I know people have written us off but we've got what it takes to be right up there with the best, says Bromley captain Jack Holland

JACK HOLLAND insists you cannot write off Bromley’s chances of snatching a Vanarama National League Play-Off place at the end of next month.

The Lillywhites made the trip to Harrogate Town for a 17:20 kick-off live on BT Sport and came away with a worthy point at Wetherby Road.

League leaders Barrow slipped up by losing 2-0 at home to Notts County and Simon Weaver’s side would have closed the gap to just a couple of points if they beat a Bromley side that arrived in North Yorkshire on a nine-game winless run.

Harrogate Town took the lead just 95 seconds into the second half when winger Jack Diamond stroked his shot past Ryan Huddart, who came back into the side as Mark Cousins was suffering from a groin injury.

Bromley claimed a worthy point through an own-goal from Harrogate substitute central midfielder Alex Bradley with four minutes remaining, slicing Luke Coulson’s corner into the corner of his own net.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game coming away, Harrogate are on top form as we saw,” said Holland, 28.

“We knew it was going to take a mountain, climb a mountain, 100% effort from everyone and we showed what we can do.

“I thought we came here, we had a game plan and I thought we stuck to it.

“We know they’re up there, it’s going to be a dog-fight between Harrogate and Barrow (for the title) but we’re out there for ourselves fighting so looking at all that up at the top we still believe in what we’re doing.”

Centre-half Holland felt Harrogate’s goal was sloppy, as Dave Winfield came out to close down Jack Muldoon’s cut back from the by-line and this gave Diamond a chance to stroke in his fourth goal of the season.

“We worked on it in the week, sloppy from us, I think personally, we’re better than that,” admitted Holland.

“We saw that they look to get it down the sides and pull it back so disappointed in that respect but the character shown from the boys, a never-give-up attitude to come back is unbelievable.”

It was inevitable that Bromley would score from a set-piece, a strength for Neil Smith’s men throughout the campaign.

“But do you know what, we have to be in there to do it,” added Holland.

“I think the last few weeks we’ve looked at it and set-pieces haven’t been good enough, especially from what it was at the beginning of the season.

“We’ve been working hard on them, it’s a great delivery and a bit of luck that hasn’t always gone for us there.

“I think you need a bit of luck now and then and we’ve been lacking that for the last few weeks and we’ve been getting caught out but it was great to get the result.”

Twelth-placed Bromley have reached the magical safety total of 52 points but Holland has a bigger target for their final eight league outings.

“Do you know what though, maybe last year and this year we don’t look at safety,” said Holland.

“I know a lot of years in the past we were looking, ‘let’s get to 51, let’s get to 51’, but we’re not like that anymore! 

“We’ve got bigger goals than that and we’re still fighting. I think a lot of people have wrote us off but in the changing room in there between every player and every staff member we still believe and I think that’s the main thing.”

Bromley MUST WIN against basement side Chorley at Hayes Lane next Saturday.

Chorley are rooted to the foot of the table with 26 points on the board from 28 games and are 17 points adrift of safety.

Bromley are only three points adrift of the play-offs and this result at Harrogate Town has given Holland and his team-mates the shot in the arm that is needed after it was doom-and-gloom after losing to bitter rivals Sutton United 1-0 at Hayes Lane last weekend.

“Every game is tough. I know you look at it and you think they’re bottom of the league and it should be a win, that’s probably what people are going to say but that ain’t the case,” said Holland.

“We have to turn up like we did today, with a game plan and just put it on them and get it back to the way we were playing.

“We’ve been in a bit of a sticky patch but I think the team morale, honestly has been high and I think we want to finish as strong as we can.

“We’ve still got the play-offs there. I know people have written us off but three points anything can happen so we’re looking to finish as strong as we can, just for pride in our own selves.

“It takes all round, it takes the teams around us to maybe slip up but if we focus on ourselves, I think that’s always the way it’s ever been. It’s the way the gaffer pushes us, don’t focus on what’s around us, just take it game-by-game and finish as strong as we can and see what happens.

““I don’t think we’re Little Old Bromley anymore. We got rid of that moniker at the start of the season and game-by-game I think we’ve got what it takes to be right up there with the best.”

Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.tv

Bromley  v  Chorley
Vanarama National League
Saturday 14 March 2020
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF