We're going to give it everything we've got, says Bromley boss Neil Smith

BROMLEY manger Neil Smith says his side will give everything to reach the Vanarama National League play-offs and a Wembley FA Trophy Final.

The Ravens dropped two points last night as Manny Oyeleke scored a heartbreaking last-gasp equaliser for third-placed Aldershot Town after on-loan from Ipswich Town right-back Luke Woolfenden, 19, scored his first goal for Bromley in the first half.

Gary Waddock’s side enjoyed plenty of possession but Bromley wasted glorious second half chances through Louis Dennis and substitute striker Omar Bugiel to win the game before midfielder Oueleke’s injury-time strike.

Bromley have faced the likes of Maidstone United (2-2), Tranmere Rovers (0-1) and Aldershot Town in their last three league games but attention now turns to Saturday’s massive FA Buildbase Trophy Quarter-Final tie against Spennymoor Town.

Spennymoor play one level below and arrive at Hayes Lane sitting in the top seven in the Vanarama National League North table with 48 points in the bag from their 27 league outings.

Smith said: “We’ve got another massive game. It seems that every game is a massive one and I’d rather be in those at the top end and in The FA Trophy than at the bottom, where we were a little bit last season.

“We’ve got a massive game against Spennymoor in the Quarter-Final of the Trophy, the furthest we’ve been, so I’ve got to make sure that the players’ look after themselves over the next couple of days to make sure we prepare ourselves right for that one.”

Bromley remain in eighth-place in the Vanarama National League table on 52 points and with 12 league games left to play, there is plenty left to play for.

Smith, his management staff and players’ are doing a brilliant job at Hayes Lane this season and he wants his home-town club to create history.

“We want this season to keep going for as long as we can.  We’re going on a couple of fronts,” said Smith.

“We’ve got a Quarter-Final in The FA Trophy and I want to get to a trip to Wembley to say thank you to the supporters but we know we’ve got to take one game at a time.

“We’ll come in for training on Thursday and we’ll prepare like we have done every game and we’ll give it everything we’ve got.

“We don’t take anything for granted. They may be a league below us but you only have to look at The FA Cup game from Monday night with Wigan v Man City (League One Wigan beating Premier League leaders 1-0).  If you go in there thinking it’s going to be an easy ride you’ll get bitten but we’ve not done that all season and I don’t expect us to do that on Saturday.”

Reflecting on their league position, Smith, whose side are just a couple of points adrift of Dover Athletic whom are in the final play-off berth of seventh, added: “We’ve got a game in hand on a couple of tames but the whole dream was to stay in this play-off situation for as long as we can and to take it as far as we can.

“We’ve had three tough league games on the spin, Maidstone at home, a local derby, Tranmere away and Aldershot away.  We’ve got The FA Trophy and it seems to be one tough game after the other but I’d rather it was like that rather than having nothing to play for.

“We’re going to give it everything we’ve got! We’ve got nothing to lose, we haven’t. we’ve got everything to gain and with the bunch of players, I’ve got and the board of directors and the chairman we’re definitely going to be giving everything we’ve got!”

Saturday’s Buildbase FA Trophy Quarter-Finals ties:

Billericay Town (Bostik Premier)  v  Wealdstone (Vanarama National League South)
Stockport County (Vanarama National League North)  v  Brackley Town (Vanarama National League North)
Leyton Orient (Vanarama National League)  v  Gateshead (Vanarama National League)
Bromley (Vanarama National League)  v  Spennymoor Town (Vanarama National League North)

Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.tv

Bromley  v  Spennymoor Town
The Buildbase FA Trophy Quarter-Final
Saturday 24 February 2018
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF