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Preview: Bromley vs. Wrexham - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 16 March 2023, 20:41
Bromley take on Wrexham at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon, in the latest round of National League fixtures.

The hosts are 10th in the table, still within reach of finishing inside the playoffs, while the visitors are top of the pile, eyeing a return to the EFL for the first time since 2008.

Match preview

Bromley have picked up a total of 52 points from 36 games, meaning they are eight points adrift of the playoff places, however they have two games in hand on seventh-placed Eastleigh.

If the Ravens are to stand any chance of gaining promotion, they will need to improve upon their recent form, having won just one of their last five games in the National League.

In fairness, Andy Woodman's side have not had easy fixtures, picking up draws against second-placed Notts County, as well as Eastleigh, however the manager will be less than impressed by his team's performance in their last match.

Last Tuesday night, Bromley suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at home against York City, a side that find themselves embroiled in the relegation battle, in a real blow to their hopes of pushing for the top seven.

It does not get any easier for the Ravens on Saturday, taking on a side that are in a very strong position to win promotion, and they lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture at the Racecourse Ground earlier in the campaign.

Having suffered playoff heartbreak in the 2021/22 campaign, Wrexham are looking good for automatic promotion this time around, currently one point clear of Notts County with a game in hand.

The Reds have been on an astounding run of form in the National League, going undefeated over a 25-game period, last suffering a loss away at Notts County at the very start of October.

Such is the talent of Phil Parkinson's side, they also managed to push Championship side Sheffield United very close in the FA Cup earlier this year, drawing 3-3 at home before being defeated 3-1 despite a spirited performance in the replay at Bramall Lane.

If there is one very minor criticism of Wrexham this season, it is that they have not always managed to get over the line away from home, recently drawing 2-2 at 15th-placed Maidenhead United.

That said, the Reds should have more than enough quality to extend their unbeaten run to 26 National League games on Saturday, and Parkinson will be hoping for a similar performance to their last away match, in which they ran out resounding 4-0 winners at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Bromley National League form:

W

L

D

W

D

L

Wrexham National League form:

W

W

W

D

W

W

Team News

Bromley's heavy defeat against York was, in large part, down to goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook's red card near the end of the first half, which meant that defender Besart Topalloj had to play in goal, due to no back-up option being named on the bench.

In the absence of Charles-Cook, Woodman is likely to turn to 20-year-old goalkeeper Sam Long, who joined on loan from Lincoln City in the January transfer window, and is yet to make an appearance for the club.

Adam Marriott is the Ravens' top scorer in the National League, netting 10 goals in 23 appearances this season, and he could be joined by Michael Cheek in attack, with the 31-year-old replacing Corey Whitely, who has not scored in his last 11 games.

As for Wrexham, Parkinson may face a selection dilemma in attack, given that Ollie Palmer failed to score against Southend United last weekend, with Sam Dalby potentially replacing the striker in the starting lineup, playing alongside Paul Mullin.

It is good news for the Reds on the injury front, with midfielder Tom O'Connor and defender Aaron Hayden edging closer to a return to the first team, although it is unclear whether they will be involved this weekend.

Bromley possible starting lineup:

Long; Reynolds, Sowunmi, Forster, Topalloj; Fisher, Vennings, Stirk, Dennis; Marriott, Cheek

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Lainton; Tunnicliffe, Tozer, O'Connell, Mendy; Lee, Cannon, Barnett, Jones; Mullin, Palmer

We say: Bromley 0-2 Wrexham

Bromley proved they have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with one of the best sides in the division in their recent draw against Notts County, so Wrexham are unlikely to run away with it on Saturday.

However, the Reds have been fantastic all season, and we cannot see their undefeated streak coming to an end against a team that currently find themselves in midtable.

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