Bromley 1-2 Solihull Moors

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Apr 07, 2024

Bromley will not return to Wembley for a third FA Trophy final in seven years.

An Alex Whitmore double for Solihull Moors means the Ravens’ sole focus is now their National League promotion bid.

In essence, Bromley’s season now comes down to ifs, buts, and maybes. But for some, the only metric of success is whether Bromley make it to Wembley in the National League play-off final.

Join me as I reflect on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 2-1 FA Trophy semi-final defeat to Solihull Moors.

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

The team vs Solihull Moors

The Good

This mattered to everyone at Bromley. The fact that so many players sank to their knees at full-time told you as much. As did Andy Woodman’s words at full-time.

Your opinion on how good or bad the performance was does not mean the players did not try their best to equalise and take the game to penalties.

However, we can praise the effort and endeavour while also criticising the quality.

Andy Woodman has always insisted that he wants his Bromley side to give absolutely everything, regardless of the result. I think it would be churlish to suggest we didn’t get that against Solihull.

But it was also true that standout performances were thin on the ground. Grant Smith made several crucial stops, Josh Passley offered width down the right-hand side, and Ben Krauhaus scored a good equalising goal, but I can’t say that anyone else played really well.

Off the pitch, Bromley recorded their best gate for the season. 4,038 packed into Hayes Lane to witness the spectacle. While not a sell-out, this attendance was at the very top end of what the ground can ‘comfortably’ cope with.

If Bromley did get promoted, then 3,500 to 4,000 would likely be the norm in League Two.

Is the ground ready to cope with that on a regular basis?

A short aside for James Vennings, who came on with 12 minutes of normal time remaining. I thought he offered Bromley far more control and composure on the ball, and has the ability to actually think about the next phase of play.

English football fans generally love a headless chicken before a ‘pattern builder’ so of course some will say he only moves the ball sideways, and sometimes too slowly, but it is important to note that Bromley can be a frustrating side to watch because of how agriculturally they move the ball.

Is Vennings the answer?

The Bad

Sometimes, stats tell a lot. Sometimes, they don’t.

Solihull Moors’ manager said at full-time that he felt his side had the better quality in a match that was low on it. I don’t disagree. They were far more threatening in the final third than Bromley.

A cursory look at the match stats suggests it wasn’t the one-sided affair that some would have you believe. But the stats do highlight that Bromley were wasteful when they got into good positions.

Shots on target: Bromley 3 - 9 Solihull Moors

Shots off target: Bromley 9 - 3 Solihull Moors

Corners: Bromley 6 - 6 Solihull Moors

Ultimately, the wind played a defining role in the match, but Solihull were better at defending against it than Bromley.

The key moment that expounded this was Solihull’s introduction of Mark Beck. Seldom have I seen a better big-man performance at this level. Everything that went up to him stuck, or he was able to lay it off or knock it on to an onrushing Moors player.

Neither Byron Webster nor Callum Reynolds were able to get to grips with him and his presence meant that although Solihull were under the cosh for large parts of the second half, when they needed to get up the pitch and counter, Beck was there to facilitate it.

It was Beck who proved the difference for the winning goal. His downward header from the corner was misjudged by Grant Smith and was only half cleared before Whitmore nodded in for the winning goal. Soft.

The hallmark of Bromley’s success this season has been winning second balls, being better at the percentages, and bullying teams into submission. There were too many instances during the game where Bromley were second-best and not robust enough in the tackle.

Wind-affected or not, this was my biggest frustration with the performance overall.

As the mantra goes, you have to earn the right to win. In the golden intangible of wanting it more, Solihull were the better side.

The Ugly

Last week, I questioned who would play up front with Michael Cheek and worried that due to Olufela Olomola’s form, he was not the answer.

I saw nothing in his 76 minutes on the pitch that suggested it was the right decision to play him.

Let me be clear, I am not attempting to slander Fela, but it’s simply not happening for him right now. He looks like he is second-guessing his decisions and is not confident in front of goal.

With Bromley now focusing solely on the league, the priority should be finding a strike force that can guarantee some goals.

Cheek is a no-brainer, but it is probably time to go all-in on Will Davies for the remainder of the season. Do you agree?

I alluded to it in The Bad but Bromley are currently too wasteful in possession. Some of their decision-making feels rushed at times and ponderous at others. The sweet spot is missing.

Granted this can be seen in the context of chasing a game, but I noticed this problem long before Bromley fell behind. Is it the case that the players aren’t comfortable on the ball, or is it a question of poor decision-making?

I saw Deji Elerewe on the pitch at full-time. If he can return before the postseason, then it may be critical in solving some of these problems.

Speaking of a return, Idris Odutayo looked knackered in the second half. Having to track back and forward clearly took its toll. It seems ridiculous but Besart Topalloj, who has been an ever-present 7.5/10 all season, is not involved at the moment.

Idris’s attacking play improved as the game went on, but we must remember that he is not a natural wing-back. To freshen things up, I would like to see Topalloj return for Barnet away. Would you?

Finally, let us address the elephant in the room: The first goal. Some will say Andy Woodman’s complaint that it didn’t cross the line is just sour grapes, but I think he has a point.

When Alex Whitmore headed ‘in,’ my first reaction was that Grant Smith had cleared the ball off the line, or certainly that there was enough doubt to not give the goal.

I was so convinced that I looked down at my notes to write ‘great save.’ When I looked back up, the Solihull players were celebrating.

Let's be clear, the referee did not give the goal. The assistant referee made the vital call, but he wasn’t parallel to the goal-line at the time. How did he know? It is no exaggeration to say it was guesswork.

Where is the benefit of the doubt? And what did he see that made him say “Yep, that’s DEFINITELY a goal?” It could have only been a 50/50 decision AT BEST.

Of course, some will say ‘them's the breaks’ and Bromley still had time to turn the game around. That’s absolutely correct. But let's not pretend that going into the interval with a goal advantage wasn’t huge for Solihull.

Where do you stand on the decision?

Let me know in the comments below.

Match ratings

Grant Smith (7)

Josh Passley (7)

Alex Kirk (5)

Byron Webster (6)

Callum Reynolds (6)

Idris Odutayo (6)

Jude Arthurs (6)

Ben Krauhaus (7)

Corey Whitely (6)

Olufela Olomola (6)

Michael Cheek (6)

Subs:

Kido Taylor-Hart for Alex Kirk 78’ (6)

Louis Dennis for Olufela Olomola 76’ (6)

James Vennings for Jude Arthurs 78’ (7)

From Bromley with love

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