I'm hoping the boys are ready to go to war at Chorley next Saturday, says play-off chasing Bromley manager Neil Smith

BROMLEY manager Neil Smith says his side will be ready to go to war up at Chorley next Saturday.

 

The Lillywhites completed their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 home defeat to Jason Euell’s Charlton Athletic’s under 23s yesterday, where an outstanding performance from Addicks’ goalkeeper, Australian Ashley Maynard-Brewer, 20, kept out Bromley.


Bromley's Class of 2019-20
Photo: Bromley FC

Smith takes his side to last season’s Vanarama National League North champions on the opening day of the season and Chorley have decided to remain a part-time outfit, whereas Bromley have developed into a full-time outfit and have progressed under Smith’s management.

“I’m hoping the boys are ready to go to war next Saturday,” said Smith.

“They’re going to be a good side, they’re going to have the momentum of winning the league.

“We’ve seen them play a couple of times, they’re physical, they’re tall, they’re quick. It will be a tough game and that’s what we’re expecting, a tough game.

“The boys will be ready as we all are and fingers crossed we’ll have that little bit of luck that we didn’t have yesterday.”

Bromley return to Hayes Lane for the visit of Garry Hill’s Ebbsfleet United the following Tuesday, 6 August (19:45).

“Knowing Garry Hill, I know they’re going to be tall, physical, direct.  We’ve had them watched as well,” added Smith.

“A local derby earlier on in the season is also good for our (first) home game.

“We’ve got a couple of home games on the trot (Torquay United visit on Saturday 10 August), which will be tough.  They’re all going to be tough games.

“I was speaking to the managers the other day, they’ve all invested heavily on their teams. We’ve invested in our players and we’re not expecting anything than a tough season.”

This will be Bromley’s fifth season dining at non-league’s top table and they have finished in fourteenth, tenth, ninth and eleventh (after they moved up a place after Gateshead were deducted points).

With a new stand erected at Hayes Lane, expectations on Smith and his squad this season, have increased.

“You want to be in and around the play-offs but also you want to stay up,” said Smith.

“Look at the sides that nearly went down, Aldershot, who were in the play-offs the previous season and Boreham Wood were in the play-off final.

“We’re not expecting anything different this year. Everyone’s seen how tight it’s going to be, how tough it’s going to be and people have invested in their squads. We expect another difficult season but the boys are buzzing as the supporters are.  We hope to carry that into the season.”

When asked if this will be Bromley’s best season in the Vanarama National League, Smith replied: “It’s a big ask! Look at the club’s that have come down and you look at the club’s that have come up. It’s getting better and better. It’s getting tougher and tougher.

“Of course I want to be ninth place, I want to be in and around that play-offs. I want to take it right down to the wire but it’s going to be a tough ask. 

“It’s all about the start to the season and if we get off to a good start and then we’ll have to maintain it.”

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Chorley  v  Bromley
Vanarama National League
Saturday 3 August 2019
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Victory Park Stadium, Duke Street, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 3DU