Vanarama National League Promotion Final, Sunday 5th May
I was at Wembley Stadium on the first Sunday in May, and today saw a massive game between Bromley who finished third in the Vanarama National League, up against Solihull Moors, who had finished fifth and five points behind today's opponents, and whoever won today's showpiece event at Wembley would become an EFL side for the very first time in their history.
This game then was a very big deal for both sides, a chance to get into the coveted Football League, although this did pose a rather interesting conundrum for Bromley, who would most likely have to rip up their 3G surface at Hayes Lane as EFL rules state you cannot have such a surface in their divisions, a fate that saw Harrogate Town & Sutton United have to do the same thing.
Why the EFL do not accept such things is a question in itself, but am sure Bromley would accept it for a place in the football league, but that was for the future, this was now and they had to get their first, and they were up against a Solihull Moors side who were also gunning for a football league spot which they had never achieved before, and of course they had no worries about ripping up 3G surfaces either, so that was a plus for them.
Bromley had to see off Altrincham to reach this final hurdle, and they defeated them 3-1 at Hayes Lane thanks to a brace from Myles Weston & a Jude Arthurs goal sandwiches in between saw them fight back from a half time deficit in that one, whereas Solihull Moors had to play two games to get to this stage, they defeated FC Halifax Town 4-2 at home before they then saw off league runners up Barnet in very impressive fashion by thrashing them 4-0 at The Hive.
It was an very impressive display and showed everyone they had what it took to reach the promised land of EFL football, nobody expected them to win by that score line, or even win at all, so today's final would not be easy to call, despite the fact Bromley had beaten Moors 3-0 at home only last month, that result would not count for anything today although Bromley would have loved to repeat that for sure!!! It does have to be said though, a week or two before that game at Hayes Lane, they had taken each other on in the FA Trophy Semi Final at the same venue and seen Moors grab a 2-1 success, so they wanted that repeated for sure too!!! It basically meant it was almost impossible to call this final.
That meant Solihull are back at Wembley next weekend too for the FA Trophy final, ironically against Gateshead, a side that were thrown out of the playoffs a day after the regular season had finished, due to their International Stadium not having a ten year lease on it, now why the National League chose to wait until the season had finished to announce this was ridiculous, and Solihull got caught up in the repercussions of this as originally they were the ones to benefit and be sent straight into the semi finals, only for the league to then change their mind and put Altrincham through instead, very unsettling I suspect so the fact they managed to blast their way into this final shows their character, maybe it spurred them on perhaps.
It was all a bit of a mess though and sad too, especially for Gateshead who worked their socks off to make the play offs, that may rumble on, but for now we do have a final, thankfully, and could Bromley, who took four points off Moors in the regular season, continue that form against their opponents, or could Moors put in another vintage display like they had done in semi finals, only time would tell.
Bromley certainly had the majority of the support in a crowd of 23,374, they had 16,000 of those inside the national stadium and it was The Ravens who almost netted twice inside the first three minutes as they looked to gain an early advantage in this massive game, Moors took a while to settle but once they did the game settled into a more calm pattern and the first half was pretty cagey with neither side wanting to give to much away.
However, with four minutes of the half remaining and it looking likely to be goalless at the break, Bromley struck, as Michael Cheek managed to shake off a defender before applying a decent finish into the far corner and send the Bromley half of Wembley into raptures, Moors were furious as they felt Cheek had fouled his marker before finding the net, but replays showed this wasn't the case and in my view the referee got it spot on, and Bromley had a slender lead going into the break.
If the first half was cagey and sensible, the rest of the contest was anything but, and the tone was set for the second period when Moors struck just three minutes after the break when a shot from Tahvon Campbell was well saved by keeper Grant Smith, but saw Joe Sbarra quickest to react to the lose ball and fire home the rebound, and just like that Moors were now level, game on!!!
But Moors were then to shoot themselves in the foot just before the hour mark and give Bromley the chance to regain the lead, a poor pass back saw keeper Smith mis control, allowing Bromley to nip in and touch the ball past the Smith, who brought down the forward for a penalty kick to the Ravens, and Cheek stepped up to slot home the spot kick, and Moors had it all to do again.
If Bromley thought their opponents were going to go away after that then they were very much mistaken, Moors showed a lot of character to fight back once again and twenty minutes into the second half and only seven minutes after that penalty, Moors were level once again as the game was now turning into a classic promotion final once again, Jamey Osborne picking the ball up before driving towards the box and firing a wonderful effort into the bottom corner, what was going to happen next!!!
For a time after that goal Moors were definitely on the front foot and looking the more likelier to grab the lead, Bromley certainly had to dig deep and hang in the game for a time, but once they had weathered the storm, they looked like they could win the game as extra time loomed, but neither side could muster a late winner meaning once again the promotion final would go to extra time.
Both sides had to try and muster one last push, but how Bromley failed to win the match in extra time is anyone's guess, Alex Kirk headed against the Moors bar in the first period of the extra half hour, and then in the second period of it Kirk struck the post, seeing his effort hit the inside of it and flying across the line and off for a goal kick, how it did not go in is anyone's guess, we all had our hands over our heads in disbelief, maybe it was Solihull's day and not Bromley's, you started to think that after that moment.
Those moments in extra time were the most memorable but it meant for the third time in four years the Promotion Final would be decided on penalties, and the season for both clubs came down to one shootout to decide who would be promoted to the EFL for the very first time in their histories, who would hold their nerve.
Sadly for Moors they had a mountain to climb from the very first kick of the shootout, seeing it saved, and after Bromley had netted their first kick, Moors saw their second one saved as well, not ideal, but Bromley then saw their second one saved too, so after four penalties in the shootout, three had been saved!!! Where was this going next we all thought....
Well, thereafter all the spot kicks were converted, meaning Bromley had the chance to win the shoot out with the fifth and final kick, Byron Webster was tasked with that kick, and he held his nerve to slot home the kick that sent his side into the Football League for the very first time, and cued mass celebrations amongst The Ravens players, staff and supporters, they had realised their dream and are now an EFL League Two side next season.
Sadly their has to be a losing side in all of this, and commiserations to Solihull Moors who gave everything in this one, just like Bromley had, and to lose in this way is heart breaking, they now have to get themselves up one last time this season now in next weekend's Trophy Final against Gateshead, let's hope for their sake they do at least end the season on a positive note and this one will sting for a while no doubt.
Well done to Bromley though, history made!!!
Full time Bromley 2 Solihull Moors 2 (aet, Bromlety won 4-3 on penalties)
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