despite the Dover ‘keeper getting a hand to it.

Bromley XI: Gregory, Adebayo-Rowling, Holland, R.Johnson, D.Johnson, Higgs (Ogedi-Uzokwe), Sutherland, Raymond, Taylor (Meekums), Porter (Okoye), Bugiel.

Unused substitutes: Huxter (GK), Goodman.

Attendance: 1303 (178 away)

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