A BRACE from John Marquis was enough for Millwall to secure victory against Bromley at Hayes Lane on Saturday.

The game started at a fairly sedate tempo, probably due to the heat, and it wasn’t until the 20th minute the first real chance of the game arrived as Ali Chaaban burst into the box, only to fire his shot well over the bar.

Despite it being a mainly young Millwall side, first team players Alan Dunne, Shaun Batt and Marquis were all involved and it was Marquis who opened the scoring on the half hour.

Batt broke away with the ball from a Bromley corner and after racing clear of right-back Sanchez Ming, he put a perfectly timed cross into the path of Marquis who slid a shot past home keeper Joe Welch.

Marquis had the chance to double Millwall’s lead at the start of the second half, only to be denied by a good reaction stop from Welch.

Bromley manager Mark Goldberg brought on Nic McDonnell, Hakeem Araba and Tony Finn as the home side upped their search for the equaliser.

They were unlucky not to get it on the hour when McDonnell was fouled outside of the Millwall box.

Danny Waldren stepped up and sent a curling effort towards goal and with Millwall keeper Luke Bartlett scrambling to his left, the ball went narrowly wide of the post.

Another free-kick, this time taken by Tony Finn, was swung into the box and found Pierre Joseph-Dubois, who was unlucky to see his shot deflected wide for a corner.

McDonnell had Bromley’s best chance when a great break saw a pass played into the path of the striker, who hit an effort from just inside of the box past the keeper but saw it come off the far post.

Joseph-Dubois tried to make contact with the ball while steaming in at pass but the winger’s attempt was palmed away by the recovering Bartlett.

The home side almost grabbed a deserved equaliser thanks to Millwall’s Goodman who sliced a cross from Finn towards his own goal.

Luckily for the defender Bartlett was quick enough to react, pulling off an impressive save.

Bromley continued to look for that illusive equaliser and McDonnell was again unlucky when he cleverly turned his marker and sent a shot for the top corner of the goal only for Bartlett to again pull off an impressive save, tipping the ball wide for a corner.

As the game entered into stoppage time there would be one last chance and it fell to the visitors.

Waldren was adjudged to have fouled Conor Wilkinson inside the box and strike partner Marquis stepped up chip the penalty home to wrap up a 2-0 success.

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Bromley: Welch, Ming, Patterson, Jones, Swaibu, Harwood, Joseph-Dubois, Waldren, Pacquette, Chaaban, Malcolm.

Millwall: Bartlett, Dunne, Hunter, Sammoutis, Goodman, De Havilland, O'Brien, Shitta, Marquis, Wilkinson, Batt.