Bromley 2-2 Hendon (Hendon won 6-5 on penalties)

SAD, sad Bromley bowed out of another cup competition at the first time of asking on Saturday at Hayes Lane.

This time it was the London Senior Cup and it was the third occasion it has happened this season.

The game should have been over as a contest at half-time as Bromley missed chance after chance.

They were made to pay heavily as Hendon scored two goals in the final four minutes to force extra-time and then go through to the next round by winning the penalty shoot out.

Bromley completely dominated the first half and had four chances to open the scoring in the first two minutes.

And when Loui Fazakerley intercepted a clearance on 11 minutes to take the ball to the byline, it looked almost certain that Bromley would score as his cross was somehow knocked over the crossbar from two yards out by Warren McBean.

Hendon’s Brian Haule was right through six minutes later and with only goalkeeper Gareth Williams to beat, he rolled his shot past the post from a central position.

One minute later, Fazakerley showed him how it should be done as he fastened onto a through ball to slip under Hendon’s goalkeeper and give Bromley the lead.

Bromley should have increased their lead on 27 minutes when they were awarded a penalty.

Ashley-Paul Robinson let fly from 20-yards a vicious shot which Hendon’s custodian could not hold and as Fazakerley cottoned onto the loose ball, he was brought down from behind by Frank Wilson.

Unfortunately Fazakerley’s spot kick was a poor one and William Viner had no difficulty in making the save.

Karl Murray missed two good chances as half-time loomed.

Firstly, a firm header from Robinson’s cross was just too high and then his 30-yard volley was just the wrong side of the upright.

Hendon had posed little threat in the first period, but came out for the second in more determined fashion.

On 50 minutes, Williams failed to hold a Glen Garner shot at the foot of the post and it squirmed behind for a corner.

Then Haule fastened onto a long punt out of defence, twisted and turned his way into the area, only for Jerrome Sobers to save the day with a timely tackle.

Bromley were unlucky not to increase their lead on 73 minutes when a good move ended with Fazakerley crossing to Ryan Hall, who laid back to Murray, only for the goalkeeper to parry the midfielders firmly struck volley.

Williams did well to keep out a low shot from Haule on 75 minutes before Bromley went two goals ahead two minutes later.

Fazakerley’s shot rebounded back off the crossbar and Hall, coming in from the left , sent a first time volley into the roof of the net.

The turning point of the game came in the 80th minute when man of the match Rob Gillman was substituted for Theo Davis and with him went the heart of Bromley’s defensive system.

James Burgess had a blockbuster of a shot blocked by Sobers before the visitors reduced the arrears with a gift from Bromley when slack marking let in substitute James Bent for a low shot into the left hand corner of goal.

Worse was to follow as more poor defending allowed Hunt to snatch an undeserved equaliser in the first minute of time added on.

Hendon could have snatched victory right at the end when Lee O’Leary seized on a poor back pass to fire just wide of the post.

The visitors had the better of extra-time with Hunt being denied a shot at goal by a timely tackle from Mark Corneille and Charlie Mapes curling a shot just wide with Williams beaten.

But there were no more goals, so the tie had to be decided with penalty kicks which Bromley lost 6-5.

Bromley: Williams, Corneille, Everitt, Swaibu, Sobers, Gillman (Davis 80), Joseph (Man 74), Murray, Fazakerley, McBean, Robinson (Hall 67). Subs not used: Manuella, Norval. Att: 238.