Maidstone United 2-3 Bromley

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

After the home defeat to Wrexham two weeks ago, Bromley’s equation became straightforward: Treat the remaining nine league games as proverbial cup finals and what will be will be.

After two away wins on the spin, they have done everything Andy Woodman could have wanted and then some. But seven cup finals remain. 

As ever, I reflect on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 3-2 away win over Maidstone United.

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

The Line-up vs Maidstone United

The Good

If you are a keen reader of From Bromley with love then you will know that I’m a big Louis Dennis fan. I’ve written at length about Louis because, in terms of his ability to create as well as find the back of the net, he has no equal in the Bromley squad. He’s our X-factor player. 

A return of 8 goals from 17 league starts and 11 substitute appearances tells its own story. But, dig a little deeper and you’ll find that four of those goals led to Bromley winning by the odd goal and two of them were equalising goals in the final 10 minutes to earn Bromley a point. In that sense, Louis Dennis has single-handedly contributed 14 points to Bromley’s tally this season.

In a season where Bromley fans have bemoaned the lack of creative spark on the pitch, it remains clear to me that finding a definitive spot for Louis is one way of dealing with that issue. 

In his previous spell at Bromley Football Club, before sealing his move to Portsmouth FC, Louis blossomed when playing as the second striker off a number nine. Woodman utilised him in that position on Tuesday night and appeared to reap the rewards. 

On the basis that Cheek is the preferred number nine, and with Charley Kendall facing a three-match ban, if Woodman is forced to play Louis Dennis off Cheek in the coming games, it could be a revelation.

One thing is fundamental for Bromley: If Louis plays well, they win. But he’s so much better than a hot or cold player. Assuming Woodman extends his contract, which I think he will, the challenge for Louis is to make sure he is considered a nailed-on starter next season. His input in the final games of this season could make all the difference in that regard.

The other side to Tuesday’s tale was Michael Cheek’s performance. On a night where Bromley were disjointed for the most part, Cheek gave a masterclass in unselfish forward play.

He was a persistent nuisance to the Maidstone backline: winning his headers, holding up the ball, providing assists, and helping Bromley move up the pitch.

Strikers are usually judged on their goals, but despite not notching, Cheek was easily the man of the match. I would be surprised if many fans realised he provided the assists for the first and second goals. 

The final piece of good news on Tuesday night was nothing to do with the action at the Gallagher Stadium. Over at Boreham Wood, relegation-threatened Torquay United pulled off a surprise 1-0 win.

To make it to the postseason, Bromley are going to need some help along the way. The Torquay result was that and then some.

However, while results elsewhere are important, particularly where Eastleigh and Boreham Wood are concerned, Andy Woodman has made it very clear to his players: “Take care of our business first and foremost.”

The Bad

A win is a win, and that maxim should never be forgotten, but exactly how you win requires a level of scrutiny.

Make no mistake, these three points were gained in a very scrappy manner. Is this just par for the course where the Bromley DNA is concerned? Or is it just possible that, against a team cemented to the bottom of the table, we were dealt a Get Out of Jail Free card?

Bromley created more than enough opportunities to win the game comfortably. Louis could and should have had another two goals, and Ryan Stirk missed a sitter, but that shouldn’t cover up the fact that Bromley sometimes looked all at sea against a near-relegated Maidstone United.

At times, the defence was stretched far too easily and both of the goals we conceded were due to calamitous defending. 

Further up the field, the midfield three just didn’t work. For all of my excitement about Louis playing up-front with Cheek, I was sceptical pre-match whether Stirk, Vennings, and Bingham would offer enough attacking guile. It looked too ‘samey’ on paper and this proved to be the case. 

Away fans grew increasingly frustrated with the repeated, and often needless, turnover of possession. 

Even more criminal was the perception that the Ravens lost too many individual battles in their own defensive third. Granted Maidstone appeared to be fired up for this Kent derby, but only one team had meaningful points to play for. Yet, for a long time, you couldn’t tell which one it was.

This speaks to an issue that has been prevalent all season. Call it the lack of creativity or forward momentum in the middle third, it has been Bromley’s Achilles heel and one that they just haven’t had the personnel to resolve. 

I suspect Corey Whitely was supposed to be the answer this year but it hasn’t worked on a consistent basis. Louis has played there at times to ensure he can be slotted into the side, but that isn’t his best position. 

Thus, more often than not, Bromley are left with a midfield that can often look backwards in going forwards. This can be an asset in games where Bromley have to soak up pressure, but when they need to play front-foot football it tends to lead to more questions than answers. 

If I was Andy Woodman, I know where I would be starting my recruitment this summer. 

The Ugly

Maidstone United are a cautionary tale. Barring a miracle, they are about to be relegated back to the National League South just one season after coming up as champions. Bromley could have just as easily suffered the same fate if they didn’t have solid stewardship when they arrived in the National League.

This of course represents Maidstone’s second go at the National League in the last six seasons. They were previously promoted in 2015/16 (one season after Bromley) and remained in the fifth tier for three seasons (finishing 14^th, 19^th, and 24^th). 

The National League ain’t easy. When Bromley and Maidstone United were both promoted within a season of each other, both clubs were at very similar stages in their development. In fact, you could stretch to say that Maidstone United had the better capacity to kick on in 2016/17 given the size of their fanbase and their recent history.

Yet a misplaced sacking here and there and a lack of a cogent plan to survive in the National League means Maidstone United have become a yo-yo club that seem too big for the National League South but ill-equipped for the National League itself.

You have to feel for their fans. Only 1,900 people turned up for the Kent Derby on Tuesday, of which 412 were Bromley supporters. After a long and arduous season, Maidstone United fans are essentially voting with their feet. 

Bromley fans would do well to look at the cautionary tales of other clubs, particularly those near to us. They are a constant reminder that we shouldn’t take what we have for granted. 

Given Bromley’s budgetary restrictions relative to the clubs around them, being four points outside of the playoffs with seven games to go is a meaningful achievement and one worthy of commendation. 

If they maximise their remaining seven ‘cup finals’ and qualify for the postseason, it will be a major achievement. If they miss out, these remain extremely heady times to watch Bromley Football Club. 

The distance between Bromley and Maidstone United is only 30 miles. With their accumulated Conference and Football League experience, Maidstone United were the noisier neighbour for many years. Now, though, it’s Bromley who look like the club with Conference and Football League pedigree. The Ravens were certainly the noisier neighbour on Tuesday night.

Get at me in the comments below.

Match ratings

Reice Charles-Cook (6)

Kellen Fisher (7)

Callum Reynolds (6)

Omar Sowunmi (7)

Deji Elerewe (7)

Corey Whitely (7)

Ryan Stirk (6)

Billy Bingham (6)

James Vennings (6)

Michael Cheek (8)

Louis Dennis (8)

Subs:

Charley Kendall for Billy Bingham 61’ (5)

Harry Forster for Kellen Fisher 64’ (7)

Jude Arthurs for Louis Dennis 90+3’ 

Sent Off:

Charley Kendall 79’

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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

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