Preview: Bromley vs Oldham Athletic

A run of sixteen league games without defeat has seen the Ravens reach a scenario where 15 more points will likely be enough to see them over the automatic promotion line. 36 points are up for grabs in the twelve games remaining. Can they achieve their goal?

In their way tonight lie the obdurate Oldham Athletic, a team with the second-best defensive record in the league but the eighth-worst offensive record.

Bromley have already felt the significance of this record in the game at Boundary Park, where a solitary Mike Fondop-Talom goal eight minutes from time was enough to seal the victory for the home side.

Oldham are one of only four teams to beat Bromley this season, and only four teams in League Two have lost fewer games than the Latics. Make no mistake, this will be a difficult encounter.

They arrive at Hayes Lane on the back of a four-match unbeaten run of their own, recording three wins against Crawley, Gillingham, and Bristol Rovers, and a draw against Fleetwood Town.

Those results may be against teams in the bottom half of the table, but form is form.

The Latics did not strengthen notably in the transfer window. Two young strikers arrived in the shape of Barnsley forward Fábio Jaló, who joined on loan for the rest of the season, and Bradford City forward Calum Kavanagh, who penned a permanent deal at Boundary Park.

Attacking intent was the name of the game and the goals have followed, with Oldham scoring eight in their last four games.

Away from home, it is likely that Oldham will opt for 4-2-3-1, with defensive solidity and pacy counter-attacks the go-to tactic.

That has worked for recent visitors to Hayes Lane, so I see no reason to believe Oldham will deviate from that approach.

The question is how Bromley set up to counter Oldham’s threat.

3-5-2 was the order of the day against Accrington Stanley as Andy Woodman opted to rotate bodies and change shape.

4-2-3-1 got Bromley to the top of the league. Is 3-5-2 the shape to get them over the finishing line?

We can bleat about horses for courses all we want, but Andy Woodman indicated pre Accrington that his side had been working on something new in training and we saw the fruits of that labour on Saturday.

It wasn’t fluent, and it wasn’t particularly pretty as they toiled to break down ten men, but they did create more chances than the preceding three games. Was that because it was against ten men or because the shape better suits the side and personnel?

All of that said, I sense injuries will dictate if we see any changes to the starting lineup against Oldham.

Starters versus finishers, who suits which role?

Idris Odutayo’s cameo from the bench suggests he stands a strong chance of a recall, but unless Marcus Ifill is back from injury, I can't see too many other changes.

From Bromley With Love XI

Smith

Debrah Sowunmi Odutayo

Ifill Arthurs Charles Pinnock

Whitely

Cheek Kabamba