Following the 2-0 success over Woking on Saturday, Bromley welcomed Dagenham & Redbridge to the H2T Group Stadium. Neil Smith’s side would have been looking to overturn the reverse thrashing from earlier on in the season, and the Bromley manager named an unchanged starting eleven from the weekend.

The Daggers started brightly and the away side registered their first shot on target just six minutes in. The ball fell kindly to Fejiri Okenabirhie on the edge of the box, and he struck from 20-yards straight into the palms of David Gregory.

Bromley did have their own chances in the opening stages of the match. The first fell to Luke Wanadio who broke away down the left following a turnover of possession. He did well to avoid the challenge of Ben Nunn, before striking on goal from 25-yards out. His effort was off target and went just wide of the post.

That attempt was quickly followed up by an instinctive volley from Frankie Raymond. George Porter had held the ball up on the right and crossed into the box only for the away side to clear their lines only for the ball to drop into the path of Raymond. He was quick onto it and struck an effort on the volley, but the effort was comfortable for Mark Cousins in the Dagenham goal.

This proved to be the bulk of the action from the first half, with both sides engaging in a rather unentertaining stalemate. The second half would produce something we didn’t have in the first half, and that’s a goal.

Dagenham started strongly and continued to threat through Luke Howell. And the number 7 would open the scoring on 54 minutes. He cut in from the right and skipped past two Bromley defenders to then power an effort low into the bottom corner.

Bromley were quick to reply, however, and were back on level terms within minutes. A corner was sent in from the right, Jordan Higgs rose to head goal-ward and running in at the back post was Jack Holland to nod the ball over the line for the leveler.

Bromley’s skipper would double his tally for the evening not too long after. Frankie Raymond’s pinpoint corner was whipped in with purpose and was met by the head of Holland, with the ball smashing into the top corner, via a touch from Cousins. And the home side would have an opportunity to further that lead as they were awarded a penalty in the 80^th minute.

George Porter was fouled inside the area by Nunn and the referee rightly awarded a spot kick to the home side. Brandon Hanlan stepped up to take it but he was to be denied by Cousins in the Daggers goal, as he got down low to his right to palm away the effort.

However, the third goal that Cousins had denied Bromley would come their way in additional time. After Charlee Adams’ header back towards goal was sliced into the air by Luke Pennell, Porter expertly took down the ball inside the box and fed it to substitute Josh Rees, who laid it into the path of Raymond, and the former Dagenham man took a touch and surged into the box, before dispatching the ball past Cousins with aplomb, sealing the three points.

Bromley XI: Gregory, Dunne (Hanlan 59’), Holland, R. Johnson, Sterling, Higgs, Sutherland, Raymond, Wanadio (Rees 88′), Porter, Bugiel (Woolfenden 75’).

Unused subs: Dennis, D. Johnson.

Attendance: 1,007 (159 away)

Report by James Tanner / @james4tanner

Photographs courtesy of Mark Avenell