We’ve learnt a lot from our experience in the National League, says Bromley boss Mark Goldberg

BROMLEY manager Mark Goldberg says he is targeting a top-ten finish at the end of the club’s debut season in the Vanarama National League.

The Ravens are in thirteenth-place in the table, having won 11, drawn 5 and lost 11 of their league games.

The Hayes Lane outfit are 10 points adrift of fifth-placed Eastleigh, while they are 11 points clear of the relegation zone.

Bromley lock horns with a couple of giants at Hayes Lane this week, with third-placed Grimsby Town visiting on Tuesday night, before Tranmere Rovers also making their first visit on Saturday.

The Ravens suffered a 4-1 defeat at Blundell Park in their third league game of the season and came away from Prenton Park on the end of a 4-0 thrashing in early October.

“We have a reason to want to measure ourselves at this stage of the season against the opposition that when we played at Blundell Park it was clearly a one-sided affair in their favour,” said Goldberg.

Bromley go into the game having collected five points from their last three league games.

Goldberg said: “We’d like to think we’ve adjusted to the level since then and we’ve learnt a lot from our experience in the National League so far and this time round we should be able to give them a decent competitive game.

Bromley have deployed central defender Ben Chorley sitting in front of the back four to give protection to their back four.

“In recent games we’ve been working on our organisation in order to protect our back four more effectively and it’s coincided with a run of improved results and a clean sheet against Southport,” said Goldberg.

“I’m hoping that it’s not a game of many goals but rather a game where both teams are still in it as we approach the end of the game and we can believe we can secure at least a point.

“But we’re going into the game believing we can win it.”

When asked to reflect on the club’s debut campaign at their highest level of football, Goldberg said: “I’m disappointed following our great run in September that we haven’t been able to mirror a run of wins of any description since and we’d like to believe that we can improve again and at least be in the top ten by the end of the season.

“We’ve got massive games coming up. We’ve got Grimsby, Tranmere, Cheltenham and Eastleigh all in the next couple of weeks so it’s a massive period for us playing against top opposition.”

Injuries to key players have prevented Bromley making a serious push towards the play-offs this season.

Goldberg said: “We could do with a few key players that are still injured to come back to fitness but at the same time the introduction of Adam Cunnington (from Ebbsfleet United) and Alex Wall returning to fitness is strengthening our attack.”

“We’re working hard to strengthen our resolve in terms of protecting our back four so we might be looking for one or two new additions to the squad.

“We’re weak at the moment on both flanks so we are targeting potential adjustments to the squad in the next few weeks and hopefully finish the season stronger than we’ve been in recent weeks.”

When asked about the players currently on the sidelines, Goldberg revealed: “We’ve still got problems on our flanks, both Pierre Joseph-Dubois and Louis Dennis have been suffering with injury problems.

“Louis now needs some keyhole surgery on his meniscus (knee) and Pierre has a reoccurring hamstring problem that we’re hoping he might be eligible for the bench on Tuesday night, we’ll have to see. He will have to do a fitness test.

“Max Porter, who was very key to our winning run, has also had groin injuries. We really don’t know what the outcome is there and how long he’ll be making a return, I’m afraid.

“Ben May still has got a lower back problem, but we’re hopeful that we’ve got the strength in depth in squad to cope with four or five injures. We just struggled when we had 10-11 injuries during our poor run.”

There has been a lot of speculation over the future of 17-goal striker Moses Emmanuel, 26.

Goldberg said: “Well there continues to be some discussion. There are some talks going on but we haven’t really had anything of significant substance enough.

“We’ve had a club interested but Moses, I think, is still discussing whether it’s the right move for him, so at the moment there’s nothing to report.”

Emmanuel is therefore expected to feature against Grimsby Town.

Goldberg added: “Of course we would like to keep Moses but the reality is if he doesn’t go in this (transfer) window it looks very likely he’ll be moving in the summer so we wouldn’t stand in his way.”

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

Bromley v Grimsby Town
Vanarama National League
Tuesday 19^th January 2016
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF