Bromley 2 Chelmsford City 0 (From Chelmsford Weekly News)

Bromley 2 Chelmsford City 0

11:13am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in Sport

CHELMSFORD manager Glenn Pennyfather admitted his Chelmsford City team weren't sufficiently competitive during the first half of their 2-0 Blue Square Bet South defeat at Kent side Bromley as a goal in each half from Louie Theophanous and Tony Finn saw the Lilywhites propel themselves up the league table.

City had the opportunity to climb to third position and apply extra pressure to the top two, but Theophanous' opener in the 11th minute set the tone and former Clarets midfielder Finn finished his old team off with a superb strike ten minutes from the end.

It was only the Clarets' third league defeat in a dozen games, but Glenn wasn't satisfied.

He said: "We deserved to be beaten, although it was frustrating to be undone by two set plays, which is unlike us.

"We weren't at the races in the first half - we didn't seem to get going and we were second best all over the park. In the second half things were better, and we had a lot of possession without really creating a lot.

"It was difficult to penetrate them and we were hit by a sucker punch at the end, albeit to a good strike."

Jack Ainsley made his debut for City at right-back in place of the injured Bradley Hamilton, and there was an early threat from the visitors as Aiden Palmer, again lining-up further forward in left midfield, went close from distance as his effort sailed just wide.

However, it was the hosts who took the lead. When ex-City winger Ishmael Welsh sent a corner into the box it was only partly cleared and Theophanous prodded home the loose ball.

New boy Ainsley was involved in the first reply for Chelmsford, playing a long through ball to new team mate Omer Riza on 19 minutes, but he could only find the side netting.

Shortly afterwards it was Rob Edmans' turn to play Palmer through, though his left-sided delivery was blocked by a defender before Riza could reach it.

The closest City would come during the first period was on the half-hour mark, David Rainford heading just over the crossbar on his 200th Clarets appearance.

However, Bromley forged their own decent openings on 33 and 45+2 minutes.

Firstly Ali Fuseini brought a fingertip save out of goalkeeper Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton then Pierre Joseph-Dubois rattled the inside of the post just seconds before the half time whistle.

City made three substitutions in a nine-minute spell from the 52nd minute onwards.

Striker Jamie Slabber, returning from suspension, came on for Edmans while Kyle Vassell - originally named in the starting eleven until traffic intervened - replaced Palmer. Max Cornhill also strained his hamstring, so David Bridges deputised in central midfield.

But the remaining three notable chances all fell to Bromley. On 67 minutes St Louis-Hamilton again proved the nemesis of Fuseini as he got in the way of his goalbound effort, diving to his left to push the ball away.

Within 90 seconds he saved again, this time from substitute Helge Orome. Yet he could do nothing about Finn's 80th-minute drive from the edge of the box after his control and powerful finish to wrap the game up at 2-0.

"Both the goals were avoidable," Glenn reflected. "We lost the flight of the ball in the air for their first.

"Then, for the second, we cleared it initially but then we weren't in position to defend the second phase - you've got to get out to the ball more quickly than that.

"We would normally have defended those better, so we've got things to work on for Saturday."