County put their FA Cup heroics and thoughts of West Ham to one side this weekend, as we return to National League action after 35 days away, looking to get our promotion challenge back on track.
Due to a combination of Covid isolation and FA Cup commitments, the Hatters haven’t kicked a ball in anger in the league since our 2-1 home defeat to Weymouth on October 31st. As a result, County have slipped down the league table from 2nd to 13th, with some teams now having played as many as six games more than Jim Gannon’s side.
We currently sit twelve points behind leaders Torquay United, but with three games in hand on the Gulls, and a win on Saturday could lift us into the top half of the table and back within touching distance of the play-off places.
It won’t be easy against a high-flying Bromley side, however, as the Ravens’ 4-1 thrashing of Kings Lynn on Tuesday night sent Neil Smith’s side third in the table, six points off the summit and six ahead of County – although we currently have four games in hand on the London side.
One of the big talking points surrounding the game is the return of spectators after nine months away, with London’s tier two ranking allowing Bromley to open their doors to 2,000 spectators this Saturday.
Our Opponents
It looked like being a successful campaign for Bromley last season, as the Ravens led the way at the top of the league table in November, and at the turn of the year sat well placed in third – just two points shy of Barrow at the summit.
A disastrous run of just two points from their final nine game however, including a 1-0 defeat at Edgeley Park, saw the Lilywhites plummet out of promotion and play-off contention – lying in 13th place when the season was cut short, six points behind County.
This season, however, the London side have again started strongly. After opening their campaign with a 4-1 win over Dover Athletic at Hayes Lane, they have lost just two of their first 11 National League games, and are currently on a six-game unbeaten run that sees them once again in touch at the top.
Their 21 goals so far this season make them the second-top scorers in the league so far this season, with striker Michael Cheek finding the net seven times already. He is partnered up top by former Leyton Orient man James Alabi, whose goal against Kings Lynn on Tuesday took his tally to four goals in just seven appearances.
In midfield, the addition of former Bolton and Millwall man Liam Trotter has added steel and experience in midfield, but it’s the form of wide-man Reeco Hackett-Fairchild that could provide the biggest threat to the Hatters defence on Saturday afternoon.
The man on loan from Portsmouth scored the opener for Bromley in our 2-2 draw at Hayes Lane last season, and was a constant thorn in the County defence that evening – the 22-year-old has scored twice since rejoining the Club over the Summer.
With the hosts in such good form and so much at stake against a potential promotion rival, it promises to be a thrilling spectacle at Hayes Lane, and a touch challenge for Jim Gannon’s side as they look to return up the M6 with all three points.
Match Facts:
- The two sides met competitively for the first time last season, with County gaining the upper hand with a 2-2 draw away and a 1-0 win at Edgeley Park.
- That 1-0 home win last season was the first County victory under the ownership of Mark Stott – Liam Hogan scoring the winner on his debut for the Club.
- County have enjoyed their visits to London recently, remaining unbeaten in our last six games played in the Capital.
