Bromley 1-0 Doncaster Rovers
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
I’ve often wondered what the Battle of the Little Bighorn was like.
On Tuesday night, as Doncaster relentlessly peppered Bromley’s goal, I got as close to a dramatisation as possible.
The promotion-chasers had 33 shots but somehow couldn’t find a way through. Bromley, meanwhile, had one meaningful shot on target and scored from it. Football, eh?
As ever, join me as I reflect on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 1-0 home win over Doncaster Rovers.
Have a read and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
The team vs Doncaster Rovers
The Good
Was securing Grant Smith to a new contract the best piece of business Bromley did this season? Forget the new signings, Bromley have now kept five clean sheets in their last six matches and a large part of that is down to the man between the sticks.
Andy maintains that Grant is the best goalkeeper in League Two. I will leave that to the League Two experts to debate, but in the last two seasons, it is fair to say that Grant has produced the best football of his career.
It speaks to a custodian who is supremely confident in his game and backed to the hilt by the manager. We’ve never really spoken about Grant in the transfer conversation, but given goalkeepers generally play on much longer than outfield players, who's to say admiring glances aren’t being cast towards Hayes Lane?
Given the strength of the opposition, this was a statement victory that put Bromley just four points outside the play-off places, but we cannot hide from the elements of good fortune that graced them that night.
That said, you make your own luck. The Ravens showed an unbelievable amount of heart and gumption for the battle. This is the hallmark of Andy Woodman’s side and it has served them so well. It’s almost as if Bromley love nothing more than a game of backs-against-the-wall sufferball.
After Andy had made all of his substitutions, Carl Jenkinson suffered a hamstring injury. But rather than limp off, he stayed on and did his best to disrupt Doncaster. Despite this curveball, everyone (Jenkinson included) was prepared to throw their body on the line for the win.
With Deji on a yellow card, Omar came on and won nearly every 50/50 header. Nathan Paul-Lavaly was handed a league debut in a true baptism of fire and would have learnt more in 30 minutes than in his whole career to date. Nicke Kabamba came on for Michael Cheek and ended up having to play a hybrid striker/central-defender role.
This was unbelievably heroic stuff from the threadbare Ravens.
While it seems Brooklyn Ilunga is unable to play a full 90 as yet, I was impressed with him for the 70-odd minutes he played. That’s not just because he provided the game-defining assist but because he ran tirelessly in defence and attack and provided a crucial outlet ball at times.
Brooklyn is only 21 years old and I think there is much more to come here. Watch this space.
I went to Doncaster away and it was a similar kind of game, although that night I felt Bromley did better at controlling the game despite the clear possession and shot deficit.
This game was different. On another day, Doncaster might have whooped Bromley by two or three goals and no one could have complained. They were a classy side. Don’t let the lack of goals on the night fool you, Jordan Gibson, Luke Molyneux, and Rob Street were a very effective front three.
I was really impressed with the way Doncaster moved the ball and the openings they worked. And kudos to them for going 3-0-7 in the final 15 minutes (and all of injury time).
I have rarely seen a team be that brave that early. They weren’t in it for one point only. They knew if they could just score one they would likely go on and score more.
It will be very interesting to see how the remainder of the automatic promotion race pans out. It is in Doncaster’s hands at the moment, and if they play like they did on Tuesday then I wouldn’t bet against them being in League One next season.
The Bad
Tuesday was a great night to be a Bromley fan but it didn’t come without its casualties. I know Andy prides his side on being one of the fittest in the league, but Bromley don’t possess the resources that other clubs do. Doncaster took Bromley to the absolute limit.
The Ravens have just played three promotion candidates in the space of a week and can now add Carl Jenkinson to the injury list along with Danny Imray, Idris Odutayo, Harry Mckirdy, and dare I say a few others.
Leaving everything out there is great from a fan’s perspective, but I worry that the team is going to hit a wall sooner rather than later. Repeated exertion without much rotation has to have a knock-on effect.
Where does Andy Woodman draw the line between playing his current best XI and rotating to keep everyone as fresh as possible for the run-in?
Or am I overthinking it? Is the modern player so used to Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday that my assumption that they might be knackered underestimates today’s athletic standards?
What do you think? Given the growing injury list and lack of rotation, can Bromley hit Andy Woodman’s target and make a late assault on the play-offs?
Speaking of rotation, what do you make of Lewis Leigh’s departure to Halifax on loan for the remainder of the season?
On the surface, it totally makes sense. Lewis had only started seven games this season and had appeared from the bench 16 times. He needed regular first-team football to stay sharp.
When he signed permanently for Bromley in the summer, I doubt this is how he saw his season panning out. But he’s parachuting into an FC Halifax Town team that has a strong claim for a spot in the National League play-offs, and he’s playing football closer to home in the north.
However, what happens if one of Bromley’s central midfielders gets injured, as is currently the case with Ashley Charles? You’re asking the others to go full tilt without the option of being rotated out.
The loan move might have balanced the books, but it feels like a risk.
The Ugly
The announced attendance on Tuesday was 2,443. The week before, at home to Bradford, it was 2,442. The visitors sold out their allocation on both occasions and probably would have taken more if they could have.
Bromley’s current reduced capacity is 3133, and I assumed this would mean a guaranteed sell-out for every game, but once again we find ourselves asking: Where is everyone?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the club asks season ticket holders to claim their ticket if they plan to attend. Even if we account for those who claim a ticket and then don’t turn up, are we really saying we have somewhere in the region of 600 people who have tickets (sponsors or otherwise) and just don’t use them?
Someone make this make sense. Furthermore, what is the solution next season?
Everyone I speak to thinks Bromley should offer a resale option through a ticket outlet like Ticketmaster, but I sense that might be asking Bromley to run before they can walk. So what is a realistic option?
The supporter base has risen exponentially in the last 20 years, but how many of the attendees are hardcore fans who consider Bromley their actual team, and not a side piece they go to when their other London club is away from home?
Have your say in the comments section below.
Match ratings
Grant Smith (10)
Carl Jenkinson (9)
Deji Elerewe (9)
Byron Webster (9)
Adam Mayor (9)
Jude Arthurs (7)
Ben Thompson (8)
Cameron Congreve (6)
Corey Whitely (7)
Brooklyn Ilunga (8)
Michael Cheek (7)
Subs:
Omar Sowunmi for Deji Elerewe 65’ (8)
Nathan Paul-Lavaly for Brooklyn Ilunga 71’ (6)
Nicke Kabamba for Michael Cheek 91’ (8)
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There’s been a number of people who took the credits rather than being moved and didn’t keep their season tickets for the final few games.
Also there is a lot of ill will created by the way this has been handled by the club. There has been plenty of long term fans saying they won’t renew next season.
The anticipated hike in season ticket prices will only exacerbate this.
Attendances have increased ten fold in two decades, maybe we have peaked?
On the pitch the club has been incredible this season, off it hasn’t been so great.
Never been a fan of watching games behind a goal - can't claim the tickets online via Ticketmaster, so have to drive down to the club to pick up tickets, which is a bit of faff, so haven't bothered for the midweek games.