Bromley 3 Dover Athletic 0 FA Cup match report
Published: 21:41, 17 October 2017
Dover missed out on a first-round trip to Rochdale in the FA Cup after losing their fourth qualifying round replay at Bromley on Tuesday night.
Second-half goals in the space of three minutes from Josh Rees and impressive ex-Dover man Adam Mekki did the damage before substitute Louis Dennis netted in stoppage time.
It means Neil Smith's Bromley now travel to Rochdale - who needed a replay to see off Maidstone in last season's competition.
After Saturday's goalless draw, both sets of fans no doubt arrived expecting another tight, cagey affair - and they were not disappointed in the first 45 minutes.
Dover created the best early openings. Mitch Pinnock fired over inside seven minutes after a fine pass through by Connor Essam and then Mitch Brundle volleyed over a right-wing Kadell Daniel cross.
Bromley responded with Luke Wanadio lobbing keeper Mitch Walker but sending his effort well over the bar.
Dover had penalty appeals turned down midway through the first half when Josh Passley went down in the box but referee Gary Parsons was not impressed.
Bromley then enjoyed a good period of possession, without creating any clear-cut chances. For all their movement and attempts to get behind the Dover defence, the visitors stayed strong and Walker got through to half-time without having to make a serious save.
Passley was booked just before half-time for a foul on Mekki as he shaped to shoot from distance but Frankie Raymond's free-kick summed up the half as it was deflected wide for a corner.
Dover lost Giancarlo Gallifuoco to concussion on the stroke of half-time and he was replaced by Loui Fazakerley at the start of the second half. Dover also replaced Passley with Kane Richards.
It was Whites who started the second half brightly, Pinnock driving just wide from 20 yards.
But Bromley were never on the backfoot for too long and it was the hosts who found the breakthrough with 20 minutes left.
Moments after Ryan Bird hacked clear Hollands' header from a corner, it was another corner that did the damage.
Raymond's delivery was not cleared and the ball was turned in at the far post by Rees.
It was virtually game over three minutes later when Bromley added a classy second goal.
Holland led the counter attack and, having got the better of Fazakerley, fed Mekki, who showed great presence of mind to cut inside Manny Parry and then fire into the roof of the net.
Bromley rounded off the scoring two minutes into stoppage time when substitute Louis Dennis created space on the edge of the box with a neat one-two before delivering a crisp finish beyond Walker.
Bromley: Gregory, Dunne (Wynter 85mins), Rees, Holland, Raymond, Mekki, Higgs, D Johnson, Sterling, Wanadio (Allen 90mins), R Johnson (Dennis 75mins). Subs not used: Tulian, Allen, Enver, Anderson, Baskerville.
Dover: Walker, Passley (Richards 46mins), Ilesanmi, Gallifuoco (Fazakerley 46mins), Parry, Essam, Brundle, Pinnock, Bird, Nortey (Deen-Conteh 84mins), Daniel. Subs not used: Allen, Adebowale, Okosieme, Lewington.
Attendance: 828 (111 away).
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Matthew Panting