In Review: Bromley 1 - 1 Notts County

The two sides’ encounters have historically been tight affairs, with draws the order of the day. This one was no different. Fans witnessed a half shaded by each side, and bar a few contentious decisions, neither team could really say they did enough to win.

Join me as I review The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 1-1 draw with Notts County.

Bromley 1 Dennis og 28'

Notts County 1 Jones 52' (pen)

Formation: 4231

Grant Smith

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Marcus Ifill

Jesse Debrah

Zech Medley

Idris Odutayo

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Ashley Charles

Jude Arthurs (Will Hondermarck 89')

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Corey Whitely (Damola Ajayi 79')

Ben Thompson (Nicke Kabamba 67')

Mitchell Pinnock (Brooklyn Ilunga 67')

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Michael Cheek 

Notts County had 63% of the possession, yet only had two shots on target in 90 minutes.

We can quibble about the fact that Bromley only had one, but there is a positive to be drawn from playing an automatic promotion rival and minimising risk to the point where they can’t do enough to win the match. 

Let us not forget that Notts came into this match off the back of six consecutive wins. In none of those matches did they have so few shots on target. Job done?

The primary focus, as far as this writer was concerned, was for Bromley not to lose. A win would have been a brilliant statement marker, but a draw protects the status quo ahead of some easier-on-paper challenges. 

When you add Swindon’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Shrewsbury, this point looks even better.

On the day, I thought there were a few excellent performances. 

It made sense to bring Jude Arthurs in for this game. Jude’s energy and assertiveness are needed against possession-dominant sides, and he responded in kind with an all-action Captain’s display. He and Ashley Charles covered a huge amount of ground and did well to stop County from dominating the game.

Likewise, in the back line, with Omar Sowunmi missing from the matchday squad, Zech Medley returned to the starting line-up alongside Jesse Debrah. Once again, I thought their partnership showed promise and went a long way to ensuring Notts were restricted to two shots on target. 

As aforementioned, Bromley didn’t need to win this game, and their performance essentially reflected that. It was only when they had a numerical advantage for the remaining 7 minutes of normal and stoppage time that they really tried to force the initiative, and a string of late penalty shouts and blocked shots was all they had to show for it.

The draw extended Bromley’s unbeaten home record and their unbeaten league run. It also maintained their four-point lead at the top of the table. What’s not to like?

Off the pitch, the official attendance figure again comfortably broke the 5,000 barrier. The East Terrace, soon to be the George Wakeling Stand, has given Bromley Football Club another lease of life. When full, which it has been of late, the stand adds a layer of noise that hasn’t previously been possible. Is this a sign of things to come?

Is it also possible that the bumper crowds have become the 12th man that are pushing Bromley to maintain their unbeaten home record?

The one County player who showed quality throughout the game was Jodi Jones. It was no surprise that he was the architect and goalscorer of their equaliser.

You can question whether the penalty foul took place outside the box, but either way, Marcus Ifill was caught out and committed a clumsy challenge. Unlike some, I have no issue with the penalty award. Bromley fans would have been screaming if it had happened at the other end. 

Ifill, while sticking manfully to his task, was given a difficult day at the office. There is no shame in that; he isn’t the first and won’t be the last right back to get taken there by Jones. 

I have to ask why Jones has not moved on from Notts County to play at a higher level of football. Maybe it is a case of staying where you are respected and well-treated.

From an attacking standpoint, are Bromley starting to look a bit tired and predictable, or are they just doing their job? They are 13 games unbeaten after all.

We can’t escape the fact that, despite winning, the Ravens failed to create many chances at Fleetwood. The Notts County match saw more of the same.

Far be it from me to imply that things need freshening up, but I suspect the introduction of Nicke Kabamaba and Brooklyn Ilunga with 23 minutes to go was Andy Woodman addressing that issue. 

Before the match, I wondered if Andy Woodman would be willing to spring a surprise on Notts County and leave out one or two big names. He didn’t, and it’s totally understandable. But will that still be the case against Cheltenham Town at home on Tuesday night?

Big games call for big players, and one might say Mitchell Pinnock’s assist for the opening goal proved that point.

Does that give the management team carte blanche to keep things as they are?

I feel like I covered the talking points about the refereeing performance in The Verdict, my regular post-match video reaction. If you haven’t already subscribed to From Bromley With Love’s YouTube channel, give it a quick click. You’ll get a notification every time a new video drops.

I will say that it is easier to referee a game in hindsight than in real time. Being able to look back at a replay and call out a refereeing team’s poor decisions isn’t the same as getting them right in the heat of the moment.

We have to accept that not all decisions are clear-cut on first viewing. Then again, the whole point of being a referee is to get the big decisions correct, no matter how difficult and contentious they may be be.

So, for the record:

Do I think Jodi Jones foul was a penalty? Yes, and I thought so in real time.

Did Scott Robertson deserve a booking for simulation? I think that was 50/50 and had no idea in real time.

Was Michael Cheek fouled in stoppage time? I don’t think so, and I certainly couldn’t tell in real time.

Was referee Darren Drysdale’s overall performance worthy of scrutiny? Yes, it seemed erratic, and there were several 50/50 calls that frustrated fans and managers of both sides. 

Martin Patterson, for example, was furious about a foul on Jodi Jones that wasn’t given in the build-up to a first-half free kick that went Bromley’s way. That free kick proved pivotal, as it led to the Ravens’ opening goal. He was also critical of Scott Robertson’s first booking for supposed simulation.

Andy Woodman, meanwhile, was spitting feathers over the failure to give a penalty at the death, and also because he felt that the foul for County’s penalty was committed outside the box.

Who would be a referee, eh? Was he really that bad? 

Grant Smith (8)

Marcus Ifill (6)

Jesse Debrah (8)

Zech Medley (7)

Idris Odutayo (7)

Ashley Charles (7)

Jude Arthurs (8)

Corey Whitely (6)

Ben Thompson (6)

Mitchell Pinnock (6)

Michael Cheek (6)

Subs: 

Nicke Kabamba for Ben Thompson 67’ (6)

Will Hondermarck for Jude Arthurs 89’ (n/a)

Brooklyn Ilunga for Mitchell Pinnock 67’ (6)

Damola Ajayi for Corey Whitely 79’ (7)