Bromley 2-0 Barnet

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Once you get to the final eight of the FA Trophy, you have the obligation to take the competition seriously. Bromley did that and then some by beating their National League play-off rivals Barnet.

Andy Woodman has been steadfast since the beginning of the tournament that he is in it to win it. Now that his team are 90 minutes from another trip to Wembley, maybe we better believe him.

Join me as I reflect on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 2-0 FA Trophy win over Barnet. 

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

The team vs Barnet

The Good

Before we talk about the win, let’s pivot to something that Andy Woodman was at pains to point out many games back.

He bemoaned his side’s inability to keep clean sheets and spoke of a need to get back to basics. The more cynical segments of the fanbase took umbrage with his comments, as usual, but the proof has been in the pudding.

More impressive than the win was the fact that it was Bromley’s third consecutive clean sheet. Yes, that run has coincided with Byron Webster’s return to the starting line-up, but I reiterate that the team’s workrate as a whole has improved considerably. 

How a team defends out of possession determines the quality and quantity of the opposition’s efforts on goal. The hallmark of Bromley’s last three games has been disciplined defending from front to back.

Each of Bromley’s trio of clean sheets was achieved against a play-off contender. Are we really going to pretend they were all bad sides?

Maybe, just maybe, Bromley made them look ineffective.

My men-of-the-match were Idris Odutayo (my first time seeing him) and the criminally underrated Jude Arthurs. Both players covered an unbelievable amount of ground and went about their business with ruthless efficiency.

What I have liked about Bromley this season is that, by and large, players have earned the right to wear the shirt and have had to work hard to keep it. That’s a healthy club culture.

Both Idris and Jude possibly did enough to keep the shirt for the next few games. In the case of Idris, implausible as it may seem, Besart Topalloj may not walk back into the starting XI when his suspension ends. That’s exactly the way it should be.

Andy Woodman gave his personal man-of-the-match award to Callum Reynolds. Upon reflection, he was right to do so. We spoke about it in the post-match interview but Barnet clearly had a direct gameplan and repeatedly stuck the ball on Callum and in behind Idris.

Gatlin O'Donkor is a good young centre forward, but time and again he was taken to school by the wily and experienced Reynolds. 

Is Callum our true player of the season? 

The Bad

As bad things go, this one is a double-edged sword.

By defeating Barnet, Bromley have created a fixture headache for themselves. 

The FA Trophy semi-final at home to Solihull Moors will take place on Saturday April 6th. This means Bromley will likely rearrange their game at Oxford City for the final Tuesday of the regular season.

The semi-final also takes place three days before Bromley visit Barnet for a Tuesday night game that could have huge implications for their play-off standings. 

Then we also have to consider that two of Bromley’s final three league games are against fellow play-off contenders Gateshead and Solihull Moors (again).

Yes, Bromley have been to Wembley twice in recent years. Yes, they won the FA Trophy a mere two seasons ago. But listen, I’ve been watching Bromley since 1996, I will never turn down a chance to watch them lay their hands on silverware, particularly at Wembley. And the prize money is not the kind of sum you’d turn your nose up at either.

The question for my fellow Bromley fans to consider is whether you would be prepared to sacrifice the chance of another FA Trophy final in order to go all-guns-blazing at a promotion tilt? 

Now Bromley are in the semi-finals and 90 minutes from Wembley, do priorities change for you?

The Ugly

How do you go about getting your voice heard at a football club? Apparently, for some, it’s by agitating and airing grievances on social media and fan forums. If that is the only way you feel your voice will be heard then I get it, but I believe there are more effective ways and means. 

Personally, I prefer to go straight to the horse's mouth and say what needs to be said. 

Now that I’ve said that, let me use this column space to say the following:

The state of the toilets in numerous parts of Hayes Lane is a disgrace. I have to assume the club are aware of the situation, but just in case, direct your attention to the pictures provided to me. 

You don’t need me to explain why this is unacceptable. The onus is on the club to fix it. Quickly.

I’m not one of those fans who will pivot to the negative at all times because frankly I have better things to do with my life. But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t right to raise their concerns. 

Despite the club’s exponential growth in the last 15-20 years, and its League Two aspirations, there are still a few areas off the pitch that need tangible investment. Good facilities should be available to all, not just those in the executive club.

I’ll leave it at that for now as the club have earned the right to address it. I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they will do so.

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

Match ratings

Grant Smith (8)

Josh Passley (8)

Alex Kirk (8)

Byron Webster (8)

Callum Reynolds (9)

Idris Odutayo (9)

Jude Arthurs (9)

Ben Krauhaus (8)

Corey Whitely (8)

Olufela Olomola (9)

Michael Cheek (9)

Subs:

Louis Dennis for Michael Cheek 55’ (7)

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Thanks for taking the time to read the match synopsis above.

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

All articles are edited by Peter Etherington you can link to him here

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