Exactly at the half way point in the National League season Bromley find themselves sitting in ninth place with 34 points from 23 matches played, just one point off the play offs, with a busy schedule of fixtures coming up in January.
It’s been a season of ups and downs for Andy Woodman’s team so far, but going into the second half of the campaign they are still well placed to make a challenge for the post season promotion play offs, despite having a number of injuries and suspensions depleting an already small squad.
For the second year in a row The Ravens went into the new season looking a little under cooked from their pre-season build up and they lost their opening game 3-2 away at Wealdstone, followed by a 0-0 draw at home to Altrincham.
In the week leading up to the opening game Woodman signed keeper Reice Charles-Cook who had played in a number of the friendlies, adding to the permanent signing of midfielder James Vennings from Charlton who had been on loan at Hayes Lane towards the end of the previous campaign, defender Callum Reynolds came in from Dagenham and striker Adam Marriott from Barnet.
Once Bromley got going, they went on a run on winning three consecutive games 1-0, spawning the mantra ‘if you don’t conceded you don’t lose’, which would seem to be Woodman’s managerial philosophy.
Hit by injuries and suspensions the run came to a halt at Dagenham & Redbridge on August Bank Holiday Monday though where a depleted side lost 4-1.
Full back Reece Hannam joined on loan from Crystal Palace, adding to a number of young players on loan from league clubs including Charles Clayden from Charlton, Ethan Coleman from Orient and Zak Bradshaw from Ipswich.
Three wins out of four league games in September kept Bromley in touch with the promotion places, a 3-0 home win over Oldham Athletic was the club’s first win over a former Premier League side, Omar Sowunmi who was impressing at centre back also adding goals to his game, but Charles-Cook was injured in the 3-0 home win over Maidstone Utd and would be ruled out for several weeks, with Arsenal loanee Tom Smith taking over in goal for the rest of the year.
October proved to be more tricky, exiting the FA Cup and only winning once, 2-0 away at Boreham Wood. November started with a very creditable 1-1 draw at league leaders Notts County, a 2-0 home defeat to Woking followed and then a draw with Halifax Town, before it ended with a very entertaining 3-2 win at Dorking Wanderers, despite having had Corey Whitely sent off in the first half.
Long serving defender Chris Bush was on the bench for the Dorking game, but this would prove to be the last time he was named in a Bromley squad.
December began with the tragic loss of supporter Keith Hoare at Hayes Lane, only six minutes into the home game with Yeovil Town. The match was abandoned and would be re-scheduled for January.
Academy graduates Kellen Fisher and Ben Krauhaus came back to the club after impressive loan spells at Cray Wanderers and went straight into the squad, with Billy Bingham & Reece Hannam injured.
A week later The Ravens drew 3-3 at home to Wealdstone, before freezing conditions delayed the FA Trophy game at Bath City by four days and consequently saw the cancellation of the away game at Wrexham, which had already been re-arranged once.
The year ended with a fine 1-0 win at Southend Utd, Louis Dennis scoring the vital goal, Woodman opting for a back four for the first time with defender Besart Topalloj starting at full back on loan from Millwall.
Chris Bush signed for Boreham Wood and Mason Bloomfield went to Farnborough prior to a 0-0 home draw with Southend Utd on New Year’s Day, which saw the welcome return of Charles-Cook in goal, James Vennings and Omar Sowunmi also returned to the bench after injury & suspension.
Chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves reiterated his aim for the club to be promoted to the Football League in his Christmas message to the fans and details of plans to develop the side terrace at Hayes Lane were revealed.
The Ravens have exited all three cup competitions they enter at the first stage, losing to 2-1 Hereford in the FA Cup, 1-0 to Cray Valley PM in the Kent Senior Cup and their FA trophy defence ended with a defeat on penalties away at Bath City after a 2-2 draw, having lead 2-0 with ten minutes to go.
The positive spin on this is ‘concentrate on the league’, but the trophy defeat in particular was really hard to take, although of course this will be softened of Bromley make the play offs come May.
As they head into a busy January it really is all to play for in the National League for Bromley, although they will need some luck with injuries and some additions to the squad if they are to maintain the challenge.
Andy Woodman’s team travel to Altrincham on Saturday 7th, then Wrexham on 10th , they then face Yeovil at home on 14th before another away game at Torquay Utd on 17th, home games with Aldershot & Dagenham & Redbridge follow, prior to a trip to Scunthorpe on 28th to end a month that could go a long way into shaping how the season will go.
Picture supplied by Bromley Football Club.