We go to Blyth Spartans with a determination to try and do well in this Trophy, says Bromley boss Neil Smith

BROMLEY manager Neil Smith expects a tough game up at Blyth Spartans in The Buildbase FA Trophy tomorrow.

The Ravens make the near 630-mile round trip in the Second Round, playing against side that are in the top five of the Vanarama National League North with 42 points from 24 games, 13 points adrift of the leaders Salford City.

Bromley started 2018 with a 4-2 home win over Ebbsfleet United in front of the live BT Sport cameras but they crashed back down to earth with a 1-0 home defeat to AFC Fylde last weekend.

“I was disappointed with the result but not the performance,” said Smith.

“The boys gave me everything but just couldn’t put the ball in the net!

“We are doing so well with the players all chipping in with goals but sometimes you need a bit of luck and we didn’t seem to have it last week.”

Bromley, Aldershot Town and Dagenham & Redbridge are joint-top scorers in the Vanarama National League with 46 goals each.

The Ravens are in the top nine in the table on 44 points from their 29 games and Smith has high hopes for loan signing Omar Bugiel, who has come in from League Two side Forest Green Rovers until the end of the season.

“Bringing in Omar was a brilliant bit of business from the club and (chairman) Jerry Dolke was really instrumental in getting it over the line, for us to beat so many other club’s who wanted him.  We really hope he can produce everything I believe he can.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s game at Blyth Spartans, Smith added: “We now go into a tough game against Blyth Spartans, who are a team in the play-off places in the National League North, who had a good 4-0 win over Gainsborough Trinity last week.

“They are a team who scores goals so we will have to be at our best defensively but we go there with a determination to try and do well in this Trophy.”

If Bromley draw tomorrow then the replay will take place at Hayes Lane next Tuesday, 16 January, after Bromley declined Blyth Spartans’ approach to settle the game in the North East on Saturday.

Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.tv

Blyth Spartans  v  Bromley
The Buildbase FA Trophy Second Round
Saturday 13 January 2018
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Croft Park, Plessey Road, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 3JE