Andy Woodman believes Bromley have “no nerves or no pressure” heading into the Sky Bet League Two run-in.
Bromley’s 21-match unbeaten run came to a shock end at relegation-battling Barrow last weekend, but they begin the final month of the season sat five points clear of second-placed MK Dons.
Woodman however believes that there are no nerves or pressure floating around the club ahead of their trip to Barnet on Good Friday 3 April, as he addressed the reality of being the league leaders at this stage of the season in his pre-match preview for their visit to North London.
“I mean, look, the we should have no nerves or no pressure because I say all the time and I say to the team. There was not one person thought we’d be top of the table going into April um with four weeks and a bit of the season to go.
“So, there’s zero pressure on us. The only pressure we’ve got is the pressure we put on ourselves. The noise on the outside, I think that’s quite normal. I think everyone sees that something so special, so close. Um and there’s a little bit of apprehension. We got to expect that.
“And um you know it’s a position want soon to be in rather than be the chasing group. Uh and we got to make sure we just keep our focus, keep making sure we get performances. They’re important. Uh and normally when you get performances, results follow.”
Bromley weren’t the only top-four club to have suffered defeat last weekend as MK Dons and Cambridge also lost, which led Woodman to consider that their loss at Barrow should be considered within its own context given the wind and wider results elsewhere for their rivals.
“It was a difficult result. but I think we’ve got to look at it in isolation a little bit really, The conditions were horrific and I know they were the same for both teams but we didn’t cope with it probably as well as we’d hoped.
“And it kind of is a little bit of a leveller and looking at the other results in the league you know, the teams at the top that didn’t win probably tells you everything about the weekend’s wind.
“It caused you know many teams at the top problems and uh hence why we didn’t get probably one of the reasons why we didn’t get the result or performance.”
The defeat meant that Bromley suffered their first loss since a 3-1 defeat at Walsall in November 2025 but Woodman felt that the result and performance was just one of those unpredictable outcomes, with the importance being on how the team bounce back rather than rue how their unbeaten run ended
“Yeah, I think you know looking back over the seasons I’ve been here as a manager, you know, you do have these weird results or performances that you can’t just put your finger on. Um and we have had those and I’m sure every team has them. It’s just how you bounce back and how you make sure you kind of leave that in isolation.
“Don’t harp on about it too much, which I mean the team and players have been brilliant.
“21 games without defeat. So we kind of can’t really harp on about it and we have to move forward quickly because the games are coming thick and fast over this weekend. Um, and we know that we’re kind of the finishing line is near.”
The 54-year old manager also noted the team’s reaction in training as he continued: “Yeah, the guys have been brilliant. They as always, you know, they’ve trained hard and worked hard. Uh, they’ve been focused um and really raring to go.
“You know, we know this is a big weekend coming up. So, um all in all, you know, not a lot different to how they’ve been in their little run, but they definitely focused on their work. Um and I think, just want to get back out on the pitch and try sort of get these results.”
Bromley now face a Barnet team who have beaten two of their nearest rivals in their last two matches after a period of inconsistent results beforehand, with Woodman relishing the challenge of facing the Bees and their manager – Dean Brennan who has a similar personality.
“Yeah, they’ve had two back-to-back results. Um prior to that their form wasn’t particularly great. Um, but we know that playing against Dean’s team and Barnet being, you know, what I sort of foresee as a derby match always seems to have a bit of spice and it’s sort of always been like that from right back in the National League days.
So it’d be a tough fixture and I don’t think I’ve ever gone there and it’s been an easy fixture. Um, but my memory serves me that we’ve always had a good result there.
“Always done particularly well there. I might be wrong but um, you know, it’s a fixture I always look forward to.
“I always look forward to playing against Dean because it’s always, you know, uh we’re both lively characters and we both want to win every decision, every ball is kicked and after, you know, we will shake hands and move on. So it’s a big game for us and it could be a big game for Barnet.”
Barnet suffered a 2-0 defeat away at Bromley in their first away match of the season but Woodman has written off that match in terms of reference point, given that it was the Bees’ second league game back in the EFL and is aware of how tricky a start Barnet had akin to their own first EF campaign.
“I mean it was a long time ago and we remember seeing the Barnet staff after sort of scratching their heads because it was their probably second game in the league and we kind of know how they felt the year before.
“Um we can’t look into any of that. I mean Barnet have been brilliant this season and I think if we look at the plaudits we got last year in our first season in the league, um I think Barnet are um sort of emulating that.
“So it’ll be a game in isolation, a game the importance both teams know about. Um and it will come down to margins and we like it always does and it’ll come down to a moment or two that is the difference. Again, we’ve just got to make sure we go out there and we put performance in and uh hopefully the result follows.”
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