FA CUP: Bromley 2 Sutton 1

FA Cup Third Qualifying Round replay
Bromley 2 - Taiwo 42, Arkwright 45
Sutton United 1 - Fear 15

The suspicion that Bromley's best chance of causing an FA Cup upset had gone when they failed to take the chances late in the first game against ten men on Saturday proved unfounded at Hayes Lane in Wednesday's replay, as they again came from behind and ended Sutton's hopes of improving their recent poor run in the competition.

It is the first time since the infamous defeat at Yeading in 1986 that U's have gone out to a side from a lower level, but they were made to pay for the way they allowed Bromley off the ropes on Saturday, and again surrendered the initiative they had gained in the first 40 minutes on Wednesday.

U's attack was boosted by the return of Glenn Boosey, who gave the Bromley defence problems they hadn't encountered on Saturday and played a major part in the goal that saw U's lead in the 15th minute. Andrew Martin had already curled a shot just wide when Boosey took the defence on with a determined run that ended with a pass to Martin, who was tripped on the edge of the penalty area. Matt Gray's free kick was blocked by Leroy Huggins, who was booked for encroaching, and Peter Fear curled the retake delightfully over the 'wall' and in to the net.

Boosey almost added a second with a fierce right foot shot that was beaten away by Andy Walker, and it wasn't until over a quarter of the game had gone that Bromley posed their first threat, Sam Okafor bursting through on to a Colin Luckett pass but shooting over as Phil Wilson came out quickly.

That heralded a passage of end-to-end play, with Fear hitting a low 20 yard shot that Walker clung on to at the second attempt, and Wilson then turning the ball over the bar when Gary Drewett met a deep cross with a shot from a tight angle. Walker made two more good saves, one to spare Luckett the embarrassment of an own goal when a superb Boosey cross bounced off his head, and then to keep out Boosey's far post header after Gray had completed a fine counter attack with a deep cross.

If not having quite the control that they had had at the same stage of Saturday's game, U's were still good value for the lead, but as on Saturday the spell before half time proved costly. They were unlucky with the equaliser, as they should have had a corner when Walker dived at Scott Corbett's feet, but a goal kick was awarded from which Bromley launched an attack and won a corner of their own. To make matters worse, Corbett was receiving treatment after being injured in the clash, and when Tony Quinton headed the corner clear Solomon Taiwo, preferred to Matt Kember in the Bromley starting line-up, hit a low shot from 25 yards that took a heavy deflection off Lewis Gonsalves to leave Wilson stranded.

Worse followed on the stroke of half time as Fear was booked for failing to give the ball back when Bromley were awarded a free kick, and John Sacrborough, under little pressure, then headed the free kick out for a corner that was bundled in by former U's centre back Danny Arkwright to give Bromley the lead.

Corbett was booked for dissent before the restart, and failed to appear for a second half in which Wilson was a spectator for long periods. U's couldn't take the chances when they came, however, with Craig Watkins missing the best eight minutes into the second half when a Boosey shot deflected in to his path, but his close range shot was pushed wide by Walker. Boosey then sent a first time effort just too high after Eddie Akuamoah had laid a lovely crossfield pass from substitute Paul Honey in to his path, but despite having a large amount of possession U's couldn't find a way through.

They almost equalised in freakish fashion when what seemed a fairly aimless long cross in from Boosey almost crept under the bar, Walker just managing to scramble it over the bar, and Fear's flick from a low Gary corner was cleared off the line by Steve Potterill. Bromley's desperation to slow the game down led to a booking for Walker for taking too long over a free kick, with Martin's comments also punished with a yellow card, but the home keeper was otherwise having a fine evening and ensured his team's place in the next round three minutes from time when he kept out a Scarborough header down by the post after a free kick had bounced around the penalty area.

Bromley: A Walker, S Potterill, S Okafor, S Taiwo, C Luckett, D Arkwright, G Drewett, G Rose, L Huggins, M Watson(sub A Suleymanoglu 73), S Bennetts.
Subs not used: C Hill, T Henriques, M Kember, H Hunter
Booked: Huggins (15 - encroaching at free kick), Bennetts (64 - foul), Walker (80 - time wasting)

Sutton: P Wilson, M Gray, E Akuamoah , S Corbett(sub P Honey H-T), J Scarborough, G Boosey , P Fear, T Quinton, C Watkins(sub N Brake 76), A Martin, L Gonsalves
Subs not used: S Booth, E Arkali
Booked: Fear (45 - delaying a Bromley free kick), Corbett (45 - dissent), Martin (80 - dissent)

Referee: C Salt

Attendance: 487