Report: Bromley 1-0 Worcester City - FA Cup 4th Qual Rd

CUP KING: Richard Pacquette
fires the winner for Bromley

IF anyone needed evidence that playing the beautiful game beautifully does not always win football matches, ten man Bromley’s FA Cup victory over Worcester City provided it.

Mark Goldberg’s team may not have passed the ball around with the finesse of their visitors, but essentially, there was purpose about their play in the final third. In the end, Bromley created much the better openings and deserved their place in the First Round for the fourth time in seven years.

Despite playing the last 15 minutes a man down following Moses Swaibu’s second yellow card, the hosts were still dangerous on the break and it came as no surprise when Richard Pacquette bundled home the last ditch winner.

Crestfallen Worcester players dropped to their knees as Bromley celebrated the winner. There was as much a sense of disbelief as gut wrenching disappointment.

But for all of the crisp passing and good possession, everything City did was in front of a stoic Bromley rearguard. Their performance lacked a dynamic edge where it mattered with key players Greg Mills and Danny Glover not involving themselves enough.

Worcester had more than enough about them to win this game, yet it had slipped from their grasp, and as frustrated City boss Carl Heeley booted a ball of the ground at full time it was clear he knew it.

It had started so well for the visitors with Tom Thorley going close with a free kick and Mills driving a fierce shot at home ‘keeper Joe Welch in the opening ten minutes.

Worcester were generally dominating, but Bromley soaked up the pressure and hit the channels early with the pace of Pierre Joseph-Dubios and Elliott Buchanan complimenting Pacquette’s physical presence up front.

Mike Jones’ jinking run set Pacquette away to drill a shot at Glyn Thompson’s legs before Buchanan missed the chance of the first half, scuffing well wide on the half volley from Sanchez Ming’s low centre.

Ming time and again exploited a weakness in City’s system, finding space down the right as Mills switched flanks leaving left back Ellis Deeney hopelessly exposed.

At the start of the second half, captain Ali Fuseini drove narrowly over from 25 yards after good work down the right by Buchanan, who headed Ming’s cross wide when well placed two minutes later.

Bromley’s pressure was relentless until the hour mark with a sitter falling to Danny Waldren but he sidefooted wide from Ming’s centre from ten yards with the goal at his mercy.  

The match calmed down as the visitors gained control, but there were no real openings for the visitors, even after Swaibu’s second yellow card ended up stretching the game.

The former Lincoln City defender mistimed a tackle from behind on substitute Danny Edwards leaving referee Craig Hicks little option, even if his first booking had been harsh.

Ming, however, was still providing an outball for the hosts while Jeromme Sobers, who came on to fill Swaibu’s void at centre half, coped manfully with City’s pressure.  

And Bromley saved the best for last with Ming’s 90^th minute cross half cleared as far as Fuseini who drilled the ball back across goal for Pacquette to slide in and grab the winner, sending the home crowd into raptures.

The hosts may be especially grateful to they scored when they did, as the goal finally jolted City’s misfiring attack into life with Glover seeing a shot deflected wide by Waldren before spurning their best chance with the last kick of the game.

A crescendo of whistles rang around Hayes Lane as Thompson punted a long kick forward onto Glover’s head. His flick on fell kindly for City substitute Michael Taylor who stole a march down the left side of the penalty area, but his shot rolled agonisingly wide of the far post with Welch beaten and the whistle that mattered was blown, along with Worcester’s FA Cup dreams.

The better side may not have won this game, but no one can argue that Bromley do not deserve their trip to League Two Fleetwood. Fifteen battled hardened minutes with ten men has earned Bromley another fifteen minutes of fame.

*Post match reaction with Worcester City boss Carl Heeley can be found here and here.

BROMLEY: Welch, Ming, Patterson, Fuseini, Swaibu, Harwood, Waldren, Jones (Malcolm 58), Joseph-Dubois (Sobers 77), Pacquette, Buchanan (Finn 66).

Unused subs: Howard, Rhule, Boateng, Daly.

Goal: Pacquette 90.

WORCESTER CITY: Thompson, Weir, Deeney, Thorley, Whitehead, Rowe, Breeze, Elvins, Symons (Edwards 74), Glover, Mills (Taylor 88).

Unused subs: Birley, Ayres, Polan, Khan, Sargeant (g/k).

STAR MAN: Ali Fuseini (Bromley)

Had his shaky moments, but his constant voice and presence in midfield guided his team through the tough parts of this clash. Gave Bromley the platform to get forward when they did get the ball, pinged good passes into key areas and got forward at the right times, setting up the winner late on when other central midfielders would have sat back with ten men. A massive influence on the result.