Bromley 0-2 Basingstoke Town

COMPLACENT Bromley thought it was a case of just turning up on Saturday and the points would be theirs against Basingstoke Town at Hayes Lane.

How wrong they were as the visitors, without a previous League win since January 19 and propping up the table, recorded an easy 2-0 victory.

After last week’s euphoria following the win against Chelmsford City, it was normal service resumed.

Bromley were devoid of any game plan, lacked the work rate necessary in this league and simply had no idea as to how to raise their game when things were not going their way.

The Lillywhites started brightly enough with Donal O’Sullivan heading wide from Moses Swaibu’s cross after five minutes, before Basingstoke struggled to clear their lines from a tantalising cross by Ijah Anderson.

As the half progressed the visitors improved and, with their first attack, they opened the scoring on 26 minutes.

Mitchell Bryant fastened onto a defence-splitting pass by Reading loanee Tom Hartley down the right before going on to beat Gareth Williams with a low shot across the face of the goal and into the far corner of the net.

They doubled their lead three minutes later when a Matt Warner cross from the left wing met Ross Montague, who rose completely unmarked to flick a header inside of the near post from 10-yards.

Bromley completely lost their way for the remainder of the half, although Jerome Sobers headed wide from a corner and Loui Fazakerley went on a 40-yard run before shooting over the crossbar as half-time approached.

But that was it as far as goalmouth action went in the opening period for the home side.

In an act of desperation to salvage something from the game, Bromley made all three substitutions before the start of the second half.

And although there was a very slight improvement, Bromley lacked the punch in front of goal and a number of chances were wasted.

Luke I’Anson and Fazakerley combined well to set up Warren McBean, but goalkeeper Ross Kitteridge dived to his right to make the save, before McBean should have done better when he headed wide of an open goal from Fazakerley’s cross.

I’Anson made a chance for himself after 63 minutes but fired over from the edge of the area, while at the other end, Jerome Maledon juggled his way into the area before his final touch let him down.

Debutant and substitute Ashley-Paul Robinson tried his luck from 30-yards with a low hard shot which Kitteridge held low down, and McBean fired a weak shot straight at the goalkeeper following a mazy run which took him around four defenders.

Robinson blasted a free kick from the edge of the area high and wide, which just about summed up Bromley’s performance as they sunk to their third home league defeat of the season and the fourth in all competitions.

Bromley: Williams, Clark, Anderson (McBean 46), Manuella, Sobers, Gillman, Corneille, I’Anson, Fazakerley, O’Sullivan (Robinson 46), Swaibu (Joseph 46). Subs not used: Norval, Layiwola. Att: 467.