Bromley manager, Andy Woodman felt his team “couldn’t really get a grip” in their 2-2 draw at home to Crewe Alexandra.
Woodman’s Ravens opened the scoring through Corey Whitely’s first goal of the season to lead at half time, but Alfie Pond headed in a 54th-minute leveller for Crewe before Ben Thompson netted Bromley’s second goal on a 70th-minute counter-attack.
Crewe however snatched a late point after substitute, Mickey Demetriou headed in a 94th-minute equaliser from Lewis Billington’s cross, yet Bromley’s lead at the summit of League Two remained at six points after MK Dons climbed to second following Salford’s home loss to Chesterfield.
Despite that consistent gap in the table, Woodman felt that his team struggled as he explained to Bromley’s YouTube channel post-match, with a particular emphasis on their lack of grip on the game.
“Uh it was a tough night for us. I felt Crewe were particularly good. Kept the ball well. Um we couldn’t really get a grip. We went in front when we probably didn’t deserve to. Um, and then second half, we just couldn’t raise the level again.
“You know, we just couldn’t. And uh, I suppose I got to give Crewe a bit of credit. You know, they made it difficult for us tonight. Um but when you go 2-1 in front and and you’re in the dying minutes um you got to see out a game and we didn’t do that tonight and that’s the disappointment for me.
“We didn’t get out to the wide areas to stop that ball coming into the box and that’s uh that’s you can’t do that in those moments in the game.”
Woodman however refused to get deflated about Demetriou’s late equaliser for Crewe as he viewed a point as most important, with their unbeaten run at home in the league extended to 17 matches.
“Yeah it does in one breath, but it’s another point. Uh we haven’t been beaten at home. We have to take the positives. You know, I think if we’re thinking we’re going to go all the way to the end of the season, win every game at home, I think we’re kind of um getting a bit carried away.
“Um it is disappointing, don’t get me wrong, but we haven’t been beaten. And we go to Gillingham on Saturday and that’ll be a real electric game that will.”
The 54-year-old manager however rued his decision not to make substitutions at half time as he felt that the timings of his changes were down to a mixture of the game’s momentum and fatigue, with the team having beaten Swindon last Saturday from behind in another tricky match.
“It was a bit of both really. I kind of had it in my head, that, you know, I was probably going to make changes at half time if it was going well and I probably should have made the changes at half time.
“These guys put in a massive shift Saturday, you know, and everyone says “Well that’s their job” blah, blah, blah. Uh, you know, if you got fresh legs and players come on, let’s bring them on. And um and that’s what’s it’s about in the squad.
“So, I probably should have done it a little bit early if the truth know.”
Whitely’s goal marked his first goal of the season which left Woodman pleased to see the 34-year-old on the scoresheet, but he felt that the team as a whole lacked their usual composure.
“Yeah, good good goal by Corey. Needs to get more of those. Uh, you know, I’m delighted for Corey.
“Um, but I just felt all over the pitch, you know, Corey aside, I felt all over the pitch, we just lacked that little bit of quality, that little bit of calmness, that little bit of just, you know, just making the first connection of the first pass was a bit helter skelter tonight.
“And uh, sometimes that happens, you know, we got a group of players that are trying everything to make sure we stay at the top.”
Centre-back, Omar Sowunmi was substituted in the 82nd minute due to what appeared to be a chest injury amidst riling from Crewe’s players, but Woodman clarified that it was mainly a twinge in his shoulder that shouldn’t rule him out of their trip to local rivals, Gillingham.
“Yeah, he’s fine. Yeah, I think um it was just a tweak to his shoulder, a little his chest. Um, so it’d be a bit sore, but he’ll be fine.”
Sowunmi’s injury also paved the way for Carl Jenkinson’s first appearance in seven months, having suffered a hip injury during Bromley’s final pre-season friendly in a 2-1 loss at home to Millwall in July 2025, with Woodman happy to see the defender back in action.
“Absolutely. Yeah. I mean that’s a positive. See Carl Jenkinson out there. Um he did really well, I felt when he come on. Um, and you know this seven months of working himself as a proper professional, he is getting fit.
Bromley now turn their attention to their Kent derby away at Gillingham where they will look to atone for having let a 2-0 lead controversially slip at home in September, with Woodman feeling that a result there would validate their draw against Crewe.
“Yeah I think so. I don’t think um it’s probably as doom and gloom as we probably all feel at the moment. I mean it’s uh you know we got to keep the positives and we’re going to Gillingham Saturday. If we get a result there then this becomes a very good point.
Leave a Reply