Bromley 2 Sutton 4

[jr]

Well that was a cracking game. Bromley without their 2 regular centre backs (one was playing for the England non league team). I felt we slightly had the better of the first half with Slabber finishing neatly after their no 2 played him onside. Their keeper pulled off a great save and then I thought we had a pen but somehow the ref gave it the other way when Simon seemed to get a kick to the head. Bromley equalised just before half time with a well taken goal. Bradley Goldberg did nothing in the first half as Dale did a cracking job on him.

2nd half was very entertaining with both teams striving to get the advantage. Bromley had a good spell and scored when Dubois was all alone on the penalty spot to slide the ball home and then Goldberg got into the game forcing Jason into 2 magnificent saves.

However the boys responded magnificently with Dundas pushing forward. This caused Bromley no end of problems and they simply couldn't cope. Sinclair, just on as sub scored a cracker and so did Dundas before Sinclair scored again with a fine low shot. we also had 2 cleared off the line.

Great game of football by two fine teams. Their no 11 Albert looked very useful and Dos shook his hand when he was subbed (perhaps a new signing for next season!).

MOM for me was Scannell. I thought he worked tirelessly, was involved in the game constantly and also defended well when required. He was extremely dangerous down the flanks.

Finally a word for the ref. I thought on the whole he had a good game although a few things were missed. He could have booked a couple of U's early on but was keen to let the game flow and give players the benefit of the doubt. Because of that it made for a very enjoyable game.

[jr]

For our second goal the ref did very well as a ball was played through to Goldberg who was offside but it didn't reach him as it was cut out by Clough (I think) and 15 seconds later we had equalised.

[baboonfish]

Yes Scannell was excellent. He's a different player to earlier in the season

[markf]

Can we play you every week? sang the cocky Bromley fans as they led 2-1. Well, yes please. 6 points off the leaders this season and that was one of those great nights. I love it when we ram that sort of PL sh*t chanting back down the throats of the oppo fans.

Firstly, apologies if I lost my rag but tonight's ref was (as he always is) bloody awful. Dunno how we got to ht with no bookings, but we should have had three but come the second half first proper foul by a Bromley player and out comes the yellow. Then that non-pen decision. Bad enough that we didn't get it after SD wins a header and then nearly has his head kicked off but to give a free-kick to Bromley just sums up this ref's consistent level of incompetence. You know he's struggling when he responds to a spectator as he did in the second half. Sunday morning stuff.

Onto what was a an excellent game of football on a pitch that was actually firmer than you'd expect considering the flooded farm fields outside the ground.

Bromley started well but once we scored (another bit of Slabs poaching), we gave them a roasting for 20 mins but couldn't get a second mainly thanks to some fine goalkeeping. Then they snatch an equaliser and goals change games (why that non-pen so incensed me on half time).

Bromley built on that equaliser to grab a second and for a while they looked like the league leaders they are with JB making a couple of excellent saves. Dos rang the changes and boy did they work. On came Gav and later Deano as Dundo was pushed up front. Dean's first goal was stunning, a curler into the far corner then Dundo scored a similarly brilliant effort before the fourth scored, I believe by Deano again. Outstanding finish to the game for U's. The equaliser as good as killed Bromley and they fell apart as U's powered their way to three points.

The home side may have been light of their first choice centre back pairing but U's have lost two players over the past week too so not sure they can moan too much.

MOM for me, Scanners; his best in a Sutton shirt tonight but it was a great shift from the whole squad and to stuff up those cocky (insert expletive of your choice here) was just wonderful. Brilliant team effort against a v good Bromley side. Both sides tried to play attacking football but in the end U's were just to strong.

"2-1 and you f'd it up". Buzzing tonight: I will not be able to sleep!

[markf]

Mar 4, 2014 22:51:53 GMT jr said:

For our second goal the ref did very well as a ball was played through to Goldberg who was offside but it didn't reach him as it was cut out by Clough (I think) and 15 seconds later we had equalised.

Basic advantage jr, nothing special. It is the sort of thing he should be doing at this level. Christ, I used to do that on a Sunday morning regularly.

[oohaah]

Mar 4, 2014 22:41:59 GMT oohaah said:

I have no idea who got the forth as I was on cload nine by then!!!!

Looks like I had no idea who got the second either!
I understand Dean Martin got both the 2nd & 4th...

[os]

Its nights like this which makes it special being a U's fan, tonight was top drawer footballing cocaine.

We did boss that 1st half and Bromley were lucky not to have conceded a penalty when SD was felled in the box, not to mention two excellent saves from the home keeper to keep the league leaders in it. The equaliser was a real kick in the teeth and 1-1 at HT was not reflective of U's play and there was a sense we could have blown it. Second half Bromley started with theur tails up, but still got a bit of fortune for their second. 2-1 down we looked tired all of a sudden and Bromley seemed as if they would go on and rub our faces in the sand. It was us who then needed our keeper to save us twice in a few minutes from going 3-1 down.

Then we found some metal and started to press the home side in the last 15 with Deano coming on for JT. Then another wow factor moment to add to the griwing list this season as Deano curls a stunning shot into the bottom right hand corner. Tails up we take the game by the scruff, Dundo unlashes one into the top corner to send us and them wild. We come straight back and Deano smashes a low drive into his favourite corner. 4-2 Bromley fans fleeing like they realised they left a pan on the stove, and U's pressing for a 5th.

Top drawer performance to show we are the best team right now in this division.

[sallycat]

Mar 4, 2014 22:38:26 GMT baboonfish said:

Wow, what a game despite the poor surface! Well worth the 8 mile cycle after work.

Mine was 13, but I had the advantage of working from home

Absolutely superb game of football. Couldn't really have wished for more. Well done Us

[Andy K]

Wow. Just wow. Not only were both sets of fans treated to a wonderful display which was a delight for this level, but the game had the twists and turns every football fans want. I think it was clear to see why Bromley are top - strong quick and well organised. But we matched them and surpassed them. Dos had done his homework, and knew from the Dorchester game Bromley played that they try and win from the blocks, but tire near the end. And it worked like a charm.

not much to add from what was said above, but some of the play tonight was breathtaking. I think we are possibly a little too far behind to be serious contenders, but boy, we didn't half look it at times tonight.

MoM for me was Scans, with Binns right up there with him, but that's harsh on the other - everyone played their part. Line of the night from me was from Mr Frake "Replacing Taylor with Sinclair? Why's he doing that" - Mark, I agreed with you at the time, but then that probably explains why we ain't managers

I hope it was filmed. I've got a feeling I'll be watching those highlights for years to come!

[nobby61]

That was an amazing game ,Sutton never gave up and showed some real spirit,Great to shut up those cocky Bromley fans with their own songs.

[Millsy]

Mar 4, 2014 21:30:53 GMT dof said:

....another goal McCullam Bromley 2 Sutton 2

It was Sinclair (per our twitter) and not McCullam McCallum as stated on Bromley's twitter before they corrected it.

[Millsy]

Mar 3, 2014 22:52:33 GMT Stewart said:

This is the Bromley manager on our game:


Next up for Bromley are Sutton United who currently sit in the play-off places, with Goldberg predicting a similar test.

He explained: “I am expecting the same as we faced today (Bath).

“They have two very experienced players up front who are going to be very much like Andy Watkins and Josh Low who played well today.

“On the break they will be capable of causing problems.

“They will try and pop it around as well.”

Despite failing to beat Bath, the manager does not think the Sutton clash is a must-win encounter.

Goldberg explained: “Every game we have to go into believing we can win, but it depends on what you’re looking at as must-win.

“The fact we are competing and even thinking about the league title is a fabulous position to be in.

“I’m not sure any game is must-win, but it is very important we don’t lose our confidence and we build on the momentum of the season so far.”

If copying and pasting, etiquette alone would be to provide a link to the source, not withstanding copyright issues!

[superus1898]

I didn't think it was a good idea taking JT and Kane off, but what do I know it paid off

[Millsy]

Two tremendous decisions this evening:

1] Cloughie - must have been tempted to fell Dubois for Bromley's first goal; would've been a penalty and a first-half red-card.

2] Dos - moving Dundo 'up top' as Bromley tired towards the end and lost a defender to injury.

Excellent work!

Referee - I thought he was very good and managed a high-octane match well, it could've descended into 8 bookings per side had a got the cards out early and perhaps the borderline ones he let go weren't as bad / reckless as the first booking which just happened to be a Bromley player, that's not the ref's fault! He could of course have booked Simon if he felt it was a dive but again, probably did well to give him the benefit of the doubt there.

[Amber Aleman]

Credit to both sides for a hugely entertaining game of football. With ten minutes of the 90 left and Bromley 2-1 up, having had the better of things since half-time, most of us were contemplating defeat. But then Sutton's 'forgotten man' Dean Sinclair, on as a sub, curled in an exquisite equaliser and the balance suddenly shifted.

The victory was just reward for the team's efforts in the first half when, once Slabber had coolly slotted home Dundo's lobbed return, Sutton enjoyed a spell of dominance only to be thwarted by a series of fingertip saves by Joe Welch. But Bromley had looked well capable of scoring and two goals from Joseph-Dubois either side of the interval swung the advantage their way. An injury to their centre back Parmenter made their defence more vulnerable but it was only in the final minutes that we turned pressure on the break into more goals, Dundo and Sinclair (again) sealing the win.

It was on the equivalent Tuesday last season that we beat Bromley 4-3 at GGL, a match in which we also took the lead, fell behind, then stormed back with a burst of late goals. There seems to be something about playing Bromley on or around Sutton's birthday!

That's our third double of the season and a consecutive league double over the Ravens. With Eastleigh and Ebbsfleet both drawing tonight we've strengthened our grip on a play-off place. We've thirteen games of the regular season left, only two of which are against sides currently in the top eight (Bath and Ebbsfleet at home).