Bromley 0-0 Altrincham

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Two games into the 2022/23 National League season and Bromley are now up and running following a hard fought goalless draw with Altrincham.

The game itself was played out in sweltering heat that undoubtedly contributed to a dour spectacle on the field.

In addition to my first Non-League Paper report of the season (available in all good newsagents for £1.80). 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 Altrincham

The Good

1. After conceding three soft goals at Wealdstone on the opening day of the season, it was important that Bromley got back to basics. Chances may have been at a premium, but the old adage rings true: you can’t lose games if you don’t concede. Sowunmi, Webster, and Bush all had strong games.

2. Andy Woodman spoke highly of Mason Bloomfield in preseason and the striker gave a few glimpses of the threat he could pose this season. Whilst not the most technical of players, his pressing from the front and all-round work-rate gave the Altrincham defence a hard time. The question will be whether he can add goals to his game.

3. Another week and another strong performance from Reice Charles-Cook. Maybe some of the fans who spent weeks bleating about signing a goalkeeper might want to eat some humble pie? There were very few chances in the game but the best of them fell to Altrincham. When called upon, Charles-Cook was up to the task.

4. Off the pitch Bromley launched the Her Game Too campaign. Say what you want about some of the clubs decision making but this was great to see. Football should always be an inclusive game and joining with the Her Game Too campaign is fantastic. Georgie Weaver is the perfect ambassador for the programme. You can read more about the initiative here

The Bad

1. It may seem harsh to put Kellen Fisher in the bad column, but hear me out. It was a big call from Andy Woodman to start with Kellen instead of Harry Forster. The decision was no doubt borne out of Harry’s poor game last week and a desire to test him against a tiring Altrincham defence in the last thirty minutes.

   In principle, that was a sound approach. But experienced winger Ryan Colclough bossed the left-hand side in the first half and gave Kellen a real baptism of fire. Altrincham repeatedly threatened on his flank and the young wingback was often caught out by the diagonal ball.

   To be fair to Kellen he didnt receive much help in this regard and his susceptibility to the threat should have meant he got help with doubling up if needs be. Kellen did improve in the second half, particularly going forward, but Woodman may think twice before starting him again.

2. Bromley looked very pedestrian going forward. The heat may or may not have played a factor, but they seemed to be content to preserve energy and look for the perfect opening. Of course, when playing a possession based team like Altrincham, that becomes all the harder if you aren’t seeing a lot of the ball.

   That said, they also went long to Bloomfield or Cheek too often and rarely got at the Altrincham defence with quick passing patterns. We saw a glimpse of these patterns at the start of the second half, and again when Forster and Dennis were brought into play, but the decision making was poor and the killer final ball was lacking.

Before reading The Ugly - it is worth listening to what Altrincham manager Phil Parkinson had to say at full time. Interview below conducted by Radio Alty

The Ugly

1. I’m not privy to what the expectations were prior to the first two games of the season but it is reasonable to expect that Altrincham at home was targeted as a winnable game. I have no issue with Bromley only getting a point, particularly when on the balance of play Altrincham were the better side. 

   What will be of more concern is that Bromley only had one shot on target in the whole ninety minutes. The fact this didn’t improve when Altrincham’s striker Jordan Hulme went in goal for the last half-hour was simply not good enough.

2. The heat was deeply problematic. Whilst this was the same for matches up and down the country, there does come a point when you wonder if common sense can’t prevail in the interest of player and fan safety. The usual precautions were taken, such as water breaks, but the sight of all twenty-two players running to the shade of the Glynn Beverley Stand during one of the breaks highlighted the farce of the situation. 

   When extreme weather is known about well in advance, one would hope that leagues could be given the option to move kickoffs in the interest of safety.

   With climate change an ever present danger, this is a scenario we are likely to revisit in the near future.

I caught up with Ravens boss Andy Woodman at full time to get his thoughts on the game. Interview below

Match ratings

Charles-Cook (8)

Kellen Fisher (6)

Omar Sowunmi (7)

Byron Webster (7) 

Chris Bush (7)

Reece Hannam (6)

James Vennings (7)

Billy Bingham (7)

Corey Whitely (6)

Michael Cheek (6)

Mason Bloomfield (6.5)

Subs:

Louis Dennis (on 46 for Forster) 7

Ethan Coleman (on 76 for Vennings) 6

Harry Forster (on 65 for Fisher) 6

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