Bromley 1-0 Scunthorpe United

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The opening day of the season defeat at Wealdstone seems a long time ago.

Bromley defeated Scunthorpe United on Saturday to record their third consecutive 1-0 win and fourth consecutive clean sheet.

What was a first ever encounter between the two sides saw the recently relegated Scunthorpe United flatter to deceive and deservedly succumb to their fourth defeat on the spin.

For Andy Woodman it was yet more vindication of the project he is building at Bromley as his side set about proving why they shouldn’t be underestimated.

If you buy the Non-League Paper you can read my 450 word match report there but as ever I have also 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 Scunthorpe United

The Good

1. I will sound like a broken record, but one more time with feeling… If you don’t concede, you don’t lose. 

   There’s no such thing as a good National League side that concedes lots of goals. And, as the old adage goes, strikers win you cups but defenders win you championships.

   After five games, Bromley have four clean sheets and once again did not look like conceding. Unlike previous games where Reice Charles-Cook worked overtime to keep the sheet clean, this game was about honest grafting and every player putting in 110%. 

   In truth, Scunthorpe barely got a sniff after Bromley went down to ten men. This is the club DNA that Woodman is insisting on. And, while it’s too soon to make definitive statements after just five games, the foundations do look strong.

2. It seems wrong to single out individual performances on a day where every player left absolutely nothing on the pitch, but Callum Reynolds had a fantastic game.

   Callum didn’t miss a header all day and wasn’t beaten on the ground once. He was also unflappable in possession and was an integral part in marshalling the defence when Bromley went down to ten men. Andy Woodman will certainly have a tricky decision to make when all of the defenders are available again as, arguably, Reynolds hasn’t done anything to justify being dropped.

3. Additionally, James Vennings put in an all-action display in the centre of midfield; always available to receive the ball and move the team up the pitch. I lost count of the number of times Vennings played the right pass at the right time or received the ball under pressure and was able to break the press. This is before I consider his defensive qualities. With each game that passes, Vennings is closer to realising his full form. More noticeably, in Billy Bingham’s absence, he has stepped up to the plate and taken on more responsibility.

4. One valid criticism of Bromley over the past three seasons is the over-reliance on Michael Cheek to provide the goals. Possibly unnoticed in Bromley’s start to the season is the fact that all five goals have come from five different sources. Yes, in an ideal world you want a lethal frontman in and amongst that, but it would not surprise me if Woodman was more ecstatic with this stat instead. 

5. Off the field, I still hear ructions from some people about Broomfield and queuing, but I must say Bear Island, in the sun, is quite the venue. Relaxed vibe, easier service, and screens to watch 5:30 pm games. Is this the consensus or is this just a me thing? 

   

The Bad

I’m genuinely intrigued to know what the process is after a referee has a bit of a stinker. This isn’t about digging a referee out or blaming him. After all, Bromley won the game. But the fact remains that National League referees, on the whole, are highly erratic. 

In terms of the major decisions, Aaron Jackson probably got them correct; that being Chris Bush and Alan Dunne’s dismissals. Yet, a closer inspection of his decision-making throughout the game highlighted someone who either wanted to make the game about him and his decisions or had lost control of the game.

You know things are bad when both managers are critical of the performance of the man in the middle. Notably, Scunthorpe’s first-team coach, Anthony McMahon, couldn’t believe his side didn’t get a penalty when Nat Wallace was tripped by Harry Forster seemingly just inside the penalty area. The referee’s decision to give a free-kick outside the box seemed like guesswork to me.

Even looking at Bush’s sending off, it was clear that, prior to the stamp, Bush and Joe Nuttall had been grappling on the floor for some time. When Bush finally got up, his leg was held by Nuttall, which prompted the stamp. There are no excuses for that, but Bromley were awarded the free-kick, Bush was sent off, and Nuttall avoided punishment. Baffling!

Before reading The Ugly you can listen to my post-match interview with Andy Woodman. Interview below

The Ugly

1. Having highlighted the referee’s inconsistency, that does not excuse either of the sending offs. Both Chris Bush and Alan Dunne need to ask themselves some questions as they both let the side down.

   The number of sending offs or accumulated suspensions Bush has collected in his Bromley career is far too many and until yesterday I thought it was an element of his game he had finally got on top of.

   Ultimately, he made the ref’s job easy for him yesterday. What probably hasn’t been said by many is that Bush kicked out at Nuttall long before the sending off offence. It’s just that none of the officials noticed it. 

   Bromley still got the three points, but that’s no more than a ‘get out of jail free’ card for Bush. He’s thirty years old now and often gets the captain’s armband in Webster’s absence. That requires levelling up in maturity.

2. Alan Dunne’s sending off was possibly more disappointing. Needless to say, once the team goes down to ten men it is imperative that the management staff don’t lose their composure. The team played brilliantly and almost made a mockery of the adversity, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t be held to account for nonsense behaviour. 

   Dunne will know this, and ultimately it is for him and Andy to have a chat about expectations, but it becomes harder to speak to your squad about discipline if the management team doesn’t set the tone.

Match ratings

Charles-Cook (8)

Harry Forster (7)

Omar Sowunmi (8)

Chris Bush (5) 

Callum Reynolds (9)

Reece Hannam (7)

James Vennings (9)

Ethan Coleman (8)

Corey Whitely (7)

Michael Cheek (7)

George Alexander (7)

Subs:

Jude Arthurs (on 62 for Alexander) 7

Mason Bloomfield (on 71 for Cheek) 7

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