Bromley ensure South London cycle of football life continues as they take over Sutton's league status

Vanarama National League Promotion Final

Bromley (1) 2 Cheek 41, pen 58

Solihull Moors (0) 2 Sbarra 48, Osborne 65

After Extra-Time: Bromley win 4-3 on pens

This is the day they will never forget.

A packed tier of 15,000 delirious Bromley fans could hardly believe it as skipper Byron Webster buried the final penalty in the shoot out to secure his and the Ravens' place in history.

League Two football is on the way to Hayes Lane for the first time.

Players and supporters alike will party long into the night and already start drooling over the fixture list to come.

Bromley were undone by Chesterfield in last year's National League playoff semi-finals. This time, the glory was theirs.

The Ravens probably deserved it for being the better side in extra-time, with Alex Kirk twice hitting the woodwork. But in the end it needed two saves from Grant Smith in the shoot-out to get them over the line.

He saved the first two kicks from Solihull players Tyrese Shade and Joss Labadie and in the end that made the difference. Ashley Charles, who had his kick saved, was mightily relieved.

Boss Andy Woodman thought his side might have got there in normal time, thanks to the prowess of the ever-reliable Michael Cheek.

The man who scored the winner two years ago at this very venue to land Bromley the FA Trophy for the first time, scored twice here as Bromley chased an even bigger prize.

As a regular scourge of Solihull, along with many others in the National League, the striker was always going to be among the favourites to put his stamp on this mega occasion - one that dwarfs much of what preceded it down the years.

But Solihull twice pegged the Ravens back and had their moments too in a thrilling nip-and-tuck promotion final.

It was breathless, nerve-shredding stuff from start to finish for the fans of both sides.

There are big games. Then there are truly huge ones. Ones that can decide the whole direction of travel. Ones that can claim to be the biggest in a club's history. And this was one such moment in time.

Certainly, that was the feeling among the Ravens fans massed at the east end of Wembley Stadium. It was the phrase used by the club's social media team. Few would argue.

The country's most famous venue will soon be hosting the Championship play-off final, the FA Cup final and the UEFA Champions League final. But for Bromley and Solihull Moors, none of those could ever be as significant as getting into the Football League for the first time.

That was the tantalising prize on offer for both clubs - a chance to set foot in a world neither had ever experienced.

The Ravens were FA trophy finalists two years ago when Cheek scored the winner against Wrexham in front of 46,000 at Wembley. It was their first success in the competition, having previously lost the final in 2018 when they lost to Brackley Town on penalties. Along the way, they beat Solihull Moors in the quarter-finals 3-1, when Cheek scored twice. Omens.

They started the match as favourites. In the regular season they beat Solihull 3-0 at home and drew 1-1 away. They also finished five points and two places above them in the National League - in third.

But they needed all their determination to get there this time.

The South Londoners nearly got off to a flier, when Louis Dennis seized on an opening following a bit of head tennis between the teams, curling a shot that flew agonisingly wide of the far post. Then Idris Odutayo popped up to ping an effort goalwards from the opposite flank - seeing his effort also flash narrowly of target.

Just before the break it was Cheek who got Bromley fans dreaming when he managed to outmuscle defender Alex Whitmore and roll the ball into the far corner. It looked for all the world as if it was a foul, but ref James Durkin and his linesman were happy with it and there was no VAR to get in the way.

That goal was cancelled soon after the turn-around though. Joe Sbarra followed up after Smith had spilled a shot from Tahvon Campbell, sweeping the ball home in front of gleeful Moors fans.

The Midlanders' joy was short-lived as Cheek restored the lead with a penalty he won himself after being felled in the box by keeper Nick Hayes. Goal number 23 for the season and it could hardly have been more important.

Not that it got the job done. Far from it. The spirited Moors - vastly outnumbered in the stands - drew level when skipper Jamey Osborne was given room to strike a firm low shot past a despairing Smith.

Corey Whitely fired into the side-netting in the closing stages but Solihull finished the stronger of the two teams heading towards 90 minutes.

Extra-time was all about Kirk, as he twice struck the woodwork. First, he headed against the bar from close range, having almost scored moments earlier after cutting inside past a defender and aiming for the far corner with a shot that drifted just wide.

Six minutes from the end he rode a challenge to fire a lovely shot that crashed back off the inside of the far post and back along the goal. He was a matter of inches from glory.

In the end, the glory was shared. A long, hard season has produced the ultimate reward. Roll on August.

Ravens (5-4-1): Smith - Weston (Kirk 61), Grant, Webster, Reynolds, Odutayo - Dennis (Olomola 83), Arthurs, Charles, Whitely - Cheek

Moors: (4-2-3-1) Hayes - Morrison (Taylor 101), Clarke, Whitmore, Newton - Maycock, Osborne (Labadie 95) - Shade, Sbarra (Boateng 111), Stevens (Benton 71) - Campbell

Attendance: 23,374