RAVENS ON CLOUD NINE GOING INTO PLAY-OFFS
Garreth Rhodes
A GOALKEEPING performance of the highest order from Reice Charles-Cook ensured Bromley go into their play-off eliminator on Wednesday with a ninegame unbeaten run.
A goal on half-time from Joe Nuttall looked to have given Oldham a fifth consecutive win but a string of superb saves from Charles-Cook meant James Vennings’ 80th-minute strike earned the Ravens a point at Boundary Park.
And boss Andy Woodman doesn’t want their Eliminator at Woking on Wednesday to be the end of the road.
“Woking are a fantastic side, we’re going in as underdogs and we’ll give it our best shot,” he said.
“There are a few players missing so we need to see where we are in a couple of days. It’s been a good season, but we want to make something more of it.”
An even start gave way to a period of sustained Oldham dominance with a poor miss from close range by Nuttall followed shortly by two remarkable pieces of defending.
The first saw CharlesCook make a flying save to his left to stop Mike Fondop opening the scoring before Devarn Green’s follow-up shot was headed superbly off the line by exceptional young defender Kellen Fisher.
As the break loomed, a searching ball over the top from Mark Shelton – moved from central midfield to right-back – bobbled in front of Charles-Cook but the former Coventry City keeper never looked confident of beating Nuttall to the ball.
The striker was able to take the ball round the shot-stopper and curl a finish round a back-tracking Byron Webster for his 16th goal of the campaign.
After the break, a neatly played one-two between Fondop and half-time sub Ben Tollitt sent the latter clean through but his dinked effort was expertly stopped by the shoulder of Charles-Cook.
A lifeless spell in the game, broken only by Peter Clarke coming on for his 140th and final Oldham appearance and another terrific flying save from Charles-Cook to prevent a 30-yard Tollitt effort, gave the impression Oldham would end their season with a win.
But, with ten minutes to go, Vennings broke forward and rifled a low shot that left opposing keeper Magnus Norman flat-footed. Less than a minute later, Charles-Cook saved his best for last, as Shelton’s effort from eight yards was somehow reached and tipped round the post by the terrific keeper. For Unsworth, the future is bright.
“I’m very proud to be Oldham manager, this club is in such a better position than it was 12 months ago and hopefully in 12 months’ time it’ll be better still.
“I want to be a winning machine and think we’re a really attractive proposition for players who want to join a top-level club in the National League.”