Two cup ties at Hayes Lane, two penalty shootouts – but this time after something of a marathon series of spot kicks Fleet prevailed to make it to the Kent Senior Cup quarter-finals at Folkestone Invicta.

Shaq Coulthirst’s second goal in Fleet colours looked set to send the visitors through in the 90 minutes before Jack Cawley’s late free-kick against the 10-man reds sent the game to penalties. Of concern to the Fleet will be an injury to substitute Alfie Egan who was on the field for barely 10 minutes before he departed and he left the pitch on crutches.

For Dennis Kutrieb’s first experience of the county cup, and Fleet’s first match in the competition for two years, the manager was able to name a strong side, far removed from the string of youth players that has graced the stage in recent seasons in the Kent Senior Cup.

On a windy night, with evidence of Storm Eunice having taken down a series of fence panels along Bromley’s terrace, the early drama saw Will Wood sustain a cut forehead and he played the first half with a bandage wrapped around the wound.

Bromley were swift to attack but were caught offside on a couple of occasions before Lee Martin supplied birthday boy Elliott Romain with a low cross and opportunity on goal. Finney, on the left of the back three, got a couple of important blocks in as the lively Soul Kader tried his luck.

Martin and Romain combined again on 25 minutes, the skipper’s searching cross sitting up for Romain who climbed well but headed wide.

Haigh made a good save from Rhys Wyborn before his side took the lead on 28 minutes. Good work from Jack Paxman to pull the Bromley defence out of position allowed Coulthirst a strong run into the box and surrounded by white shirts, he arrowed a good finish across goal and into the bottom corner.

Finney was again on hand to mop up another Bromley attack, followed by another excellent push away by Haigh as a shot crashed in on target. And the half ended with Romain getting space down the right to break and supply Martin, whose hefty shot deflected off Palace Francis for a corner.

Fleet made two changes at half-time, Michael West and Ashley Nathaniel-George replacing Coulthirst and the wounded Wood. Bromley fashioned a couple of good chances, notably 10 minutes in when Kellen Fisher whipped in an excellent ball at speed and Kader’s reaction effort planed the ball wide of Haigh’s post.

Adam Mekki, on his return to Hayes Lane, claimed a penalty three minutes later when he suggested his shot had cannoned off a Bromley hand in the box before Martin thundered a great effort on target that Balcombe did well to push over the bar.

Francis’s run just past the hour mark resulted in a looping header from Kader that might have caught the wind and surprised Haigh before flying wide before Fleet introduced – and then lost – Egan, playing with 10 men for the final 15 minutes.

A free-kick five minutes from time gave Bromley one last chance to take the game beyond 90 minutes and they did just that, former Concord striker Jack Cawley bending his shot out of Haigh’s reach. There was a flurry of activity in the final few minutes, Sefa Kahraman getting power on a lob from 35 minutes that Balcombe was pleased to tip over.

West then got behind the Bromley defence only to see his opportunity disappear as Balcombe saved at his feet while at the other end, the hosts saw a goal chalked off with an early flag and whistle for offside.

That took things to penalties, with Martin opening the session by firing his over the bar. Haigh saved Francis’s kick only for the assistant referee to decide to involve himself, claiming the Fleet goalkeeper had come off his line too early… and Francis buried the subsequent retaken penalty.

The same situation occurred when Kahraman missed and then was given the chance to retake his penalty, which like Francis he duly scored.

One further Bromley miss took the game to sudden death and with Fleet scoring all their remaining penalties – Mekki, Paxman, Nathaniel-George, Jombati, Kahraman, Monlouis and West – it came down to a battle of goalkeepers. Bromley stopper Balcombe took his side’s final penalty, which Haigh duly saved to send his side through.

EUFC: Haigh, Finney (Egan 67), Kahraman, Jombati, Monlouis, Paxman, Wood (Nathaniel George 46), Mekki, L.Martin, Romain, Coulthirst (West 46). Subs: Poleon, Firth
BFC: Balcombe, Fisher, Wyborn, Newth, Margetson, Cawley, Karuhaus, Sablier, Kader, Obembe (Missoum 83), Francis. Subs: German, Tofan, Ajose, Adaja
Attendance: tbc