COURTNEY LATE SHOW DOWNS THE SPITFIRES
BROMLEY came from behind to rekindle their National League play-off prospects with Courtney Duffus scoring a late winner over Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium. The visitors had won only one of their previous five matches and hadn’t won at all in Stoneham Lane in ten years. And when they trailed to Tyrone Barnett’s 56th-minute goal, that Bromley sequence looked as though it might continue. But a Jack Holland header eight minutes later deservedly levelled it for Bromley, whose winner came four minutes from time. Even at that late stage, manager Neil Smith’s wasn’t entirely confident, especially after title-chasing Sutton United had come from behind and scored two late goals to beat them 3-2 in midweek. “We’ve let leads slip against Maidenhead and Sutton United lately, so we had to weather late pressure, but we managed it this time,” he smiled. “The boys are a resolute lot and were so determined to put right the wrongs of the past fortnight or so.” The win lifted Bromley to eighth place – and within a point and a place of the playoff places – but left the fading Spitfires nursing a second consecutive defeat. This after an unbeaten eight-match run had swept them into nosebleed playoff territory. Bromley may have left it late, but they ought to have been two-up inside 15 minutes. League top scorer Michael Cheek spurned a great chance of a 16th of the season when he pounced on a clearance, but with only Joe McDonnell to beat he lost his footing in the sandy goalmouth and miscued his shot at the goalkeeper. Five minutes later, the impressive Holland rose to meet
a free-kick at the far post, but was denied by an outstanding McDonnell fingertip save. Eastleigh, who rose to a highest ever fourth place during their purple patch, had posed little threat but ten minutes into the second half they took the lead with their first shot. Barnett got the goal at the back post – reward for his endeavours against powerful centre-backs Holland and Byron Webster – after a succession of crosses had gone across the box. The lead lasted eight minutes, with the stand-out Jack Bridge the architect behind the equaliser. The former Northampton Town and Carlisle United wideman jinked past the defenders on a mazy right-side run before Michael Green halted his progress with a yellow-carded challenge. Frankie Raymond’s free-kick picked out Holland at the far post – and left Spitfires boss Ben Strevens fuming about the way Eastleigh had failed to defend the set-piece. “It was a poor set play by us, terrible defending and a free header for their guy,” he moaned. Star man Bridge predictably set up Bromley’s late winner, cutting down the left and working the ball back from the byeline to Duffus, whose shot went in off the head of Green, who was standing immediately beneath the crossbar.