Beavers beaten by late goal

Hampton & Richmond 1 Bromley 2

Mike Jones’ injury-time header sent Hampton and Richmond’s new-look side tumbling to an opening-day defeat.

Charlie Moone equalised for the Beavers after Bromley had taken a first-half lead, but Jones’ last-gasp header denied Mark Harper’s men a point.

Only three of Borough’s starting 11 were at the club last season, and it showed in the first half with Bromley bossing the game.

Winger Orlando Smith blazed wide from six yards and then forced Hampton keeper Rodney Chiweshe to tip over from a tight angle.

Hampton’s first effort on goal came after 28 minutes, when a Paul Johnson free-kick from the edge of the area grazed the bar.

However, Bromley were always the more likely to break the deadlock and on 40 minutes, Smith cut inside left-back Callum Stewart, and his ball into the six-yard box ended up in the net.

The assistant referee flagged for offside, believing Hakeem Araba had got the final touch. But after lengthy consultation the referee decided that he had not, and the goal was awarded to Smith.

The Beavers started the second half brightly but where forced to reshuffle after centre-back Billy Jeffries went off with suspected concussion.

That seemed to spark the home side into life, and substitute Dave Tarpey missed a chance to level when he skewed wide.  

Against the run of play, Marlon Patterson nearly doubled Bromley’s lead with a curling 30 yard free-kick that rattled the inside of the post.

Borough’s resurgence was rewarded on 73 minutes, when a neat passing move ended with new signing Jacob Erskine laying the ball back for striker Moone, whose low shot from the edge of the area found the net.

Hampton then nearly went ahead when Tarpey fired inches wide of the far post after a neat one-two with Moone.

But in the second minute of injury time, Jones got his head to a deep cross to give the Kent side an undeserved victory.