Bromley manager, Andy Woodman is expected a “tight” test away at Fleetwood Town in their next league match.
Woodman’s Ravens go into the weekend sat top of Sky Bet League Two after a ruthless 4-1 win at Gillingham and is now focused on trying to extend their unbeaten run to 12 matches, as he reflected on that clinical Kent Derby victory in Bromley’s pre-match preview on YouTube.
“A fantastic win. You know, the local derby we’re now called in it. Um and I thought we’d come out of the traps and um, you know, really blew them apart and proud of the team about it and the energy we showed, the quality of the goals. You know, everyone keeps putting down a set piece team etc. all that stuff and everyone keeps saying they know what we are.
We know what to expect. Well people don’t know what to expect. We scored four goals there. Really good fast flowing attacking football. So really chuffed.”
New loan signings, Jesse Debrah and Zech Medley made their debuts at Gillingham with immediate starts due to injuries having sidelined Omar Sowunmi and Kyle Cameron, with Woodman impressed at the pair’s immediate impact after having had a single training session with the squad.
“I think it helps because I know both of the boys really well. Um, so as a manager that helps. I worked with both quite closely, known really well as characters. Um, so that helps. Um, and I think the way our group is, our group’s a good group. You know they welcome people straight away. Um, so that’s another factor.
“Um and then you know you just got to just hope that the travelling they’ve had today and the night before hasn’t been too much you know and all the emotions of moving to a new club hasn’t sort of taken too much out.
“Um that said, you know, I think everyone knows me. If go for this, go for it. Both in.”
Debrah and Medley were just two of three loan signings alongside Tottenham’s Damola Ajayi in the January transfer window, which led Woodman to explain their transfer strategy of the past month which had put a focus on retaining their squad despite Deji Elerewe’s move to Lincoln City.
“I think the January window always starts quietly for us. I mean it in the nicest respect. We are not the biggest budget. We’re not the biggest football club. We’re probably not the most attractive football club in people’s minds, you know players. They all have different agendas. So we always a bit slow in the market because everyone has illusions of grandeur as I call it.
“They all want to go to a League One club or Championship, they have these amazing ideas. So, we always have to sit tight and sit patient and as we like to say, keep our powder dry and see what’s available that will suit us.
“We’ve done that. Um we knew what we wanted. Then we got Elerewe going that changed things a little bit. Um and then obviously Carl got injured.
“So there was some changes at the end but it’s really difficult this window because there wasn’t too much we wanted to change or add because the squad’s been doing brilliant, but you always need to bring a couple just to give the group a lift to make sure the group know.”
Woodman added that character is a key element in every piece of transfer business that he does to ensure that new recruits add to the stable squad dynamics.
“The character is everything that you know it really is. Um you know if we have a wrong character in it then it’s a disaster and you know I do my pictures and speaking to people about their characters and what sort of lads they’re and that’s why we get that right every time.”
The 54-year-old subsequently praised his squad for their continued positive attitude in training but didn’t mention whether Sowunmi and Cameron are in contention to return, with Medley ineligible to play against his parent club at Highbury.
“Yeah, they’ve been great. Um working well. Worked hard. Um pretty much how they’re every week, you know, they’re just humble group. Work hard, push each other, and then they’re really looking forward to the next match. Um and that’s really what the group is about straight up to the next game.”
Fleetwood earlier this season held Bromley to a 2-2 draw with a 93rd-minute equaliser from James Norwood, after James Bolton had put the Cod Army into an eighth-minute lead before Marcus Dinanga and Nicke Kabamba put the Ravens ahead from behind.
Woodman however felt that his team weren’t lucky enough to win that but is expecting Fleetwood to again pose difficult opposition on Saturday (7 February).
“It was a long time ago. I said on the day unlucky not to win that. I can’t remember what happened. So probably got a funny feeling another season which I will say because it should have been a penalty and that was what it was.
“So it’ll be a tight game, the margins are tight you know, everything’s tight. We got to just make sure we just look after ourselves. Make sure that we prepare the best way we can.
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