Bromley 1-1 Woking

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Four points from six over the Easter weekend. Would you have taken that before it played out that way?

Woking came to Hayes Lane with a game plan that was designed to frustrate Bromley. And, but for a late Kido Taylor-Hart equaliser, their plan nearly worked. 

When all is said and done this season, that last-gasp point may well turn out to be a crucial one for Bromley. But was it one point gained or two points dropped?

As ever, I reflect on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from the 1-1 home draw with Woking.

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

The team vs Woking

The Good

On a day where they didn’t really turn it on until the final ten minutes, Bromley found a feel-good moment to send fans home with something to cheer.

For the majority of the game, the Ravens did not play well and found it difficult to break Woking down. The two times they finally got through, Woking goalkeeper Will Jaaskelainen was in inspired form to deny both Michael Cheek and Kido Taylor-Hart.

Although he missed one golden opportunity, ultimately, Taylor-Hart was not to be denied. 

Kido’s injury-time equaliser felt like a moment of personal redemption for him. It’s no secret that some fans have put him on the ducking stool. His celebration was the kind of primal scream you hear when someone has just got a monkey off their back.

In fairness to Kido, over the last three games he has shown a willingness to take on his man and make something happen. And because Bromley have been quite one-dimensional in the face of teams sitting in a low block, it has been a breath of fresh air. 

Now that he has made a telling contribution, hopefully it gives him the confidence to make further contributions in the remainder of the season. He has the talent.

Performance notwithstanding, it is always important to look at the context of a visiting side before assessing whether Bromley should have won or not.

Woking turned up at Hayes Lane having significantly improved under Michael Doyle’s leadership. In recent games, they have beaten both Barnet and Altrincham 1-0 and have become a team that rarely concedes goals, while perhaps struggling to score many themselves. Sound familiar?

For that reason, it should have come as no surprise that it took Bromley a long time to break Woking down.

A performance can both be bad and have context behind it. Perspective, as ever, is golden.

Another point of interest is that Woking had Curtis Edwards on the field. He was head and shoulders above everyone on the park in several metrics, but most notably ball retention and distribution.

Edwards never had to run quickly, he simply played the game at his pace, which just so happened to be several steps ahead of everyone else.

Want to know why Kevin Berkoe gave Alex Kirk such a torrid time? It was because Edwards found Berkoe at will from any point on the park. 

Make no mistake, Woking have had a terrible season. But the fact they were able to pick up Edwards from Norwegian side Stabaek in February shows that they are still movers and shakers at this level. 

Those wages won’t have come cheap.

The Bad

The downside of the two teams being very similar in style was that a lot of the game was spent heading and volleying to no one in particular.

Both teams are set up to be defensively strong first and foremost, while their attacking play is mostly built around quick counters and set pieces. Let’s be honest, neither team played a whole lot of ‘football.’ 

Woking had Curtis Edwards at their disposal, so were better equipped to make forward transitions that didn’t resort to a long ball. 

Bromley, meanwhile, were missing young midfielder Ben Krauhaus, who appeared to suffer a knee injury in the previous game. This meant the burden of creativity fell on Corey Whitely alone, but he struggled to get into the game, so the Ravens had little to no spark until the second-half substitutions. 

Teams like Woking are happy to sit deep, soak up pressure, and hit you on transitions. Credit to them, they did it well. But Bromley have entered a bit of a rut at home when it comes to dealing with sides like this. 

Before Woking, there was Kidderminster and Hartlepool. And does York count? I’m not sure.

Whether down the flanks or through the middle, at no point in the first half did Bromley look like they had anything to offer going forward. They improved after the break, but arguably they still have a team balance issue to solve.

Kido offered more spark, as did James Vennings when he came on, but would either make a starting XI more often than not? 

I’ve said this before, and I still don’t have a solution for a quick fix, but Andy must ask himself who the most creative players in his squad are and which players move the ball quickest. 

Once those questions are answered, another arises. Which of those players can start a game while maintaining the solidity of the side? Clean sheets do still matter after all. 

For most of the season, the answer to the above has been Ben Krauhaus and Corey Whitely, but with the first-choice wing-backs Josh Passley and Besart Topalloj not in the picture at the moment, perhaps a rejig of sorts might be needed.

Plan A has worked for the majority of the season, but in 2024 there have been a few too many games where a Plan B, and an ability to unlock a door, has been needed. 

That said, let us not overreact. Arguably, the above refers specifically to teams who sit in a low block and wait for a moment. 

Oxford City aside, Bromley’s remaining games of the season are against sides in the play-offs (I include the post-season in that as well). 

Those teams try to impose their style of play on the opposition and win on their terms. 

That tends to suit Bromley.

The Ugly

Olufela Olomola is out of form, Will Davies is cup-tied for the FA Trophy semi-final, Levi Amantchi is injured, and Louis Dennis is out of the squad.

Who would you play alongside Michael Cheek against Solihull Moors? A place at Wembley awaits the winners. A cut-throat decision needs to be made.

Personally, I pivot back to Louis Dennis. What would you do? 

In terms of the league, Bromley can only take care of their own business. And, to be frank, with four league games to go, they are in pole position to get the job done.

However, on a day when Gateshead did not play, the Ravens had the chance to stretch the gap to seven points over their nearest rivals, albeit having played a game more.

One point was much better than none in this instance as Bromley now lead Gateshead by five points, having played one game more. Scoreboard pressure is real and the onus is on Gateshead.

The Heed, having had their match at AFC Fylde called off, now face a punishing schedule where they have to fit five league games and an FA Trophy Semi-Final into eighteen days. 

I wouldn’t want to be in the Gateshead camp with all of that to navigate, but navigate it they must. 

That schedule may well turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Bromley, but the Ravens still need to take care of their business. 

One point gained? Two points dropped? Call it what you want. What is clear is that Bromley more than likely need at least seven points from the last possible twelve to finish the job. 

Do you agree?

Let me know what you think about the above by getting at me in the comments below.

Match ratings

Lewis Thomas (7)

Myles Weston (5)

Alex Kirk (5) 

Byron Webster (7)

Callum Reynolds (7)

Idris Odutayo (7)

Ashley Charles (6)

Jude Arthurs (6)

Corey Whitely (6)

Olufela Olomola (5)

Michael Cheek (6)

Subs:

Kido Taylor-Hart for Myles Weston 46’ (7)

Will Davies for Olufela Olomola 46’ (6)

James Vennings for Jude Arthurs 65’ (7)

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Please note all match photographs in this article are by Martin Greig - please follow him on Twitter here

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