Andy Woodman: Bromley want to go up as champions

Bromley boss Andy Woodman believes his players are “finally believing” what they can achieve this season after they stormed to the top of Sky Bet League Two with a convincing 3-1 victory at Crawley.

A hat-trick from Michael Cheek made it nine wins in their last 10 league games, and they took over at the summit with Walsall losing at home to Oldham.

A Charlie Barker header briefly pulled Crawley level after Cheek’s opener, but the prolific striker then struck twice more in the second half to complete his first EFL hat-trick and make it a stroll for Woodman’s side.

“It was a brilliant performance and we want to go up as champions,” said a delighted Woodman.

“These boys are driving it all and it’s exactly what I want – but we haven’t achieved anything yet.

“It counts for nothing unless we beat Newport at home on New Year’s Day.”

Woodman admitted the aim at the start of the season was to reach the play-offs, but the goal now is to “put Bromley on top of the tree”.

He added: “We are growing and growing and that drives the team – these boys are finally beginning to believe.”

Crawley’s defeat leaves them only two points above the bottom two and they have now gone eight league games without a victory – equalling their longest winless run under boss Scott Lindsey in either of his spells in charge.

When asked to sum up the first half of the season, Lindsey replied: “Horrendous.”

Captain Dion Conroy was involved in an angry exchange with home supporters after the third goal was conceded, when Conroy was also booed, and Lindsey refused to comment on the incident.

Lindsey is planning to bolster his squad during the January transfer window and admitted: “It’s clear we need some help in January.

“I would like to see some new faces to help get us away from where we are.

“Against a very strong Bromley team we were second-best all over the pitch, and we fell short in many facets of the game.

“It was almost a carbon copy of our first game with Bromley – we didn’t learn anything.

“We are lacking a lot of confidence and we are up and down with our performances.”