Match Report: Woking 1-2 Bromley

Bromley became the final team to book their place in the play-off semi-finals thanks to a 2-1 win away at Woking. 

The visitors finished three places and 11 points behind their hosts during the league season and also fell a goal behind here when Rohan Ince powered home.

However, a Michael Cheek and Deji Elewere header sent Bromley supporters home dreaming of what could be.

It was Bromley that burst into life here, starting on the front foot and playing on seconds. Cheek flicked on a long throw that Will Jaaskelainen had to push behind for a corner and the Woking keeper was grateful that Elewere couldn't head either side of him from the resulting corner. A clever corner routine a couple of minutes later saw Louis Dennis strike on target but with little power.

Woking had made few forays into the Bromley half but were ruthless when their moment came. A throw-in found Marcus Dackers who teed up James Daly to cross. The ball into the box was half cleared and Rohan Ince was on hand to wrap the ball into the roof of the net from 18 yards.

The Cards stayed on top for a period after the goal despite Dennis being denied from a low cross but they only had a hopeful Kellermann half volley to show for it. Andy Woodman's side grew back into it with Dennis and Cheek unable to connect cleanly from set-pieces and Fisher being denied by a superb block by home captain Josh Casey.

The second half started as the first did, Bromley on top. Jude Arthurs was saved by the linesman's flag but replays showed Louis Dennis wasn't offside and Arthurs had put the ball over from six yards. Reice Charles-Cook didn't have too much to do on the night but he produced a fine stop to deny Padraig Amond's curler.

Cheek's equaliser came from the penalty spot. Corey Whitely's first touch beat Kyran Lofthouse and as he took the second touch, Dan Moss wiped him out. Bromley's number nine stepped up in typically calm fashion, slotting his penalty to the left of Jaaskelainen.

Nerves rose as both sides tried to find a winner but lacked the requisite quality to carve out big chances. Rampaging teenage wing-back Fisher was nearly the man but he couldn't connect cleanly to Cheek's back post knockdown.

Instead, it was another teenager that stole the show. A long throw from Omar Sowumni was flicked on by Topalloj and Charlton Athletic loanee Deji Elewere was free at the back post to loop a header into the net.

Bromley were happy to see the game out from that point. They slowed it down, managed time, gave Woking little opportunity to build momentum and the hosts didn't create another major chance of note as they huffed and puffed.

Woking: Jaaskelainen; Moss (Wakefield) Cuthbert (Lopata) McNerney Casey; Kellermann (Lofthouse) Ince Nwabuokei Daly; Dackers Amond. Unused: Ross; Wilkinson.

Bromley: Charles-Cook; Sowumni Reynolds Elewere; Fisher Arthurs Stirk Topalloj; Whitely; Cheek Dennis (Marriott). Unused: Webster Bingham Forster Bergkamp.

Tactics

This was 4-4-2 vs 3-4-1-2 nominally with both sides very narrow in their approach, playing for second balls and looking for width.

Out of possession, Woking worked as something of a diamond. They would try and force the ball to one side with the front two closing in on the two defenders on that side. The Bromley wing-back would be closed by the nearest winger with Nwabuokei and the other winger tasked with closing the Bromley central midfielders. This allowed Ince and a defender to step out of defence to close Whitely and whichever striker dropped off with the other three close by for any knockdowns.

Bromley often clipped the ball over the top of the Woking press and worked it into the front three, who would hold up possession then play as a trio before others joined. Either that, or Cheek would take the hits in 1 v 1 duels to give Bromley a way up the pitch, often tasked with having his back to the very aggressive McNerney.

In possession, Woking again worked like something of a diamond. Balls were launched in the air towards Amond and Dackers so that first contact fall backwards. That allowed Daly, Nwabuokei and Kellermann to race forward past their markers, get onto the seconds and run forward.

Such was their belief, Woking then changed the role of Dackers and Daly, the pair goes up against the Bromley back three man-for-man. Daly was still responsible for Fisher but closed Sowumni in the first instance, looking to press high and build that way.

While Bromley didn't deal too well with the initial approach, the slight change left them with a wide overload with the wing-backs now free. They tweaked things, Whitely and Cheek now pulling wide onto Moss and Casey which opened up space for Fisher and Topalloj to join in the attack. It gave Bromley a way out and also stopped Nwabuokei being able to press as high with Ince requiring more support in the centre of the pitch. That meant that Stirk could see more of the ball in the middle and Elewere could stride out of defence giving he had the legs on Dackers and could commit Lofthouse.

Who impressed?

This wasn't a game where individuals stood out as such. It was a team game where units had to work well rather than one man stealing the show.

I'm torn with my man of the match. I thought Elewere handled himself very well and showed bravery. I thought Stirk was one of the classiest players on the pitch. I thought Cheek did a fantastic job, very selfless in how he went about his game.

I should also mention Sowumni and Reynolds, who won almost every battle on the night. Topalloj drove the team forward and in front of him, Whitely was his usual creative self.

For Woking, this wasn't the night for them. I thought Kellermann in his half hour on the pitch, a key reason for their improvement in the game. Ince and Nwabuokei did well for much of the game too, their size and power always likely to make it difficult for a youthful Bromley midfield.

Wrapping it up...

A tough one to swallow for Woking. Excellent for most of the season but it feels like they've had difficulty with selection in key areas due to injury and form.

Whether by choice or due to fitness issues, Woking have changed their centre half partnership in 11 of their last 13 matches, which doesn't bode well for stability. Daly has been eased back in, Moss has been managed having been replaced in three of his last five games and then they lost Rhys Browne on final day. To add to that, Jim Kellermann lasted half hour of the eliminator and Scott Cuthbert was withdrawn late on.

Sarll has had to deal with a lack of consistency brought on by a number of things over the final months of the season and the increased schedule hasn't helped. It's little surprise they haven't won back-to-back matches in the league since mid-January.

However, this is their first rodeo under Sarll and the new ownership. This squad has been put together both over the summer and during the season. They will have learned a lot and should return ready for next season.

That isn't the case for Bromley who made the play-off two years ago before crashing out in brutal fashion.

Andy Woodman's side have found a way to stop losing football matches, losing just four of their last 28 in the league, albeit with a lot of draws amongst that fixture list. Those four defeats came away at Woking, home and away against Wrexham and a 3-0 loss against York City when Besart Topalloj spent just over a half of football in net behind nine men.

There is a resilience and organisation about their group and what impressed me most was their ability to adapt within the game and find a route back into it after a tough 20 minutes or so after Woking scored.

I confess to being a touch surprised by the midfield selection but it worked on the night, the energy of youth an important factor in them starting quick and also maintaining their levels as Woking tried to mount a comeback.

They will fancy their chances in the semi's too. While Chesterfield rightly finished third, Bromley were defeated 3-2 in the away leg before beating the Spireites 2-0 a couple of weeks back at Hayes Lane.

They also drew both games with Notts County in the league and this is a group that stunned Wrexham at Wembley in the FA Trophy last season.

They wouldn't, would they?