Dorking Wanderers 2-3 Bromley

The Good, The Bad & the Ugly

This was one of those games where you’re really glad you made the effort to go. It’s probably the most I’ve enjoyed watching Bromley all season. Away from home, on a clear, crisp Saturday afternoon in November, with a couple of hundred Bromley boats moored at a proper non-league ground, the team grafted to pick up three points against all odds: injuries, an early red card, eighteen minutes of injury time, and a diabolical referee.

The Ravens went into the game on the back of eight matches without a win. But there were signs in the 1-1 draw with Halifax the previous Saturday that things might be about to improve, particularly with Michael Cheek re-discovering his goal-scoring touch. As a result, Andy Woodman’s team took just enough momentum into this game to pick up a vital win.

Dorking will give every team a tough game. They get the ball forward quickly with excellent movement and pace. On another day, they might have scored five. But Bromley’s defending, and Tom Smith’s goalkeeping, were exceptional.

Taking Machel’s mantle for a week, here’s my take on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Line-up vs Dorking Wanderers

The Good

The back three were immense, but Omar Sowunmi was the stand-out for me. He made a number of blocks and chipped in with the second goal, heading home a Forster corner just before half-time. Tom Smith had his best game for the club so far, too. The Arsenal loanee pulled off several brave saves and really stood out (and not just because he was wearing a bright orange kit).

Out wide, Harry Forster provided much-needed pace on the counter-attack and scored Bromley’s vital third goal, albeit thanks to some dreadful goalkeeping.

In the centre of the park, Ethan Coleman came on after only half an hour to replace Billy Bingham, who looked to have pulled his hamstring, and put in a real shift.

And up top, Michael Cheek scored a lovely goal and played the lone-striker role superbly when the Ravens went down to ten men.

I’ve picked out my star performers, but the whole team deserves credit for keeping their shape and discipline in the second half, as do the coaching staff for setting us up to execute this.

It’s a shame the next league match isn’t until 3rd December as it would be good to keep this momentum going. The spirit and character shown was special.

The Bad

The Referee has to be singled out. The second yellow for Corey Whitely on forty-one minutes was nonsense. Even the Dorking players looked shocked. The match official also turned a blind eye to some very dangerous aerial challenges from our opponents. To make matters worse, it took him far too long to stop the game for a head injury to Reece Hannam, his second of the game, that saw him have to go off early in the second half.

The Ugly

Perhaps this is a continuation of ‘The Bad’, but eighteen minutes of injury time tells its own tale. There were three nasty head injuries and the physios on both sides were kept busy all game. The standard of refereeing in this league can be hit-and-miss, to say the least, but this was bordering on dangerous.

Match ratings

Tom Smith (9)

Harry Forster (8)

Omar Sowunmi (9)

Byron Webster (8)

Callum Reynolds (8)

Reece Hannam (8)

James Vennings (8)

Billy Bingham (7)

Corey Whitely (7)

Michael Cheek (9)

Adam Marriott (7)

Subs:

Ethan Coleman 8 (for Bingham 30 mins)

Jude Arthurs 8 (for Marriott 45 mins)

Charles Clayden 7 (for Hannam 48 mins)

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