In Review: Tranmere Rovers 0 - 2 Bromley

After Sunday’s home game against Oldham became a victim of the cold snap, some fans wondered if the break might actually work against them. Was it possible that Bromley’s winning momentum might slip on the ice?

The Ravens answered that question with another dogged performance against a struggling side, recording their first-ever win over Tranmere Rovers in the process.

Tougher tests await Andy Woodman’s side, but putting points on the board against teams lower down the table is a must if Bromley are going to achieve their ambitions this season. Dare we say ‘just nine more wins’?

In Machel’s absence, after and afternooon in the away end at Prenton Park, Andy Hammond examines The Good, The Bad and The Ugly from Bromley’s 0-2 win over Tranmere.

Tranmere Rovers 0

Bromley 2 Cheek 2', 57'

Formation: 4231

Grant Smith

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Marcus Ifill

Deji Elerewe

Omar Sowunmi

Idris Odutayo

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Ashley Charles

Jude Arthurs

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Corey Whitely (Brooklyn Ilunga 85')

Will Hondermarck (Ben Thompson 90+3')

Mitchell Pinnock 

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Michael Cheek (Nicke Kabamba 66')

Listening to Macclesfield beating Crystal Palace on the way to the game was a reminder that this time last year, Bromley had a much longer trip to Newcastle, and were even leading 1-0 for eight minutes. We all dared to dream for a moment there, didn’t we? Imagine the party in Macclesfield on Saturday night!

Anyway, Cheeky's stealthy season continued with a brace that took him to five goals in two games. It also put him back at the top of League Two’s scoring chart with 14 goals. Mash has often said that Cheek is a streak striker, and it seems we’re in the midst of a Cheek streak. Long may it continue.

Omar and Deji were immense from the first minute to the last, and looked a class above every time they got near the ball. Let's just hope that only 'scouts' watching Deji were his mum and dad. They watch him every week. How awesome is that?

The defensive duo won every header, bullied Tranmere’s seasoned strikers, cut out passes with long-legged interceptions, and showed their underlying class with some thoughtful distribution. These two have really blossomed as a partnership during Bromley’s recent run of form. It was good to see them back together after a bit of squad rotation in recent games.

Elsewhere, Andy Woodman went with all three of his midfield dogs, and it worked well. Captain Jude Arthurs lined up alongside box-to-box Will Hondermarck, with Ashley Charles tidying up behind them. The dogs of war harried the home side, making sure they never had the time required to get their game going. As the afternoon wore on, it became clear that Tranmere’s only chances would come from a Bromley mistake. 

There was no mistake.

Despite my natural pessimism about this fixture, the first goal played out in my mind five seconds ahead. When Mitch Pinnock picked up the ball on the left, I glanced to check Cheeky's position and saw that a pinpoint cross followed by an accurate finish would be the most obvious outcome. 

Reliability means even the Bromley support understands how this team functions. We know what these boys do, and opposition managers and players almost certainly do too, but most seem to be at a loss as to how to stop them.

The referee seemed to be struggling to understand how contact works in professional football. While each ref has their interpretation of the rules, they surely have to leave room for a bit of physicality. This isn’t basketball.

It wasn’t just Bromley fans left puzzled, as the home supporters seemed equally baffled. Rovers fans I spoke to were in agreement that the referee’s performance was poor, bordering on bizarre. 

I was silently pleading that Andy Woodman wouldn’t lose his cool with this erratic ref. There were plenty of chances to do so. Michael Cheek’s booking was a mystery to everyone in the ground. 

On the plus side, at least the refereeing team’s weird decisions didn’t affect the outcome of the game. Earlier in the season, feral officiating cost Bromley dearly. Hopefully, the tide has turned.

Tranmere were guilty of being a little tactically naive, which is odd considering the footballing experience spread throughout their starting XI. This was particularly apparent in their treatment of Idris Odutayo, who was booked in the first half. Instead of testing the left-back’s resolve in the second half, they switched their tricky winger, Jayden Joseph, to the opposite flank to have a go at Marcus Ifill instead.

Idris had a relatively easy time of it after that and rarely looked like he would collect a second yellow. Marcus Ifill, too, gave another impressive defensive showing, even when faced with the fleet-footed Joseph in the second half.

On tough-slogging, chilly away days like this one, Bromley’s brutalist style of football doesn’t do much to warm you up. It was a stop-start game from start to finish, and neither team looked capable of building the kind of beautiful, flowing move that culminates in a delightful curled finish.

If you want that kind of experience, don't rely on Andy Woodman’s side to deliver it. But if you want three ugly points, call in the Bromley Boys. 

I'm baffled when Premier League fans demand their manager be sacked because their football isn’t good to watch. The team that plays the prettiest football doesn’t always get the result that football deserves. And until the day they hand out points for style or moral victories, the only metric will be goals for and against.

If you’re a Bromley fan in search of beauty, assuming you live in the borough, London’s art galleries are just 20 minutes away by train. I want to follow a team that knows how to win; ideally, a team that knows how to win nine more games this season. 

Call in the Bromley Boys.

Grant Smith - 7

Marcus Ifill - 8

Deji Elerewe - 9

Omar Sowunmi - 8

Idris Odutayo - 8

Ashley Charles - 8

Jude Arthurs - 8

Will Hondermarck - 8

Mitch Pinnock - 8

Corey Whitely - 8

Michael Cheek - 9

Subs

Nicke Kabamba - 7

Ben Thompson - 7

Brooklyn Illunga - 7