Bromley 3-0 FC Halifax Town

The contest was in the mould of recent trips to Dover and Maidenhead, with The Shaymen setting-up to frustrate the opposition by sitting deep and putting men behind the ball.

And for 49 minutes, it worked, until Bromley struck three times - once through the excellent Louis Dennis and twice through Josh Rees - in a devastating nine minute spell, which Halifax were unable to prevent and to which they had no response.

Bromley were tentative in the first-half, but upped their game considerably and were too good for Halifax in the second-half on a day to forget for Billy Heath’s side.

Town started with the re-signed Shaun Tuton as a lone frontman, and with the intention of curbing the enthusiasm of a Bromley side that had won four of their last five games, and scored 12 goals in their last four.

Make that five wins in six and 15 goals in their last five.

Tuton, who had only scored once since leaving Halifax two years ago, cut an isolated figure at times, with Bromley creating the better and more frequent chances.

The hosts played some nice football at times, with some quick, neat passing and good movement and pace in attack.

Top-scorer Dennis’ looping header was brilliantly kept out by Sam Johnson’s grasping left-hand, before Luke Wanadio somehow contrived to poke Dennis’ cross wide from four yards out.

Omar Bugiel then miscued his shot after being sent clean through by a long punt forward.

Danny Clarke and the returning Michael Duckworth had come closest for Town with speculative efforts, but the potential of Tuton, Matty Kosylo, Jake Hibbs and Josh Macdonald in the final third hadn’t come to fruition.

It was a scrappy contest only briefly brought to life by the odd piece of incisive attacking play by the hosts; otherwise, both teams struggled to retain possession by either being muscled out of it or conceding it too cheaply.

Duckworth saw a superb long-range shot tipped away by David Gregory, before Rees skied a shot from six yards after a good run by Luke Wolfenden just before half-time, with a hard-working Town side a little fortunate to be level at the interval.

But that didn’t last long into the second-half as referee Gary Parsons awarded a debatable free-kick for Bromley on the corner of the Town box for an alleged trip by Duckworth, when the Bromley man appeared to slip.

And from Mekki’s vicious cross, Dennis headed in off the underside of the bar.

Then from a Bromley corner, Rees found the net from close range after a shot had come back off the post.

Mr Parsons provoked even more ire from The Shaymen by waving away their penalty appeal for an alleged trip on Tuton - awarding a goal kick when the choice was surely either a spot-kick or a booking for diving.

To rub salt in the wound, Rees was awarded his second and Bromley’s third when his shot, which hit the post after an initial effort had also struck the upright, was deemed to have crossed the line.

Whatever the right and, more likely, wrongs of all that, Town had still conceded three goals in nine minutes, which gave them no way back.

There was no let up after that either, with Johnson called upon to keep out Luke Wanadio three times, as well as Mekki and Bugiel, while Dennis’ chip floated just over. Had it not been for Johnson, the score could have been at least doubled.

Bromley: Gregory, Rees, Chorley, Holland, Raymond (Sutherland 73), Dennis, Mekki (Porter 80), Sterling, Wanadio, Woolfenden, Bugiel (Higgs 87). Subs not used: D Johnson, R Johnson.

Scorers: Dennis (50), Rees (54, 58)

Shots on target: 13

Shots off target: 13

Corners: 9

Halifax: Johnson, Duckworth, Garner, Brown, Wilde, Macdonald, Collins (Denton 55), Hibbs (Hotte 46), Clarke, Kosylo (McManus 63), Tuton. Subs not used: Nicholson, Moyo.

Shots on target: 3

Shots off target: 5

Corners: 3

Attendance: 1,524

Referee: Gary Parsons

Town man of the match: Sam Johnson