Andy Woodman has hailed an “excellent” performance as Bromley won 3-1 away at Crawley to move top of Sky Bet League Two.
Michael Cheek’s first EFL hat-trick saw Bromley climb to the summit of the fourth tier after Walsall lost 2-1 at home to Oldham, although Woodman’s Ravens did concede a first-half equaliser through Charlie Barker’s header from a 42nd-minute corner.
Woodman however was delighted with how his team produced an “excellent” performance to end Crawley’s six-match unbeaten home run, as he reflected on their display in his post-match interview on Bromley’s YouTube channel.
“Amazing. I thought the lads were excellent. Um yeah it was I thought a solid performance kind of um everything I wanted for my team. I thought we played the better football as well. Um keep being a Crawley this playing football sort of team.
“Um, they surprised me a little bit. They kept playing it to the keeper then kept booming it long, which was a real surprise to me that they had that tactic today.
“Um and we kept the ball, put the ball in the right areas, played in the right areas, and I thought we were excellent. I thought there was only one team out there that, you know, that was on the money and that was us.”
Cheek’s hat-trick left Woodman blown away in awe but he however refused to indulge solely in praise for the 34-year-old forward, as he highlighted Omar Sowunmi and Deji Elerewe for praise.
“Michael Cheek, excellent today. You just can’t give him chances like that. Half chances, excellent. The header, the first header was excellent. Um and the other two goals, you know, fantastic Michael Cheek, you know, he’s the obvious one to single out, but I think my two centre halves were epic tonight.
“Um I thought Omar and Deji were solid. Absolutely solid. Won every ball in the air, competed well. Um, really good performance all over the pitch. And, um, you know, again, you know we listened to their manager give an interview saying about it’s a hard place to come here and this and that. And he kind of done my team talk for me.
“Um, you know, he wasn’t bothered about Bromley coming here and we just kind of turned up and done what we done. Got the result.”
Woodman added that his team had earned “the right” to their victory on merit in contrast to their “out of jail” comeback win at Bristol Rovers on Boxing Day, as he credited them for their ability to win every battle and control the game with grip.
“Well that is what football is. You know, you got to win the right and um the first half against Bristol Rovers, we didn’t win the right. We didn’t win that. Tonight we won the right. We won every battle, every second ball, we were on every ball. Um and you have to do that in any game of football.
“In the Premier League where I’ve worked and at this level, you’ve got to win that battle in there and you’ve got to get a grip of the game. And I felt we got a grip of the game. And I felt we, you know, we got a sucker punch with the set piece which was a little bit disappointing because that’s not really us.
“But other than that I can’t really remember Grant making a save. I don’t think they threatened us in two games. So um brilliant performance by us. Onto the next one now though. We’re not going to get too carried away. You know, we’ve put ourselves where we want to put ourselves and now we got to stay there.”
Those qualities are reflected in Bromley’s club culture instilled by Woodman, who has iterated that they haven’t achieved success just by finishing 2025 top of the table.
“Relentless. Yeah that’s exactly. That’s our strapline. We’re relentless in everything we do. And these boys have brought into it and now they’re driving it themselves. Um you know, the ones that are not playing, they’re driving the ones that are playing. And it’s brilliant.
“This is exactly where I wanted to get this football club and this group of players and it’s not taken five minutes. It’s taken time and we’ve got a good culture around the club.
“But I must repeat, we haven’t achieved anything yet.”
Woodman and his team now turn their attention to a home clash against relegation-battling Newport County on New Year’s Day, but the 54-year-old boss has warned that his team must continue their high-flying form for remainder of season knowing that they’re now the hunted club.
“This counts for nothing unless you get a result against Newport County. And that’s how it’s going to be now all the way.
“Every game is going to be a massive game for us because we’re there to be shot at and that’s where we want to put ourselves and we want to put Bromley right at the top of the three and right at the top of the map.
1004 Bromley fans made the short trip to Crawley which left Woodman delighted that they went home with a victory to celebrate, but he has urged more fans to support the team at home against Newport as he reflected on the fact that they were relegation favourites at start of season.
“It’s brilliant isn’t it? You know when you can give them a journey home and that and they’re happy and they’re right behind us all the way and a lot of those people go up the country. This is a closer one and you can send them home happy and hopefully they will now come in their droves Saturday you know, or their next home game.
“I think it’s Thursday. Is it or Friday? You know, we need them to keep coming. We need everyone in Bromley to keep turning out for these boys because there’s something special going on here.
“I can’t keep saying it. You know, we were favourites to be in the bottom two or three, I think, or and everyone keeps talking about budgets and we got the lowest budget where we got the biggest heart and the biggest group of players that are really to a man working their socks off.”
With home games against Newport then Oldham to come to finish off the festive period, Woodman praised his squad for how they have handled the hectic period so far in a selfless manner.
“There boys, by the way, I must say that they’ve given up their Christmas Day. They’ve got their Boxing Day. They’ve given up their New Year’s Eve. They’ve given up their New Year’s Day. I know people say it’s their job, but these boys have not flinched once. They are giving up everything to make sure that they keep pushing this club forward. And credit to them.
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