In Review: Bromley 2 - 1 Barrow

On Saturday, Bromley cemented their place as the most in-form team in League Two, and while the football isn’t always easy on the eye, they’re playing like they have promotion on their mind.

Join me as I explore The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (and The Pitch) from Bromley’s 2-1 win at home to Barrow. 

Bromley 2 Ifill 32', Kabamba 88'

Barrow 1 Whitfield 50'

Formation: 4231

Grant Smith

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Marcus Ifill (Brooklyn Ilunga 81')

Deji Elerewe

Omar Sowunmi

Idris Odutayo

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Ashley Charles

Jude Arthurs (Ben Krauhaus 59')

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Corey Whitely (Nicke Kabamba 68')

Will Hondermarck

Mitchell Pinnock

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Michael Cheek

Have you ever seen Bromley change shape as many times as they did in this game?

Starting in a nominal 4-2-3-1, they strived to win the midfield and ask questions of Barrow, but as the game ebbed and flowed, they shifted between 3-4-2-1, 4-4-2, and 3-5-2.

Some accuse Bromley of having a certain, rather limited way of playing, but yesterday's game put two fingers up to that charge. This season, Andy Woodman has options on the bench that allow him to play multiple ways, but you still have to make the right changes at the right time. Against Barrow, he did that perfectly.

Ben Krauhaus came on in the 60th minute to add guile in the half spaces, Nicke Kabamba came on in the 67th minute to add a dual battering ram alongside Michael Cheek, and Brooklyn Ilunga burst into life for the final 10 minutes, adding pace and direct running from the left. In an encounter of fine margins, those changes shaded the game for Bromley. 

Will it always work? No. But as Andy said in our post-match interview, this season, Bromley have the capacity to throw caution to the wind. 

There were of course some strong performances. Deji Elerewe won the Man of the Match award, and I thought he was imperious; nothing went past him. Like Idris Odutayo on the other side, Deji has become practically undroppable. 

Speaking of undroppable, while he didn’t score in this game, Omar Sowunmi continued his good form, and Ashley Charles put in a good shift in front of the defence, keeping Bromley moving and making timely interventions. But I must take some time to focus on Marcus Ifill. 

When Lakyle Samuel signed on loan from Manchester City, fans had to wonder how it would affect Marcus Ifill’s place in the starting XI. Arguably, the competition was exactly what Marcus needed to up his levels.

When the season started, who on earth would have imagined Andy would start Marcus Ifill as a traditional right-back? Yet here we are, with Bromley having defeated Colchester away and Barrow at home with Ifill in exactly that position. 

Has any player in the Bromley squad had a better glow-up than Marcus? Signed as a promising U21 player from Brighton’s PL2 side, initially with the right-wing or number 10 position in mind, he has become a trusted player at right wing-back and now right-back. 

I don’t think he is locked into those positions, and I expect he will play further forward at times this season, but his rise has echoes of when Idris Odutayo joined as a promising U21 player from Fulham. Once again, Andy appears to have unearthed a new gem to polish.

One criticism people have of Marcus is that he needs to add goals and assists to his game. I’m sure he would agree that, given how many times he works himself into promising positions, he has under-delivered in that regard. For that reason, it was great to see him pull the trigger from outside the box, on his weaker foot no less, and trust his instincts. More of that, please.

Incidentally, who was your Man of the Match?

Finally, a word on the attendance, as 3,900 packed into Hayes Lane on a drizzly Saturday afternoon to watch Bromley battle Barrow. Lack of facilities aside, the East Terrace is starting to feel at home now, and there is more of an atmosphere when everyone gets going. 

But where was everyone before that stand went up? At the start of the season, when we were underselling even at a reduced capacity, it seemed baffling that attendances had fallen so low. Do you mean to tell me that circa 1.5k people were refusing to come until the stand was finished? 

Unpack that conundrum for me.

At times, Bromley’s strong style is hard on the eye, but it is highly effective in nullifying the opposition. But would you prefer them to start games on the front foot, whatever that means to you, or be more robust, as is currently the case?

I’ve had a few people question the deployment of Hondermarck, Arthurs, and Charles as a midfield trio, citing their lack of attacking intent. In yesterday’s interview, Andy Woodman referred to them as “the three dogs,” and they’re starting matches together because it works.

In this year's iteration of League Two, setting up in a robust style has made Bromley as competitive as any of the deep-pocketed, promotion-chasing sides. If you’re in any doubt as to the style’s effectiveness, consider that the Ravens have only lost three times in sixteen games, the joint-fewest number of losses in the league. Convinced yet?

For argument’s sake, let’s say Bromley opt for a more expansive and eye-pleasing style from the get-go. They might increase their chances of racking up some early goals, but is the resulting lack of defensive solidity a gamble you would be willing to take?

A month or so ago, Andy was raging about the lack of clean sheets and demanding his side go back to basics. Since then, Bromley have only conceded four goals in five league games. I don’t think the style of play and its effectiveness are a coincidence. 

That said, the goal they conceded against Barrow was a sloppy one. Watch it back and you’ll see a microcosm of lost 50/50s, slips, shanked clearances, and missed interceptions that led to a fantastic strike that wasn’t closed down. The analysis session will be brutal.

With around 20 minutes to go in the second half, Barrow goalkeeper Wyll Stanway came for a cross and fell awkwardly, ramming his head into the turf. At the time, I noticed the Barrow physio doing the concussion check with him. You know, the ones where they hold the player’s hands in front of them and ask them to look ahead and go through protocols. It happens a lot in cricket. 

This will sound like hindsight, but I was thinking at the time, what if the goalkeeper is telling the physio he’s okay when he isn’t? In the modern game, when a concussion check is required and even the slightest doubt enters the physio’s mind, the bench should take the player off out of an abundance of caution.

As it was, Stanway went on to produce two great saves in the closing stages, but I suspect he probably can’t remember them. At the full-time whistle, he fell to the floor and had to be helped off the pitch by several medical staff. 

Post-match, as I waited around to capture the thoughts of both managers, Stanway remained outside the dressing rooms, leaning unsteadily on the railings. He was pale, his eyes were glazed over, and there was no doubt in my mind that he had little idea where he was or what was going on. If I am speaking out of turn, I will gladly be corrected, but he looked in an awful, awful way. The fact that several concerned-looking staff members were standing alongside him seemed to confirm as much.

Barrow manager Andy Whing alluded to the injury in his post-match interview, suggesting that Stanway had a concussion. So, pray tell, why was he kept on?  

I don’t want to hear that the player said he was fine. With a starting place on the line, players will try to play on, even if their body is telling them they can’t. The coaches and medical staff owe them a duty of care, and with a concussion protocol substitution available, the decision to play it safe is made all the easier.

This was a bad look for Barrow. Stanway was in a terrible condition after the match, and keeping him in the line of fire could have made things much worse. Here’s wishing him a speedy recovery.

From Bromley With Love is a proudly independent platform that tracks the pulse of the terraces and takes fans to the heart of Bromley Football Club. We signed with local-journalism champions CounterPress in August, and our new home is more play-off contender than relegation fodder. But seeing 4,000 fans in the stands was a reminder that the fanbase is growing and we need to grow with it. 

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Machel

Grant Smith (7)

Marcus Ifill (8)

Deji Elerewe (8)

Omar Sowunmi (8)

Idris Odutayo (7)

Jude Arthurs (7)

Ashley Charles (8)

Corey Whitely (7)

Will Hondermarck (7)

Mitchell Pinnock (8)

Michael Cheek (7)

Subs: 

Nicke Kabamba for Corey Whitely 68’ (8)

Brooklyn Ilunga for Marcus Ifill 81’ (7)

Ben Krauhaus for Jude Arthurs 69’ (7)