Bromley Football Club ended a run of three successive league defeats by securing a 2-2 draw away at Blackpool in Sky Bet League One on Saturday afternoon. The point at Bloomfield Road offers a measure of relief for Andy Woodman’s side after a difficult start to life in the third tier following last season’s League Two title triumph.
The Ravens arrived on the Fylde coast having conceded 14 goals in their previous three league matches, including a 7-2 loss at Sheffield Wednesday, a 5-0 home defeat to Leyton Orient that ended a long unbeaten run at Hayes Lane, and a 2-0 London derby loss to AFC Wimbledon. Blackpool took a 2-1 lead into the interval, but Bromley recovered after the break to share the spoils.
The result lifts Bromley onto five points from six League One games, leaving them 22nd in the table. Their record now stands at one win, two draws and three defeats, with six goals scored and 17 conceded. The opening-day victory at Barnsley and a 1-1 draw with Cambridge United had raised hopes of a smooth transition, but the subsequent results exposed the step up in quality.
Woodman has been forthright about the challenge. After the Wimbledon defeat he told BBC Radio London that his players must stop making errors and learn the “dark arts” of competing at this level. He also spoke of a “soft underbelly” in the squad and said new signings need to adapt quickly to the Bromley way. The draw at Blackpool will be viewed as a first small step in that process.
The club has been active in the transfer market to strengthen for League One. Midfielder George Saville arrived from Luton Town, winger Jodi Jones joined from Notts County, Tobias Brenan signed from Wigan Athletic, and goalkeeper Owen Mason arrived from Mansfield Town. Midfielder Ashley Charles is facing a lengthy absence after a serious knee injury sustained in August.
Last season’s championship campaign, which delivered 87 points and automatic promotion, remains the backdrop to the current campaign. Woodman and chairman Robin Stanton-Gleaves had targeted League One within a few years of reaching the EFL; the title arrived a year earlier than some expected. The present task is to establish the club at this level rather than immediately chase another promotion.
Attention now turns to next Saturday’s home fixture against Huddersfield Town at Hayes Lane, followed by an EFL Trophy group game against Brentford Under-21s. A first home league win of the season would lift the mood among supporters who have packed the ground in the club’s first months as a League One side.
Bromley’s story remains one of rapid progress from non-league football to the third tier. The coming weeks will show whether the squad assembled over the summer can close the gap that has been exposed in recent matches and turn draws such as today’s into the wins needed to climb clear of the lower reaches of the table.