We’re going to have to be a lot more streetwise in and around the box at both ends – and it’s both ends we’re looking to bolster, says Bromley boss Neil Smith

BROMLEY manager Neil Smith says he’s in negotiations to bring in three new people to Hayes Lane.

Firstly, he is searching for an assistant manager to replace Steve Lovell, who quit the club to team up with Adrian Pennock and Jamie Day at League One side Gillingham’s newly-formed coaching staff.

Smith is also searching for a defender to replace Rob Swaine who defected back to Billericay Town, dropping down a couple of levels to play for his former club in the Ryman Premier League.

And he is on the look-out for a goalscorer to score the goals that will seal the four wins in 18 league games that will keep the club in the Vanarama National League for a third season.

Bromley suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Welling United in The Buildbase FA Trophy Second Round. 

Bromley went into the game in thirteenth-place in the table, while Welling arrived at Hayes Lane in the bottom six in the Vanarama National League South and celebrated their first win under joint caretaker managers Harry Wheeler and Tristan Lewis, who have been drafted in by owner Mark Goldberg following Day’s second departure from Park View Road.

Bromley took the lead through Jack Holland’s sixth-minute back-heel finish after Joe Anderson’s free-kick, before Welling United equalised through former Bromley hero Danny Waldren’s 35-yard curler, before another former Raven, Adam Coombes won it with a sublime free-kick into the top far corner of the net with seven minutes remaining.

“Look, I had the 14 (players’) to pick from and I brought in Thomas O’Connor and Max Huxter to make the numbers up so we are very thin on the ground,” revealed Smith.

“We’re looking, we were trying to get a couple of players’ in before the game yesterday, didn’t happen and we’ve got to try to re-group and get some players in for next week, which we have been working hard and the board have been brilliant, but some clubs aren’t letting you have the players you want at the moment.”

Smith is also keen to bring in a suitable assistant manager. First-team coaches Mark Hammond and Glyn Shimmel have dual roles at the club, coaching the Academy and the younger age groups at Hayes Lane.

Smith said: “I’m speaking to a few people, it’s got to be right for the club.  The job role that we’ve got is a little bit more than coming in on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and doing a little bit of coaching, there is the other side of it that goes.

“I’ve got a few people that have applied and I’m speaking to them at the moment and hopefully very, very soon we’ll be appointing someone in that role as well.”

Bromley have suffered three defeats on the spin in 2017 after enjoying an unbeaten five games in December.

Bromley are in thirteenth-place in the table with 38 points from 28 games and need four more wins to reach the magical safety total.

Smith takes his side to fourth-placed Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday, a side that have picked up 52 points from their 28 games and are three points adrift of leaders Lincoln City.

“For more wins, let’s get to 50.  I’m looking at the next result trying to stop this rot,” said Smith.

“Before Christmas when we won every game in December in the league, it's the same bunch of boys apart from a couple that for their reasons have left. We’ve got to go again.

“I’m hoping to have a couple more players for next week but negotiations have got to be done and we’ll see if we can get them in.

“I’m expecting a tough game, probably tougher than Welling. Nothing new from a side that are riding high at the moment. They’ve got a great forward line so we’re going to have to be a lot more streetwise in and around the box at both ends – and it’s both ends we’re looking to bolster.”

Bromley expect to take over 100 fans across to Victoria Road next weekend and they expect a positive reaction from their players’.

Smith has three training sessions to get his players’ confidence levels up and come away from Essex with three big points.

“I want them to do what they were doing in December and November and that’s rolling their sleeves up and get stuck in,” said Smith.

“I’m looking at them in the changing room and looking at a different team and that’s my job to get them back to where they were and if it means we have to go back to basics and we’re not very pretty then that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.tv/site

Dagenham & Redbridge  v  Bromley
Vanarama National League
Saturday 21^st January 2017
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Victoria Road, Dagenham, Essex RM10 7XL