Aldershot Town 0-1 Bromley

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Three clean sheets. Seven points. You dont concede then you dont lose.

The mantra reads simple because it is. The hallmark of all successful National League sides is the ability to grind out victories and keep clean sheets.

Andy Woodman has made no bones about that being the DNA he wants from any side he manages. After an opening day ‘blip’ it would appear his work in progress is closer to reaching their final form.

As ever I have put together a more detailed analysis of the game as part of my The Good, The Bad and The Ugly series.

Have a read and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Line-up vs Aldershot Town

The Good

1. Some will say that Bromley were under the cosh for the final twenty minutes of the game and had to produce a backs-against-the-wall rearguard action. That would be true. However, on a positive note, they saw the game out and kept their third clean sheet in four games. 

   You can't lose if you don’t concede, and Bromley are making a very good habit of delivering on Andy Woodman’s primary demand.

   Bromley at their best have always been a side that grafts hard and puts bodies on the line. The last three games have seen a return to their true Woodman DNA. It may not always be pretty on the eye, but it remains an integral trait of successful National League sides.

2. Reice Charles-Cook continues to justify Andy Woodman’s decision to start the season with him as the number one. The first half saw Bromley largely keep Aldershot at arm’s length, but as Aldershot pushed for an equaliser in the second half, Charles-Cook came up huge in the clutch once again. He produced two finger-tip saves on either side of his goal to ensure that when the defence was breached the goal wasn’t.

1. As alluded to in preseason, Reece Hannam decided to play ‘men’s football’ this season instead of spending another year in Premier League 2 with Crystal Palace U23s. His performance was yet another vindication of that decision. It’s not just the fact he got the game’s only goal, his work rate up and down the left flank was phenomenal. He will only get better as the season progresses.

1. Bromley carried on from Tuesday night by creating several great opportunities. I counted at least four chances that should have extended Bromley’s lead: two for Cheek and two for Alexander. And then there was the stonewall penalty that was denied.

2. Bromley wore white shirts and black shorts. Nuff said!

3. It seems odd to have six examples of ‘The Good’, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Callum Reynolds’ debut. Nominally a right-sided centre-half or right-back, Callum was drafted in to replace Chris Bush on the morning of the game. He showed all of his National League nous with a strong defensive display. Is Reynolds as good on the ball as Bush? No, but he was vital in the defensive system that kept a clean sheet, and that was the top priority.

The Bad

1. As aforementioned, Bromley created several gilt-edged opportunities, but they also missed them. Alexander is getting into great positions, but the jury is out as to how many chances he needs to score one. Where do you draw the line? More surprising was Michael Cheek fluffing his lines. Such are his lofty standards, he should’ve had a brace. Those were chances he normally gobbles up in his sleep. 

2. Harry Forster had a strong game defensively, of that there can be no doubt, but as an attacking threat he was subdued. In the first half he rarely received the ball in the attacking third, and that only improved marginally in the second half. Was he under instruction to play deeper and in closer proximity to Omar Sowunmi, or was he just not utilised by his teammates?

The Ugly

1. Another weekend, another erratic refereeing performance. It’s only natural that fans are biased when it comes to penalty decisions, but there cannot be anyone in the ground that didn’t see the foul on Michael Cheek midway through the second half. Inexplicably, the referee was only five yards away from the incident yet waved away the protests. I’m still shaking my head now.

   It shouldn’t be this way, but there is an expectation that you will get one major howler per game in the National League. I would love to know what the referee’s assessors write in their notebooks, because the consistent inconsistency remains a frustrating norm.

Match ratings

Charles-Cook (9)

Harry Forster (7)

Omar Sowunmi (8)

Byron Webster (8) 

Callum Reynolds (8)

Reece Hannam (8)

James Vennings (8)

Ethan Coleman (7)

Corey Whitely (7)

Michael Cheek (7)

George Alexander (7)

Subs:

Louis Dennis (on 62 for Alexander) 7

Jude Arthurs (on 86 for Vennings) 6

Mason Bloomfield (on 69 for Hannam) 6

---

Thanks for taking the time to read the match synopsis above.

If you havent as yet make sure you read the other articles in the archive.

If you’d like to show an appreciation for the work that goes into this newsletter you can buy me a coffee through the link below.

You can also find Machel St Patrick Hewitt on Twitter - here

Most importantly of all subscribe to the newsletter to ensure you get these updates direct to your inbox.