Bromley remained six points clear at the top of League Two after a 2-2 draw against Crewe Alexandra at the Copperjax Community Stadium.
Mickey Demetriou rescued Crewe a late point through his 94th-minute headed equaliser from Lewis Billington’s cross.
Corey Whitely had fired Bromley ahead through his 31st-minute finish from his interception of Max Sanders, before Alfie Pond headed Crewe level from Reece Hutchinson’s 54th-minute cross.
Ben Thompson restored Bromley’s lead from Will Hondermarck’s pass on a swift counter-attack started deep within their own half.
Bromley’s lead at the summit remained at six points as MK Dons moved up to second with a 1-0 victory at home to Bristol Rovers, as Salford stuttered to a late 1-0 defeat at home to Chesterfield to slip to third.
Crewe slipped to 12th in the table after Barnet defeated Tranmere 1-0 at The Hive to leapfrog the Railway Men up to 11th position.
Now unbeaten in their last nine matches, Bromley began the match on the front foot and almost took a 14th-minute lead after a series of recycled deliveries fell back to Mitch Pinnock, from which he found Michael Cheek at the far right post to nod on goal but Ian Lawlor saved the attempt.
Lawlor again blocked Cheek’s header four minutes later to keep Crewe in the game as the North-West visitors struggled to create any real quality chances, aside from a scruffy 30th-minute shot from Josh March which Grant Smith safely blocked.
Crewe though had spent much of the opening half hour trying to play out from the back and that tactic proved their undoing just a minute after March’s chance, as Sanders found himself dispossessed by Whitely who raced forward to put in Bromley’s opener – and his first goal of the season – via Lawlor’s deflection.
Bromley subsequently protected their lead until half time as Crewe continued to lack a proper clinical spark aside from Tommi O’Reilly, as the midfielder attempted to equalise from a 42nd-minute long-range shot but Grant Smith was alert to make the save.
Crewe however came back out for the second half in a vibrant mood and swiftly pinned Bromley back into their own half, until Hutchinson whipped in a 54th-minute cross that was headed into the right corner by Wolves loanee, Pond to restore parity.
Bromley Head Coach – Andy Woodman swiftly responded with a double substitution as Whitely and Jude Arthurs were hooked for Brooklyn Ilunga and Will Hondermarck, but Crewe remained unfazed as Pond smashed a 63rd-minute shot over the bar.
Woodman in response made another double substitution as Cheek and Ben Krauhaus were substituted for Nicke Kabamba and Ben Thompson, of which the latter almost restored Bromley’s lead from Hondermarck’s pass yet his 68th-minute shot flew just over the top-left corner.
Thompson however atoned just two minutes later after an interception in their own right defensive corner unleashed Hondermarck up the pitch on a rapid counter-attack, which saw the 25-year-old tee up Thompson on his right to rifle low into left corner to put the hosts back in front.
There however was a flash point in the 75th minute after March and Sowunmi collided which Crewe’s players petulantly used to try and rile Bromley’s players up, yet both March and Sowunmi were eventually booked as was Woodman for his complaint about Crewe’s petulant behaviour.
Sowunmi eventually survived further riling from Crewe before he was substituted with a knock in the 82nd minute, with Carl Jenkinson brought on for his first senior appearance of the season after he had suffered a hip injury during pre-season.
Woodman’s Ravens looked set to cling on to victory until Demetriou headed in Billington’s cross to the left post to snatch a vital point for Crewe, despite Thompson having been controversially kept off the pitch due to a knock longer than was necessary.
Bromley’s unbeaten home form in the league nevertheless extended to 17 matches, whilst their current overall form extended to 10 matches without defeat as their promotion rivals continued to trip up over each other.
What’s Next?
Bromley turn their attention to the matter of local pride in their next league match on Saturday 31 January, as they visit Gillingham in a Kent Derby at Priestfield Stadium in a 3pm GMT kick-off.
Crewe host fellow play-off chaser, Colchester at Gresty Road at the same time on the above date.
Teams
Bromley: Grant Smith, Lakyle Samuel, Omar Sowunmi (Jenkinson 82′), Kyle Cameron, Idris Odutayo, Jude Arthurs (Hondermarck 56′), Ashley Charles, Corey Whitely (Ilunga 55′), Ben Krauhaus (Thompson 64′), Mitch Pinnock, Michael Cheek (Kabamba 65′)
Substitutes: Damola Ajayi, Will Hondermarck, Brooklyn Illunga, Carl Jenkinson, Nicke Kabamba, Sam Long, Ben Thompson
Crewe Alexandra: Ian Lawlor, Lewis Billington, Alfie Pond, James Connolly, Reece Hutchinson, Max Sanders, Jack Powell, Tommi O’Reilly (Lunt 97′), Matus Holicek (Demetriou 87′), Calum Agius (Thibaut 81′), Josh March
Substitutes: Tom Booth, Mickey Demetriou, Charlie Finney, Owen Lunt, Luca Moore, Louis Moult, Adrien Thibaut
Referee – Aaron Farmer
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