We face some difficult games ahead, warns Bromley assistant Hayden Bird

Monday 16th August 2010

BROMLEY assistant manager Hayden Bird says he is expecting a tough game away to newly promoted side Boreham Wood on Tuesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Lillywhites opened their new Blue Square Bet South campaign with a 2-1 home win over Dorchester Town at the weekend, courtesy of goals from strikers Paul Vines and (substitute) Warren McBean, who had replaced Nic McDonnell, who skied a first half penalty.

Bromley travel to play a Boreham Wood side that clinched promotion via the Ryman Premier League play-off’s along with Dartford last season.

And Bird, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk, has had numerous battles against the Hertfordshire side, who have former Bromley player Gareth Williams in goal.

“A team I’ve pitted my wits against as the manager of Carshalton on a few occasions,” recalled Bird.

“I saw them at the end of the season in the play-off final, I thought they deserved to be promoted. I thought they did really well last season and of course they’ll be buoyed by their promotion.

“You play a newly promoted club early on in the season, it’s always difficult, so it’s going to be difficult and quite honestly we will have to be more efficient in our work probably than we were against Dorchester.”

Bromley’s third league game of the season is away to Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday - and Alan Devonshire’s side play a certain way.

The Beavers came away from troubled Welling United with a goal-less draw at the weekend, and welcome Dartford on Tuesday night.

“We know how Hampton will play,” warned Bird. “Hampton will cause a problem physically and they will be very direct. They will work very hard for one another but we will play many teams like Hampton this season.

“Alan’s got them into a way of playing that’s been very effective for them and as we did last season when we went there and beat them we will have to deal with that before we play our own game and impose our game on them.

“We will have to deal with their physicality and their direct approach.”

Bromley’s next action at Hayes Lane is against title favourites Havant & Waterlooville on Tuesday 24 August.

The Hawks were held to a 2-2 draw at Princes Park by newly promoted Dartford at the weekend, as Tony Burman’s side grabbed a point courtesy of Ryan Hayes’ last-gasp penalty.

Bird said: “A bit too early to talk about that at the moment. We’re very much focused on next week in Boreham Wood and going to Hampton.

“Havant had an excellent second half of the season and are a team many people fancy but I think there are many teams like that this season.

“We will look at that one after the Hampton game - as the old adage says, it’s one game at a time!”

Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.net

Boreham Wood v Bromley

Blue Square Bet South

Tuesday 17th August 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Meadow Park, Broughinge Road, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire WD6 5AL