Bromley v Eastleigh
1ST TEAM MATCH REPORTS
Bromley v Eastleigh
SATURDAY 30th APRIL 2011
BLUE SQUARE BET SOUTH
A scrappy end of season fixture not assisted by a bumpy playing surface at Hayes Lane, despite being doused in water before the kick off, saw two excellent goals scored by Eastleigh in the first half that were totally out of character to the game.
Jamie Slabber returned to his normal number nine shirt with Jamie Brown missing through injury, whilst Ian Herring took a midfield berth at Danny Smith's expense and Peter Adeniyi returned to the side at his former club in place of Richard Gillespie, though Adeniyi fulfilling his normal midfield duties.
Both teams struggled to adapt to the conditions, the home side's Charlie Ide trying to prize his way through the Eastleigh defence. There had been a few half chance but final touches prevented either goalkeeper being tested early on. The first opening did not arrive until twenty minutes had been played. That saw a shot from the edge of the area by Tony Finn saved by Gareth Barfoot.
On twenty three minutes, Ide's pass in behind Luke Byles, allowed the pacy full back, Harrison Dunk, to run through on goal, his shot being parried by Barfoot; the ball then being scrambled clear by the Eastleigh defence. Bromley were just about edging the game on chances at this stage, ex-Eastleigh striker, Warren McBean, having a header blocked, then David Graves' overhead kick going over the bar.
Adeniyi tried his luck with a shot on thirty seven minutes which was off target but two minutes later ADENIYI was the hero as he saw his half volley from thirty yards fly into the top of the net, past the outstretched Craig Holloway in the Bromley goal.
Slabber shot just wide a minute later before Adeniyi's midfield partner ANTHONY RIVIERE, scored the second goal of the afternoon. Some ten yards further from goal than Adeniyi's strike, Riviere noticed Holloway a long way off his goal line then sublimely lofted the ball over the stranded goalkeeper into the net.
HALF TIME: Bromley 0 Eastleigh 2
Bromley looked to gain their way back into the game at the start of the second period. McBean could not get enough power on a shot to beat Barfoot, then Ide was in behind the Eastleigh defence but Barfoot saved his shot, both efforts occuring in the opening three minutes of the period.
On fifty five minutes Shaun McAuley, having only been on the pitch four minutes as a substitute, collected a pass from Tony Taggart sped past the rooted defender but could not find enough composure to finish his move firing wide of the target. On sixty-seven minutes Taggart saw a low drive saved at the foot of his post by Holloway.
The game just drifted away to end of season obscurity. The home side, looking forward to a Kent Senior Cup Final engagement against Dartford on Monday, almost notched a goal in the final minute, with McBean turning a corner from Harry Harding wide, but overall Eastleigh were deserved of their victory and took the applause from the large travelling Eastleigh crowd to pull the curtain down on the playing side of the club for 2010/11.
FULL TIME: Bromley 0 Eastleigh 2
RAY MURPHY
