Bromley 3-3 Cambridge United (5-4 pens) - EFL Trophy

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Another new cup competition for Bromley, but this time they earned a win (of sorts).

Debate rages about the EFL Trophy and how serious it is, but it presents an opportunity for a Wembley cup run and gives Andy Woodman a window for squad rotation. What’s not to like?

Join me as I reflect on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 3-3 draw (and penalty shoot-out win) at home to Cambridge United in the Football League Trophy.

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

The team vs Cambridge United

The Good

Michael Cheek is the Bromley GOAT, of that there is no doubt, but have Bromley become too wedded to the idea of partnering Cheek with two attacking midfielders?

In this game, Marcus Dinanga and Levi Amantchi started the tie as a front two, with Cameron Congreve in the hole behind them. It looked fluid and threatening (in the first half).

Dinanga got in behind a lot, and Levi’s hold-up play brought others into the game.

It was great to see Marcus bag his first competitive goals for Bromley, with both being of the poacher variety. He needed that for himself, but it also raised the question of whether he needs a partner like Amantchi to get the best out of him.

That isn’t to say that Cheek shouldn’t play, far from it, but the squad members who played against Cambridge gave Andy Woodman lots to think about. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

Will Marcus Dinanga partner Michael Cheek against Colchester on Saturday? It’s a burning question. 

Elsewhere on the pitch, I was impressed with some of what I saw in the back five.

Yes, I know Bromley conceded three goals, and that will be the sole narrative for some, but I ask you to scrutinise these goals with the same energy that you scrutinised the goals that Bromley conceded against Crewe. There is more nuance to them than just pointing a finger at your chosen individual

All that said, I like how Andy set up with Besart Topalloj and Idris Odutayo. As I predicted in my FBWL team, both played, but unlike the usual configuration, Idris played as the LCB while Topalloj played as the LWB. I thought that on the whole it worked. More importantly, it gives Andy Woodman another jigsaw piece to deploy when this season’s puzzle demands it.

When Deji Elerewe returns to full fitness, I assume he will play at LCB, but the more versatility Andy Woodman can find within his squad the better.

Another stand-out performance in the middle of the defence came from Taylor Foran, who was making his first competitive start for Bromley. Taylor gave a mature performance that belied both his age (20) and the fact it was his first performance at this level of football.

Alert: Danny Imray is not yet at his physical optimum. He was found wanting for the third goal, but his forward runs and ability to move Bromley up the pitch was great to see, and his turn of pace is exceptionally hard to defend against. 

Danny added another assist to his tally in this game, cutting back for Marcus Dinanga’s first goal. When he reaches his physical peak, Bromley will have an assist machine on their hands. 

I know there is a narrative and a confirmation bias for some regarding Omar Sowunmi, so I will let you cook on that, but what I saw was a player who will only get better with more minutes. The second goal in particular showed why he is a crucial component in both penalty boxes. Go watch it back.

Lastly, a special mention for Josh Thomas. He only played the final 24 minutes of normal time, plus the seven minutes of time added on, but he showed in that cameo exactly why Andy wanted him at the club. 

On first viewing, Josh stretches the play and forces defenders to make a choice: Either they play a very good offside line against him, or they drop deep to counteract the pace. The former risks getting it wrong and giving up a major opportunity, the latter potentially opens up space for others in front of the back line.

I still don’t know how Andy is going to accommodate all of his strikers, but I can see Josh Thomas leapfrogging a few in due course.

NB: Olufela Olomola played for the first time this season. Not only did he score the game-tying goal, he also scored the match-winning penalty. We better not sleep on him, either.

In terms of Cambridge, I saw enough to confirm what their fans have been saying. 

They move the ball very well and are obviously committed to the pass-and-move philosophy. It is brave and very nice to watch (albeit naïve at times) but Cambridge fans may need to trust the process and accept there will be some poor results before the dawn comes. 

When they got into their stride, the U’s moved Bromley out of shape and bided their time for the killer pass. All three goals were exceptionally well executed; I had to applaud each of them.

Josh Stokes, you should remember him from Aldershot Town, was at the heart of the first two goals; showcasing why he got his big move to Bristol City. However, the player who impressed me most was Dan Barton, who played alongside Stokes in the hole behind the frontman.

Barton is a product of the Cambridge Academy system. At just 19 years old, he looks like an exciting prospect who can travel with the ball, spot a pass, and find the kind of space that defenders hate.

The only disappointment was that he went off injured after 78 minutes, but the future looks bright for that young man.

The Bad

Bromley let another lead slip. It’s up to you how you view this trend in the grand scheme of things.

I guess it depends on the regard you have for the EFL Trophy and how important you believe it is for Andy Woodman to learn about his wider squad.

Ultimately, no one wants to see their side lose a 2-0 lead, and to pretend otherwise would be facetious, but I thought Cambridge’s goals were exceptionally well worked and tricky to defend.

I’m sure you could pick holes in all three goals in terms of how Bromley set up for the transitions, but sometimes you have to doff your cap to the opposition. 

I mean, Cambridge are in League One after all.

The Ugly

I have no idea what people’s expectations of this competition are, but for Bromley it seems like the Football League equivalent of the FA Trophy.

If you get to the latter stages then you have to start taking the competition super seriously, but if you get knocked out early-doors then very few people will kick up a fuss. This kind of apathy is why EFL Trophy attendances are low up and down the country. 

At Hayes Lane on Tuesday night, the whole East Terrace was closed, and the total attendance was just 1,120. While there have been some unhappy noises about the club’s decision to charge full whack for this game, I don’t put the poor turnout down to ticket prices.

I don’t know if there is a mandated minimum price for the competition, but even if the club had charged £10 for adults, it would have only added another 200 or so to the gate. Worth it?

The problem of low attendance really lies with the EFL. Unless they find a way to elevate this competition, either by raising the prize money or tweaking the rules, I don’t see anything changing.

However, if teams are prepared to do the hard yards, Wembley awaits. And as that stadium is Bromley’s second home these days, why not give it a shot?

Over to you. What did you make of the game? 

Get at me in the comments below.

Match ratings

Sam Long (7)

Omar Sowunmi (7)

Taylor Foran (7)

Idris Odutayo (7) 

Danny Imray (8)

Lewis Leigh (7)

Ashley Charles (7)

Besart Topalloj (7)

Cameron Congreve (7)

Marcus Dinanga (8)

Levi Amantchi (7)

Subs:

Kamarl Grant for Omar Sowunmi 79’ (8)

Jude Arthurs for Lewis Leigh 67’ (7)

Josh Thomas for Marcus Dinanga 66’ (7)

Olufela Olomola for Levi Amantchi 66’ (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

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