Wrexham 2-1 Bromley

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

A midweek trip to Wrexham was always going to be a hard task. The Red Dragons have won all of their home games this season for good reason, and their ability to dip freely into the transfer market gives them a squad depth that’s hard to match.

That said, the Ravens will look back at the game as one that got away. Luck just wasn’t on their side.

There are very few teams, if any, that will return from the Racecourse with points this season, but Bromley may well have handed Wrexham their toughest test so far. 

As ever, I reflect on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 2-1 defeat away to Wrexham.

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

The Line-up vs Wrexham

The Good

I sound like a broken record, but Kellen Fisher and Besart Topalloj continue to turn in performances that belie their age and inexperience. For three games in a row now, against two promotion contenders, they’ve stood up to the task.

Unlike the holiday double-header against Southend, these full-backs played as wing-backs against Wrexham. Though, understandably, they spent most of their time providing defensive solidity rather than an attacking outlet. 

Fisher’s reckless tackle in the opening two minutes aside, he gave a performance that would have left anyone hard-pressed to guess that he was a 17-year-old with only five National League appearances. Much less one facing up to Elliott Lee.

Away from those two individual performances, the team as a whole was set up very well to nullify Wrexham. Arguably, until the penalty decision, Wrexham had produced little of note. 

Even in the second 45, although Wrexham predictably cranked up the pressure, at no point did it ever look like Bromley were overrun. 

Of course, Wrexham will point to their FA Cup giant-killing exploits taking a lot out of them, but not all of their starting XI played against Coventry City. Sometimes credit has to be given to the opposition, in this case Bromley, and the effectiveness of their game plan. A big part of Bromley’s game plan was preventing Wrexham from executing their own and they succeeded more often than not.

Special mention should go to Corey Whitely for notching his first league goal of the season. It was an instinctive reaction to Louis Dennis’ cross, but more importantly, Corey was in the box to score the goal. I’ve been critical of Corey’s goal return this season, so hopefully this is the boost he needs to make a more meaningful contribution over the remainder of the campaign.

Off the pitch, we should acknowledge Michael Cheek signing a new two-year deal. As alluded to in previous articles, I’ve wondered whether Cheek really wanted to be here this season. My theory is that he was gutted at missing out on his last shot to play at a higher level. Whether he was or wasn’t, the new deal is a statement of intent by Bromley.

Michael hasn’t had a good season this year but, with 22 games to go, he still has time to cash in. As I’ve long stated, if he returns to his usual mean form, Bromley will end up in the play-offs. Perhaps with his contract situation sorted, he will have the peace of mind to play with more freedom.

The Bad

There was a clear difference between the two sides, one that speaks volumes about the challenge Bromley face in their play-off quest.

In the second half, Wrexham turned to their bench and brought on Liam McAlinden, James Jones, and Sam Dalby; all players with significant EFL and National League experience.

On the Bromley bench were Ben Krauhaus (18), George Alexander (22), James Vennings (22), and Harry Forster (22); all young pros who are learning their trade.

That’s an inexperienced bench no matter who you’re facing, much less the champions-elect.

Perversely, despite me praising the performance of the youngsters, and despite their strong performances thus far, the proof remains in the pudding. 

Since the turn of the year, Bromley have lost three of their squad. Chris Bush has joined Boreham Wood, while Reece Hannam (injury) and Charles Clayden (poor form) have gone back to Crystal Palace and Charlton respectively.

It goes without saying that Bromley have to add some reinforcements, and the sooner the better. As Woodman has already stated, it needs to be a case of quality not quantity. This was a mistake we made last season. 

Realistically, however, we aren’t Wrexham. We’re shopping in the National League equivalent of TK Maxx. There will be a bargain hiding in the racks, but we’re gonna have to search long and hard to find it. 

The Ugly

The debate continues to rage, but with a distance of 48 hours since the game, I can say with a clear head that I understand why the penalty was given. I still don’t agree with the decision, though.

Obviously, people will say "well of course you don’t, you’re a Bromley fan." Such is the way of football partisanship. After multiple replays, however, I have narrowed my perplexity down to the following questions.

I ask all level-headed Bromley/Wrexham/neutrals who watched the game to answer them.

1. Was Cheek’s foot a high boot if Tunnicliffe was actually standing up?

2. What is the definition of a high boot if one of the players is getting up off the ground in the process?

3. Given the ball's trajectory, does that not suggest that Cheek touched the ball before Tunnicliffe’s head? 

4. Does that matter?

5. What exactly was Cheek supposed to do, not contest the ball or wait for it to drop?

6. Do you genuinely believe the penalty would’ve been given at the other end with no fans asking for it?

Don’t get me wrong, I get why it was given, but I still think there are enough grey areas in the decision to ask questions. 

Whatever your view, the penalty decision changed the game. It gave Wrexham a foot-hold at a point where they had offered nothing beyond long throws.

If Bromley go in one-nil-up at half-time, they would’ve probably continued to frustrate Wrexham for large periods of the second half. But it is what it is.

Aside from the penalty decision, which I’ll let the referee get away with on the basis of probabilities, it was an evening in which neither the referee nor his assistants covered themselves in glory.

When the BT Commentators start asking what the referee’s assistants are playing at, you know the officials have had a poor one.

I counted two ridiculous non-offside decisions (in favour of Wrexham) and three clear penalties missed (one for Wrexham and two for Bromley).

I mean, ultimately, when your evening starts with Omar Sowunmi literally having his shirt ripped off his body, and the ref ignores it, you know you’re not gonna have much luck that night. This is before I even mention the deflected goal that won Wrexham the game.

In many ways, the defeat showed why Wrexham are likely to win the league: big squad depth and a desire to grind wins out, even when they’re not at their best. This is often what champions are made of. Particularly in the National League.

If, like Bromley, you don’t have the luxury of an abundance of quality in depth, you can only hope that, in addition to your endeavour, a little bit of luck comes your way. On Tuesday night, it didn’t. 

Match ratings

Reice Charles-Cook (7)

Kellen Fisher (7)

Omar Sowunmi (7)

Byron Webster (8)

Callum Reynolds (8)

Besart Topalloj (7)

Ethan Coleman (7)

Jude Arthurs (7)

Corey Whitely (7)

Louis Dennis (7)

Michael Cheek (7)

Subs:

Harry Forster for Kellen Fisher 76 (7)

Ben Krauhaus for Louis Dennis 67 (6)

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