Goals from Michael Cheek and Nicke Kabamba saw Bromley clinch a 2-0 victory at home to Barnet in a London derby.
Cheek put Bromley ahead through his close-range finish from Ben Thompson’s 36th-minute free-kick, before Kabamba fired in against his former team to complete the victory in the 95th minute.
Referee – Lee Swabey however substituted himself in the 57th minute due to an issue, which marked the second consecutive match involving Bromley where the referee didn’t complete the full match after their season-opening goalless draw at Shrewsbury.
Post-match, Woodman was pleased with consecutive clean sheets in a “tough” match but didn’t hide his disappointment at the fact that they wasted chances to further extend their winning margin.
“Yeah, I think clean sheets are what the success has been built on and the foundations. But it was a tough game. I thought we stayed solid. We didn’t give them I don’t think any opportunities and a good convincing win.”
“My only disappointment was we weren’t like fours and fives. I thought we had some unbelievable chances and we should have been out of sight but you know, that said 2-0 I take that.”
Bromley’s win saw them climb to seventh in the League Two table, whilst Barnet slipped to the foot of the standings behind Crawley by virtue of having failed to score in two games to Crawley’s sole goal – which came in their 2-1 home loss to Newport County.
Having scrapped their way to a goalless draw at Shrewsbury without a clinically accurate final touch, Bromley once again struggled to produce a sharp final touch in the early stages aside from two blocked headers and a wide shot from Thompson.
Barnet eventually tested Grant Smith with a 28th-minute curled shot from Idris Kanu which Smith flicked over the bar, before Marcus Ifill broke forward from the corner despite Kanu’s relentless tug which referee – Swabey ignored.
Tension between Ifill and Kanu soon peaked three minutes later as they scrapped for possession, which culminated in a reckless lunge from Ifill, although Swabey only dished out a yellow card to the 21-year-old.
Bromley soon turned the screws with a fast 35th-minute attack with a series of passes which found Cheek forced out right to play Ifill forward on the overlap, only for Romoney Crichlow-Noble to foul him.
Thompson subsequently swung the free kick across the box as Cheek swooped round the outside of his marker to right-foot a shot in past Cieran Slicker, who had joined the Bees on loan from Ipswich.
Bromley nearly doubled their lead through a 40th-minute header from Thompson but Nikola Tavares crucially cleared the effort to keep Barnet’s deficit to a single goal at the break.
Andy Woodman’s Ravens continued their pressure early in the second half as a defensive scrap just six minutes into the restart saw Mitch Pinnock force an outstretched save from Slicker with a powerful strike on goal.
Moments later, Swabey denied Bromley’s penalty appeals after Corey Whitely had been fouled inside the box in what proved to be his last impactful act as he swapped with fourth official, Christopher Myatt in a four-minute stoppage from the 57th minute.
Just before Swabey left the pitch, Slicker was lucky not to concede an own-goal as his touch from Danny Collinge’s backpass looped over and luckily just wide.
Like Swabey, Myatt continued to ignore obvious penalty appeals after Whitely was fouled as he met a 64th-minute cutback pass from Cheek, which left Andy Woodman furious at the refereeing decision.
Cheek nearly turned provider again five minutes later as he unleashed Thompson forward on a quick counter-attack, yet the ex Millwall midfielder rifled his shot wide of the left corner.
Barnet found a late attacking spark as Joe Hugill saw a header and two shots denied in the space of seven minutes.
Bromley’s harshly undeserved rotten luck with penalty appeals continued after Idris Odutayo was fouled during a 82nd-minute throw-in into the box, yet Myatt again snubbed the Ravens’ penalty appeals much to their dismay.
Despite a late stoppage caused by a head injury to Kyle Cameron during a 90th-minute corner, Bromley completed victory five minutes later as Kabamba met Will Hondermarck’s pass and rifled in past Slicker to complete victory amidst mutual celebrations from the 32-year-old.
The win also meant that Bromley have won both of their two opening home matches by 2-0 results in their first two seasons as an EFL club, after they beat AFC Wimbledon in this corresponding matchweek last season – albeit days after they lost to the Dons in the Carabao Cup.
What’s Next?
Bromley turn their attention to the Carabao Cup on Tuesday 12 August as they host Ipswich in the first round at 8pm BST at Copperjax Community Stadium, before they entertain Fleetwood Town in their next league clash on 16 August (3pm).
Barnet face a tricky home test against Walsall in their next outing at home on 16 August (3pm), having already exited the Carabao Cup at the preliminary stage to Newport County.
Teams
Bromley: Grant Smith, Omar Sowunmi, Byron Webster, Kyle Cameron (Elerewe 93′), Marcus Ifill (Odutayo 45′), Ben Thompson (Dinanga 72′), Ashley Charles, Mitch Pinnock, Will Hondermarck, Corey Whitely (Arthurs 84′), Michael Cheek (Kabamba 84′)
Substitutes: Sam Long, Deji Elerewe, Ben Krauhaus, Marcus Dinanga, Nicke Kabamba, Jude Arthurs, Idris Odutayo
Barnet: Cieran Slicker, Romoney Crichlow-Noble (Senior 67′), Danny Collinge, Nikola Tavares (Hawkins 84′), Kane Smith, Anthony Hartigan, Nnamdi Ofoborh, Idris Kanu (Galvin 72′), Dennis Adeniran (Brunt 67′), Joe Hugill, Ryan Glover
Substitutes: Zak Brunt, Ryan Galvin, Oliver Hawkins, Emmanuel Osadebe, Adam Senior, Mark Shelton, Joe Wright
Referee – Lee Swabey
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