Progress in The Trophy!

For the first time in five years we lasted more rounds than Audley Harrison in our FA Trophy campaign! A gutsy 2-0 victory at Staines Town in a replay on Tuesday night thanks to two quality goals from Tony Finn & Ali Chaaban set us up with a First Round Match at home to Boreham Wood on 24 November. The first game at Hayes Lane finished 1-1 after we had started well and faded badly in the second half, once again not making our dominance count when we had it, but Tuesdays result shows some real character from this current squad. Former Irish under 21 International Ian Daly finally got a start and reports back were that he had a good game and could be a useful addition to the forward line given we have a fairly poor record in front of goal so far in 2012.   

Before the next Trophy game we have a vital Conference South game at home to Billericay Town on Saturday and then a slightly less important game with Gillingham in the Kent Senior Cup when I expect MG to give a few squad players a run out. The last time we met Billericay was the Play Off Final in May 2007 that saw us reach this level of football, Town have now joined us after winning the Isthmian Premier last season. Three points on Saturday and we can hopefully go into the two cup games without the spectre of relegation looming too darkly over our shoulders.

              

Cup Football, Distraction or Bonus?

There was no cup romance to be had by the seaside as we were comfortably dispatched 3-0 by Fleetwood Town, all the goals and the game being wrapped up in 34 first half minutes. It was areal shame to see Bromley play so poorly until it was too late, they just didn’t play the way they usually do, instead they banged it long down the diagonals and played right into the home side’s hands. Once we got the ball down and played it was to late, but at least we gave opposition 60 places above us decent game for the second half. Fleetwood were great hosts and the day itself very enjoyable, I just hope if we do make it to the first round again we at least give a better account of ourselves on the pitch.

From playing in front of 1,696 on Saturday with 300 travelling up from Bromley, we then took on Harrow Borough in the London Senior Cup on Tuesday at Hayes Lane in front of 60! Elliott Buchanan’s sublime effort seeing us through 1-0 and setting up a Quarter Final tie at home to either Met Police, Beckenham or Tooting. This competition just really fails to capture the imagination of many fans right up until the final.

It’s cup football again at Hayes Lane this Saturday as we take on Staines Town in the FA Trophy. Once again a very uninspiring draw given they also play in our league and although there is prize money at stake I think most Bromley fans would swap a little progress in the Trophy for three vital league points right now. The league game on the opening day ended 0-0, let’s hope it’s different this time as a replay would not be well received.   

By the time we face Billericay at HL in the league on 17^th November we may be right back down in the mire again, but hopefully there is enough about the squad this year for us to pull clear earlier than the end of April like last season. If we hit a decent patch of league form then we might be able to enjoy a bit of a run in either the Trophy, London or Kent Cups without worrying about relegation.                         

Off to Fleetwood with 3pts in the Bag.

So after Saturday's last minute chocker against league leaders Salisbury City, losing 2-1 after matching them for most of the game, we did manage to get a vital league win on Tuesday beating Maidenhead Utd 3-2 ahead of the FA Cup first round tie at Fleetwood Town this Saturday.
For an hour we were superb on Tuesday, playing some really atractive football and creating loads of chances, but then at 3-0 up we hit the panic button and were lucky to hold on in the end for the win. Joe Welch's penalty save proving vital. Now ith a little breating space between us and the relegation zone things are all focused on the pressure free fun of the FA Cup.
There were amazing displays from the New Bloods behind the goal for the last two home games, I find the drum a bit much, but these kids have shown some real passion for the club and created much needed atmosphere at the lesss glamorous games.  
It looks like we'll be taking up around 200 fans to get behind the side on their very tough mission against League Two promotion chasers Fleetwood. The club have comissioned a special one of yellow shirt for the game as both our usual kits are too close to the home sides red & white. It'll seem a bit odd to see the lads take the field in Cray colours, but it's a lot better than the blue kit!
So it's an early start for a couple of hundred Bromley fans on Saturday morning looking forward to a great day on on the Lancashire Coast and anything else will be a bonus. 
    

Cup Euphoria, but Keep an Eye on The League!

For the fourth time in six seasons Mark Goldberg had led a Bromley team to the first round of the FA Cup and when you consider that prior to this we'd only made it twice in 30years it shows what a great achievement it is.
Plans are being made and booked up for the trip to League Two Fleetwood Town, but we will travel hope rather than expectation given how good the opposition are and the fact that Moses Swaibu will be out suspended follwoing his red card against Worcester.  A generous benefactor has subsidised the coach travel bringing it down to £20 which should help boost the numbers travelling.
Prior to this though we have two home league games and with us only out of the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference things can't be allowed to slip on this front. There are a few too many similiarities to last season when we suffered a massive cup hangover and then subsequent relegation battle.
Two former players who were with us last season are rumoured to be on their way back, neither of whom I can see will improve the squad and both have not exactly had a stabilizing influence before, I just MG knows what he is doing. I have an awful sense of deja vu and it put s a real dampner onwhat should be a massive FA Cup buzz right now.
Let's hope we can pick up points from the games at home to Salisbury & Maidenhead before our big day out on the Lancashire Coast on 3rd November with the pressure off.  
 

Proud to be A Raven.

Last Saturday saw one of the best Bromley performances I have been fortunate enough to see in the 35years I have supported the club. It was a professional and committed away performance against a very strong side and secured us a vital pot of cash from the FA Cup funds as we progressed to the fourth qualifying round. The players and management were a credit to the club and the fans certainly played their part too in earning us a home draw against Conference North Worcester City with the 2-1 victory at Dover.

It was great to see what was nearly our strongest possible line up take the field, even if some were taking a risk, and we stil have Albert Jarrett & Ali Chaaban to come back.  

Before that game we take on Welling United at home this Saturday in the league, with a big crowd expected for ‘Non League Day’ given that there is no Premier League or Championship football and it’s a local derby. The club have also launched a scheme whereby fans can gain entry for £6 before 2pm and they are also promoting the Kick it Out Campaign, hard to imagine Welling taking part in that a few years ago! Let’s hope all connected with Bromley FC are richly rewarded for these fine initiatives and can keep the impressive unbeaten run going.          

Walking Wounded Travel to Dover

After two solid performances against Havant & Basingstoke saw us pick up two more points in the league we are left facing the FA Cup trip to Dover with a threadbare squad thanks to even more injuries. The injury lists now reads Welch, Patterson, Dubois, Chaaban, Pacquette, Fuseini and Jarrett six quality players unable to play in the biggest game of the season so far.

Three at the back may be an option MG has to explore given what players he has available to him, personally I’d go with Howard, Sobers, Harwood, Swaibu, Ming, Finn, Waldren, Jones, Rhule, Buchanan, Malcolm.    

Academy kids have already been prepped to expect a call up for the bench and if by some miracle we manage to get a replay from our trip to the Kent Coast there’ll be some notes out to parents for Tuesday night.    

Let’s hope we can get a few more players back before next weeks game at home to Welling with Liam Harwood facing suspension after his early red card against Havant.  

Injury Time

A single goal with our only attempt on target gave us a much needed win in the FA Cup at Sutton last Saturday. Pierre Joseph Dubois 5^th goal in four games set up a third qualifying round match at Dover, pretty much the toughest match we could have got at this stage. Ahead of that we have two league games at home to Havant & Waterlooville, who have just sacked their manager, on Saturday and a trip to Basingstoke on Tuesday. Tough games at any time but increasingly more so given the amount of players who are currently injured with Ali Chaaban (ribs) and Albert Jarrett (knee) joining the list last Saturday.

Current form is good though, MG has us playing well and things seem to have clicked, our defence marshalled by Moses Swaibu looks solid and if we can take more of the chances we create at the other end then hopefully we can maintain our tenth place and give Dover a decent game next week.