Bromley B: Everything to play for

In recent years, they have come agonisingly close to qualifying for the Round of 16.

2025/26: Missed out by one point.

2024/25: Missed out on goal difference (amongst best runners-up)

For a club that was the sole Category 4 club in the competition, that was quite an achievement, to say the least. 

This season they are joined by one other Category 4 club, Wycombe Wanderers, but they are surrounded by a sea of more established Category 1-3  football clubs.

This year’s group stage sees Bromley in Group H alongside two Category 1 clubs, West Bromwich Albion and Ipswich Town, and a Category 2 club, Coventry City.

As before, despite the category gap, Bromley have more than held their own in the group. And as they have been handed the benefit of playing all of their three home games consecutively, the Bromley faithful have had a chance to witness the club’s homegrown talent up close, sprinkled with some senior players in need of minutes.

The side’s 3-0 win against West Bromwich Albion was a fantastic defensive rearguard display mixed with clinical decision-making in front of goal. I couldn’t make the 2-4 loss to Ipswich Town, but my understanding is that it was a game that could have gone either way, especially as Bromley led it late on before crumbling. 

This week, I took in the third group game of the competition: a home encounter against Coventry City U21s.

With Andy Woodman still needing to get some of his senior pros up to speed, Grant Smith featured for the first time this season, and Richard Taylor took to the field for the first time since his injury at Blackpool. Tobias Brenan was also included to keep his minutes ticking over.

Given the age profile of the youngsters they were playing against, it’s hard to make big declarations about match readiness or quality of play, but all three of the senior players made use of the minutes afforded to them.

Grant Smith made three important saves in the first half and two in the second to shut out City. It is only natural that he will draw criticism for the charged-down clearance that led to Coventry’s winner, but that shouldn’t detract from his important saves before that, which kept Bromley in the game.

Richard Taylor got 62 mins on his road to recovery. The defender looked good in possession and robust in his duals, so hopefully this signals that he will be available for first-team selection in the near future. Tobias Brenan was tidy in everything he did, and there is clearly a player there, but given Bromley’s signings at the end of the transfer window, it feels like he will have to go some way to get a regular first-team chance. This rather goes back to a point I’ve made in the past about making EFL Trophy games count.

In this encounter, Bromley took an early lead through George Evans, notching his third of the campaign. The goal was the result of a good break led by Brenan, with Joe Belmont providing a cross for the big striker to tuck home.

That early goal seemed to shock Coventry, and it took a while for them to work their way into the game. Bromley, to their credit, were relatively comfortable off the ball and happy to play quick breaking football when intercepting the ball. 

Jedd Hobbs was intelligent in the #10, while Nathan Paul-Lavaly simply made things happen every time he got on the ball.

There is a risk of confirmation bias where my reviews of Paul-Lavaly are concerned, but I remain convinced that he is above this level of football. Direct, robust, and willing to take on his man, if he’s not deemed ready for the first-team matchday squad, I fail to see how he isn’t out on loan and getting regular starts somewhere in the National League.

Bromley fell away as the match went on, and by the final whistle, the result read 1-2 to Coventry. Much like the 2-4 result against Ipswich, the Ravens had been the architects of their own downfall, conceeding late, self-inflicted goals that left them wondering what might have been. 

Despite the loss, a lot of players were largely tidy in what they did. Jonathan Haftom and Nathan Patten continued to add to their stock and reps, and Freddie Cowin looks ready for a loan at Isthmian Premier level to build up his senior football experience.

Don’t be tricked by the result; there was a lot to like about this performance. And in the end, it came down to the proverbial game of fine margins. 

Bromley’s B side play some good football, and it’s definitely worth taking a trip down to the Lane to watch them. If anything, the result seemed more about game management and individual errors than any one big failing. 

Grant Smith made some top stops, but at the other end George Evans had two great chances, one of which he should definitely have scored. Nathan Paul-Lavaly worked a good chance, and Riley Stammers curled wide when he should have hit the target. In that regard, it felt like a sucker-punch defeat.

The result means the young Ravens are currently last in their group on three points, but even so, with three games remaining, it is all to play for. Unbelievably every club is on a GD of zero and everyone has lost at least once.

Yes, the young Ravens now face three away fixtures, but given the fine margins of their three home games, there is every chance Bromley can go on the road and pull off some victories.

They travel to West Brom on Friday 30th October – Venue TBC

They travel to Ipswich Town on Tuesday 24th November – Venue TBC

They finish up at Coventry City on Monday 7th December – Leamington FC

These young charges have heart and I wouldn't bet against them springing some surprises on the road.

Grant Smith 6

Jonathan Haftom 7

Nathan Patten 7

Richard Taylor 8

Freddie Cowin 7

Alex Stepien-Iwumene 7

Tobias Brenan 7

Nathan Paul-Lavaly 8

Jedd Hobbs 6

Joe Belmont 6

George Evans 7

Subs:

Riley Stammers for Joe Belmont 15' (6)

George Rees for Richard Taylor 62' (6)

Sempastian Amatai for Freddie Cowin 62' (6)

Zack Cooley for Alex Stepien-Iwumene 83' (n/a)

Freddie Wiltshire for George Evans 83' (n/a)

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