Bromley 3-0 Oldham Athletic

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Did I really wait until Tuesday to drop The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - I’ll spare you the story and just cut to the chase.

Bromley turned over Oldham Athletic on Saturday and you wouldnt have had any idea which side was the one with the former football league pedigree.

In truth from the minute the first goal went in Bromley kept The Latics at arms length winning the game at a canter.

As ever I reflected on proceedings via The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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

The Line-up vs Oldham Athletic

The Good

Another Saturday. Another three points. What isn’t there to love?

By now, people will expect me to repeat my stock phrase, so why disappoint? Defences win you leagues, or in Bromley’s case get you a playoff place. It’s now six clean sheets in ten games for the Ravens. 

Are Sowunmi, Webster and Reynolds infallible? Certainly not. But when you consider that the now suspension-free Chris Bush is on the bench and can't get into the side, Bromley have four first-choice defenders who have largely covered themselves in glory this season.

It is already clear that any success this season will hinge on keeping them fit.

I spoke with Andy Woodman at full time about Byron Webster and it’s worth highlighting some of his attributes. He may be 35 years old, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by his fitness levels and the way he looks after himself. I spent a significant portion of the match watching the way he marshalled the side, never mind the defence, and frankly there’s a lot to be said about the importance of his leadership and the example he sets in the way he carries himself as a pro. Effectively, he’s the gaffer on the pitch.

As Andy Woodman mentions in his post-match interview, Byron recently appeared on the Leave No Doubt podcast hosted by Joe Partington. It was a fascinating insight into what makes Byron tick. Take a listen. I suspect many fans will have a newfound respect for the man and player afterwards.

There is another element of the defence that may be reaching Ravens fans’ radars by now. Fifty per cent of the goals Bromley have scored this season have come from defenders, and there’s no doubt that Bromley have become a more effective side with the goals spread around the squad. Long may it continue.

This may be the season that Bromley no longer has to over-rely on Cheek. I don’t mean to diminish his contribution, as he is still working hard and doing a lot of unselfish work for the wider good of the side. But Cheek scoring south of fifteen goals is fine if the rest of the squad continues their scoring rate. 

I spoke with Andy post match to get his reflections on the positives of the game - have a listen to the recording below before you move on

The Bad

This is an inverse way of looking at The Bad, but it’s bad when you consider the long-term effect. 

Make no mistake, if Bromley continue their upward trajectory, Football League scouts will be descending on Hayes Lane. In fact, they probably already are.

Omar Sowunmi - 26 years old

Harry Forster - 22 years old

James Vennings - 21 years old

Reece Hannam - 22 years old

In my view, all of them are destined to play in the EFL, and fans may have to accept that this could be the final season we see them in a Bromley shirt. People will immediately jump on the fact that I included Reece Hannam, who’s on loan from Crystal Palace. I merely mean to outline that Reece is destined for higher leagues and bigger stadiums, no matter what happens with Bromely this year.

Earlier in the season I wrote about players with resale value. Hannam aside, to all but the untrained eye it should be clear that these players are the right age and have the right ability and attributes to be courted by clubs in League Two and above.

I hope Bromley secure a miraculous promotion this season. In my view, this would be the only way to ward off potential suitors going forward. 

Far be it from me to tell RSG how to do business, but I would suggest giving all three better terms now, with a minimum fee release clause built in. That way, everyone's a winner when the inevitable happens.

The Ugly

I would love to know, if I took a straw poll today, what percentage of the fanbase accept that Woodman is doing an excellent job. I shouldn’t have to articulate his obvious achievements thus far. 

That said, I’m certain the straw poll wouldn’t be as positive as it should be. I’m often told that our league form tailing off last season was unacceptable, as if Bromley didn’t also secure their biggest achievement in the modern era at the same time. 

This season, Bromley are fifth after ten games, yet I still read and hear grumblings that the football isn’t “good enough”, or we’ve only beaten such and such. 

As a fan, all you can ask for is that your team beats whatever’s in front of them. Who those sides are is irrelevant as long as your club collects the W and gets the job done.

On the back of two comprehensive 3-0 wins, fans should be buzzing. Some undoubtedly are, but you don’t have to scratch too far under the surface to find the curmudgeons who want to contextualise everything good with something bad.

Sometimes it’s ok to just be happy and enjoy the good times.

Match ratings

Smith (9)

Jude Arthurs (8)

Omar Sowunmi (9)

Byron Webster (9)

Callum Reynolds (9)

Reece Hannam (9)

James Vennings (8)

Billy Bingham (8)

Corey Whitely (7)

Michael Cheek (7)

George Alexander (6)

Subs:

Louis Dennis (on 68 for George Alexander) 7

Ethan Coleman (on 71 for Billy Bingham) 7

Mason Bloomfield (on 78 for Corey Whitely) 6

For those who are interested, I have also included the interview with Oldham manager David Unsworth - always worth seeing how the opposition viewed a match as well (apologies for the bad reception)

---

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

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

If you havent as yet make sure you read the other articles in the archive.

If you’d like to show an appreciation for the work that goes into this newsletter you can buy me a coffee through the link below.

You can also find Machel St Patrick Hewitt on Twitter - here

Most importantly of all subscribe to the newsletter to ensure you get these updates direct to your inbox.