‘We weren’t good enough with the ball’ says Wild after Bromley defeat

FC HALIFAX Town boss Pete Wild said his side weren’t good enough with the ball after their 2-1 home defeat to Bromley.

Goals from Michael Cheek and James Alabi put the visitors out of reach before Neill Byrne got one back for Town.

“If you want to sum the game up, they did to us what we did to Chesterfield on Tuesday night,” Wild said.“They sat in, controlled the centre of the park. We didn’t move the ball quickly enough, we didn’t try and break the block quick enough, we didn’t move the ball from side to side to get around them quick enough.

“Then you get the penalty which, for me, is a pen, and you’re chasing the game at the end so you’re 4-2-4 and that’s always going to happen if you’re chasing the game.

“We just weren’t good enough with the ball. I’ve said to the players ‘expect more of that as the weeks go on, people just sitting off us and letting us play’ and we’ve got to be better, we’ve got to move the ball better. We didn’t do that.”

Cheek blasted his spot-kick into the net for his 22nd league goal of the season after he had been fouled in the box.

Jeff King had a left-footed shot saved by Mark Cousins and later, one that was on target but blocked by Chris Bush.

The impetus was on Town to create, but they looked devoid of ideas at times.

A bit of energy was finally injected into proceedings when King and Niall Maher, then King again, had shots blocked.

Maher’s shot was deflected over, Byrne fired just off target from Billy Chadwick’s cross and Hyde dragged a shot wide as Town steadily cranked up the pressure.

Bromley then took advantage of the gaps in the Town defence as the hosts pushed forward when Alabi swept home from a cut-back.

Byrne got one back for Town with a finish into the roof of the net from a cross from the left, but it was too little, too late.

Halifax: Johnson, Byrne, Clarke, Maher, King, Summerfield, Green, Woods, Williams (Senior 81), Hyde, Chadwick (Allen 77). Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Spence, Bradbury.

Scorer: Byrne (90)

Shots on target: 5; Shots off target: 12

Corners: 7

Bromley: Bromley: Cousins, Kizzi, Mitchell, Fox, Bush, Coulson, Bingham, Bridge Trotter 68), Arthurs (Campbell 81), Williamson, Cheek (Alabi 52). Subs not used: Raymond, Vincent.

Scorers: Cheek (14), Alabi (90)

Shots on target: 3; Shots off target: 1

Corners: 7

Referee: Scott Simpson

Town man of the match: Jeff King