We have to match Dartford in every department, says Bromley coach Neil Smith

The Ravens received a bonus point in their bid to beat the drop after they came away from their bitter-rivals Sutton United with a morale boosting 1-1 draw at Gander Green Lane.

Leading goalscorer Hakeem Araba equalised in the final sixteen minutes to secure a point against a Sutton United side sitting in fourth-place in the table.

But it could have been so much better had substitute Gareth Williams didn’t hit the crossbar.

“First half we were a bit static,” admitted Smith.

“We gave a sloppy goal away and then they were probably on top until Aaron (Rhule) went through and the lad got sent-off after bringing him down.

“We didn’t think we  really capitalised on our good fortune.  We got a goal back.  I know we hit the bar straight away.  We just seemed to stall on it. We need wins now.  We should have gone for the win a little bit more.”

Smith, 40, added: “I think all in all, looking at it, playing away from home against a team in the play-offs, we’re frustrated that we didn’t get the win.

“The positive is we gained another point and we have to keep on doing that in the next four games.”

Bromley remain in seventeenth-place in the table, with 40 points from 38 games and their survival hopes are in their own hands.

Below them are Hampton & Richmond (who have a game in hand) and Maidenhead United, who are both on 39 points.

The three sides currently in the drop zone are Havant & Waterlooville (38 points, but with a game in hand), Staines Town (37) and now relegated Thurrock, who have picked up 25 points.

Smith said: “It’s getting very tight.  It’s not getting a bit tight, its very tight down there.  One win or one defeat and teams are getting the same sort of results either push you further on or push you right back into it again.

“After the result we had against Weston-super-Mare lifted us out of it and lifted us away, Hampton & Richmond are picking up points all the time and Havant have got a game in hand as well, so it is tight down there but what it does there’s a few other teams who didn’t think they weren’t involved, are getting involved in it as well.”

And if Farnborough are deducted five points (their appeal against misconduct will be heard at  The FA, Wembley Stadium on Monday 16 April),  then it pulls another club into the relegation dog-fight.

Dartford arrive at Hayes Lane sitting in second place and are seven points adrift of Woking, who welcome tenth-placed Tonbridge Angels to Kingfield Stadium tomorrow.

But Bromley MUST-WIN their last remaining three games, away to Truro City, at home to doomed Thurrock and away to Dorchester Town on the final day to avoid the club’s fourth relegation in their history.

“How do we beat Dartford?  It’s going to be tough,” said Smith.

“They’re a very, very good side, a strong side. They never give anything up, they chase everything down.

“We’ve got to basically match them, player for player.  We’ve got some very good players in our team but we can’t afford to have any passengers tomorrow and we’re going to need every one of them and that’s including the boys sitting on the bench.

“Whoever’s starting tomorrow has really got to give us everything they’ve got, the whole concentrating bit and I think there will be a big crowd and Dartford feel they’ve got a chance of getting automatic promotion.

“It’s going to be a tough game but the boys’ have got to be ready for it – this is why you love playing football.

“Dartford will want to give it everything they’ve got.  Even if they weren’t get automatic promotion, Tony Burman gets his teams to play as if it’s their last game.

“We know it’s going to be tough, but I know also we’ve beaten them before.  We beat them at their place.  We know we can do the job on them.

“The form Hak (Hakeem Araba) is in at the moment, we’ve got capable players who can upset them.  That’s what we’re setting out to do.  We’re not going to settle for anything than going for the win.

Bromley must treat their last remaining four games as if their lives depended on it.

Bromley resident Smith feels the same.

He said:  “I think Dartford is going to be our toughest game and if we get anything out of that, it’s a game where we can grab something from it and it will lift us up.

“All of the sudden we have to win at Truro, because Truro are still in it.  If Farnborough get their five points deducted, we’re above them, they’re in it.

“What we have to do is make sure we’re still in and around it (safety) going into Thurrock.  They’re down, they still beat Boreham Wood on Friday.  Again, it’s not a given but that’s a game we have to win.

“We have to beat Truro as they’re three points ahead of us and then I wouldn’t want to have to leave it until the last game of the season, so the sooner we get the points on the board the better.

But the teams at the bottom this season are a lot stronger than last year.

“This time last year 40 points kept you up,” recalled Smith.

“We need seven points.  I think there’s five or six other teams who are still involved in it.

“If Farnborough get their five points deducted, they go below us on goal-difference.  You don’t want to wait for other teams to help you out, but when you’re down there you take anything. 

“It’s going to be tough but I’m thoroughly looking forward to it, because you want to play these sort of games, the big games.  Obviously I’d like to be Dartford going for promotion and play-off’s, but we’re not in that situation, but you still want to have characters to get the result tomorrow, in front of a big crowd, I would imagine.”

Smith also issued a rallying cry to the Hayes Lane faithful to give their players the support they need to ensure the club finish outside the bottom three.

“We need the supporters’ behind us,” he said. “There’s going to be mistakes, but we just need their support.  It’s easy to support a team that’s winning.  When the players’ really need their support is when it’s not going so well and they’ve got your backing.

“The pitch isn’t great.  It’s going to be poor. It’s not going to be a footballing game. It’s going to be blood, thunder and guts and we’ve got to make sure we match them in EVERY department.”

Visit Bromley’s website: www.bromleyfc.net

Bromley  v  Dartford
Blue Square Bet South
Easter Monday 9^th April 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF