Bromley stunned Ipswich 5-4 on penalties to reach the second round of 2025-25 Carabao Cup, after a 1-1 draw at Copperjax Community Stadium.
Misses from George Hirst and Ashley Charles sent the shootout to sudden death before Ali Al-Hamadi’s penalty for Ipswich was saved, which allowed Marcus Ifill to net Bromley’s winner to secure a first second-round appearance in this competition for the Ravens.
Deji Elerewe headed Bromley ahead at half-time from a 45th-minute corner flicked on by Omar Sowunmi, before Ben Johnson netted a 53rd-minute equaliser on the rebound for Ipswich from Conor Chaplin’s shot deflected off the crossbar.
Bromley will discover their second-round opposition in the draw tomorrow (13 August) at circa 7:20pm BST live on Sky Sports Football in the UK.
Bromley’s goalkeeping hero, Sam Long post-match revealed to Sky Sports that the Ravens were confident that they could cause a cupset from analysing Ipswich in pre-match preparations.
“We’re delighted – we believed from the start after watching their clips we could do this.
“The penalty saves were a bonus – I’m just happy to help out the lads and they put away their penalties well.
“These are the moments you live for and there’s more to come – I can’t wait to see who we get in the next round now.”
Despite 45 places between Bromley and Ipswich in the football pyramid, Andy Woodman’s Ravens flew out of the traps with two early corners, which Elerewe eventually headed over from a rebound cross whipped in by Ifill.
Ipswich responded immediately to that early threat with a quick break up the left but Leif Davis’ low cutback cross was scruffed wide by Chiedozie Ogbene.
Bromley’s defence however underwent a switch from three to a four-man back line which proved difficult for Ipswich to break down, as Jack Clarke saw two shots blocked in the 14th minute.
Sowunmi meanwhile made two crucial 26th-minute blocks as he denied Ali Al-Hamadi with a well-timed tackle, before he then blocked the latter’s cutback pass to Clarke before the Ipswich winger saw a 36th-minute shot saved by Sam Long.
Ipswich eventually paid for their wasted chances after Ben Krauhaus’ 44th-minute shot was deflected behind for a corner, from which Sowunmi flicked on for Elerewe to nod in from close range to put the Ravens ahead at half-time barely a minute later.
Both teams made tactical substitutions at half time but Ipswich’s decision to introduce Johnson proved shrewd as Ogbene teed up Chaplin, who flicked the pass up for him to latch forward onto but deflected his shot off the cross which Johnson buried on the rebound to equalise.
Bromley however posed a massive counter-attack threat as Dinanga twice saw shots denied, including a 59th-minute effort which Christian Walton crucially blocked after the 27-year-old had met Michael Cheek’s forward pass on a swift breakaway attack.
Johnson meanwhile continued to pose Ipswich’s biggest threat to Bromley’s stubborn defence as he forced a 65th-minute save from Sam Long, before he curled over just four minutes later as the game became end-to-end in the closing stages.
Chaplin almost completed Ipswich’s comeback with a 87th-minute header from Johnson before Long denied substitute, Sammie Szmodics moments later.
Johnson nearly set up a 94th-minute winner with a cross to Al-Hamadi but the Iraq international flicked his shot wide of the near right corner, before Ifill fired wide up the other end on a last-gasp counter-attack for the hosts.
Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys ultimately were forced to settle for another penalty shootout – having lost to AFC Wimbledon in last season’s second round, with the Dons having ironically won at Bromley in the first round to set up that tie.
Hirst stepped up first for Ipswich in the shootout but Long saved his shot towards the bottom left, which allowed Cheek to put Bromley ahead with a strike into the top left corner.
Szmodics equalised for Ipswich as Charles’ penalty was saved by Walton before Johnson, Jude Arthurs, Ashley Young, Idris Odutayo, Chaplin and Mitch Pinnock converted their shots to send the tie to sudden death.
Ex Bromley loanee, Al-Hamadi saw Ipswich’s sixth penalty saved by Long as he targeted the bottom right corner, which allowed Ifill to go the opposite way to fire the hosts into the second round for the first time in their history.
What’s Next?
Bromley return their focus to League Two with their third home game in the space of a week on Saturday 16 August, as they host Fleetwood Town in a 3pm BST kick-off.
Ipswich will return to Championship action on Sunday 17 August at 12pm as they host Southampton at Portman Road.
Teams
Bromley: Sam Long, Idris Odutayo, Deji Elerewe, Omar Sowunmi, Marcus Ifill, Ben Thompson (Hondermarck 46′), Jude Arthurs, Mitch Pinnock, Ben Krauhaus (Charles 77′), Nicke Kabamba (Cheek 46′), Marcus Dinanga (Kader 68′)
Substitutes: Ashley Charles, Michael Cheek, Sam German, Will Hondermarck, Brooklyn Ilunga, Soul Kader, Grant Smith, Alex Stepien-Iwumene, Freddie Taylor
Ipswich: Christian Walton, Ashley Young, Luke Woolfenden, Cedric Kipre (Greaves 88′), Leif Davis (Johnson 46′), Finley Barbrook (Taylor 71′), Cameron Humphreys, Chiedozie Ogbene (Hirst 71′), Conor Chaplin, Jack Clarke (Szmodics 70′), Ali Al Hamadi
Substitutes: Leon Ayinde, David Button, Jacob Greaves, George Hirst, Ben Johnson, Dara O’Shea, Alex Palmer, Sammie Szmodics, Jack Taylor
Referee – Matthew Russell
Leave a Reply