Deji Elerewe’s goal just before half-time has given Bromley a 1-0 lead over the Blues at the break in the Carabao Cup at Hayes Lane.
Town made eight changes from the team which drew 1-1 at Birmingham on Friday with Ashley Young making his full Blues debut and Cedric Kipre and Fin Barbrook their debuts for the club, while Omari Hutchinson, Chuba Akpom, Jens Cajuste and Nathan Broadhead were among those absent from the squad.
Christian Walton was in goal with Young at right-back and Leif Davis one of the three to survive from Friday’s opener at Birmingham at left-back.
Kipre was on the left of the centre of defence alongside one-time Ravens loanee Luke Woolfenden, behind a young central midfield pairing of Cameron Humphreys and Barbrook, making his competitive bow having impressed during pre-season.
Conor Chaplin skippered as the number 10 with Jack Clarke and Chieo Ogbene keeping their places either side of him. Ali Al-Hamadi, another ex-Bromley loanee, was the number nine.
Among the subs, alongside rested senior players, was young Irish forward Leon Ayinde as well as two keepers, Alex Palmer and David Button.
Recent signings Cajuste and Akpom weren’t involved, while Hutchinson, a target of Brentford and Nottingham Forest but who has had a throat infection, and Broadhead, the subject of interest from Wrexham, were also not in the squad, along with summer signing Azor Matusiwa, who made his debut at St Andrew’s.
Bromley made seven changes from the team which beat Barnet 2-0 at Hayes Lane at the weekend with striker Michael Cheek, last season’s League Two Golden Boot winner, dropping to the bench. Ex-academy defender Omar Sowunmi started.
The home side should have scored in the second minute. From the second of two corners, the ball was looped back into the box from the right by Marcus Ifill and Elerewe headed over when he should have scored.
From the goal-kick, Town also should have taken the lead, Davis cutting back from the left of the box and Ogbene completely missing his kick at the back post and the ball scuffing well wide.
On 12, Ogbene battled his way around the outside of Elerewe on the right inside the area but the ball was stabbed away from the Irish international before he could find a teammate. Moments later, there was a minute’s applause from both sets of supporters for Don White, a fan of both clubs and a TWTD poster, who died recently.
Four minutes afterwards, Chaplin played in Al-Hamadi with the linesman’s flag surprisingly staying down but Sowunmi, who played alongside the Iraq striker at Bromley in his previous spell at the club, got a toe in to dispossess him.
Town, who had been scruffy for the most part, almost went in front again on 26, Chaplin playing a clever cross-field pass forward for Al-Hamadi in front of Sowumni. The striker rode the ex-Blues youngster’s challenge and took the ball into the area but was forced wide by keeper Sam Long. Stroking home right-footed still seemed possible, however, Al-Hamadi laid back to Clarke, whose shot was blocked by Sowumni.
Soon after the half hour, Davis lost possession on the left but Ifill overhit a pass through for Nicke Kabamba when a decent ball would have seen the former Barnet man in one-on-one with Walton.
In the 33rd minute, Davis crossed deep from the right following a corner and Young volleyed over from a tight angle at the far post.
Two minutes later, Clarke brought the ball across the edge of the area but scraped his low shot through to Long.
Soon after, Chaplin looped a scuffed effort over with his back to goal from the 18-yard line, then on 37 Davis similarly mishit well wide from the edge.
Town put together their best move of the half two minutes from the scheduled end, Clarke playing in Davis on the left and the full-back cut back to Chaplin on the edge of the area but the skipper shot just over.
Bromley were next to threaten, Ben Krauhaus’s shot deflecting over from the edge of the box. And from the resultant corner, the Ravens went in front.
Walton came for Ifill’s deep ball from the left but failed to get there and Sowunmi nodded back for Elerewe, who made amends for his earlier miss by heading into the roof of the net to give the home side the lead.
The half-time whistle went soon afterwards to applause and cheers from the Hayes Lane crowd, delighted to see their side in the lead at the break.
Town had been lacklustre for the most part with the ball given away too easily too often, nevertheless, they had created one or two openings with Ogbene and Al-Hamadi spurning decent opportunities and Chaplin going close just before the Bromley goal, the home side also having had their early chance.
The Blues will need to improve against a stubborn Ravens side, who are still to concede this season, in the second half if they’re to avoid an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit.
Bromley: Long, Elerewe, Sowunmi, Krauhaus, Thompson, Pinnock, Kabamba, Arthurs (c), Ifill, Dinanga, Odutayo. Subs: Smith, Charles, Cheek, Hondermarck, Kader, German, Ilunga, Iwumene, Taylor.
Town: Walton, Young, Woolfenden, Kipre, Davis, Barbrook, Humphreys, Ogbene, Chaplin (c), J Clarke, Al-Hamadi. Subs: Palmer, Button, Johnson, O’Shea, Greaves, Taylor, Ayinde, Szmodics, Hirst. Referee: Michael Russell (Portsmouth).