Bromley 1-2 FC Halifax Town: "We looked back to our best" says Town boss Wild

Jamie Allen's goal shortly after half-time proved decisive after Michael Cheek and Luke Summerfield both scored first-half penalties.

Liam Trotter was then sent-off for the hosts.

"I'm really pleased, I thought you saw us back to our defensive best," said Wild.

"I've been making a point to the players that we're conceding too many easy goals and we looked fluffy at times.

"But today I thought we looked back to our strong best, we're squeezing up, we're closing down spaces, we're attacking the ball, our wing-backs are getting out and getting a glove on wide men.

"That's how we want to play and that's how our performance plan and our structure looked at the start of the season.

"Maybe we've come away from that a little bit but I thought that was us at our best today.

"I think we fully deserved the result today, I thought we looked tough to play against, I thought we looked athletic, I thought we looked strong, with and without the ball, and we were a constant threat throughout the football match."

Wild declared the result one of his best since taking the Town job.

"I keep saying it, but it shows progress," said Wild. "I look at how we did here last year, and we lost here 5-0, now we've just won 2-1, so it's an improvement."

Wild thought both penalty decisions and the sending off for Liam Trotter were all correct decisions.

"Danny's leg's in a bad way," Wild said of town man Danny Williams, who was fouled for the red card. "I don't think there's anything broken, but he's very badly bruised."

On debutant Tahvon Campbell, Wild said: "I thought he looked lively, he looked a constant threat.

"What we've got there are two kids who've got pace and they looked tough to play against.

"They're only going to get better as a partnership."

When asked what pleased him most about the performance, Wild said: "Out of possession I thought we looked solid, we looked tough to beat, we squeezed spaces.

"We looked really, really tough to play against."

Wild explained the reason why the game was moved to Hayes Lane at short notice: "It was touch and go on Tuesday night, the weather didn't relent on Wednesday, snowed Thursday, and we just thought it was going to be touch and go, so instead of that, Bromley offered to switch it Thursday morning.

"It's 3G, we know it'll be on, we need to play these games."

The Town boss admitted the switch of venue meant he needed to alter one or two things tactically for the game.

"There were two or three things I tactically wanted from the players today and we tactically worked on, came off," he said.

"How we deployed our holding midfielders, who we tried to target in Bromley's team as maybe weaker players, how we thought Bromley struggled to defend, and our second goal come from what was highlighted to the players about how they struggle.

"How we deployed our centre mids just gave us a bit more structure behind the ball."

Midfielder Martin Woods and on-loan striker Lewis Mansell both missed the game.

"Woodsy's not been feeling well for the last couple of games, he doesn't seem to have any air in his lungs," said Wild.

"Woodsy had Covid and he's had two tests recently that were negative.

"But he might be suffering from what they call long Covid.

"We just took him out for a week, just to chill him out, try and get some air back in his lungs and go again.

"Dannsy (Neil Danns) had a lot of that when he was here.

"Mansell felt ill yesterday, so he rang in sick, he was throwing up all night.

"It's the curse of the centre-forward isn't it."

When asked if either will be back for Tuesday's game at Wrexham, Wild said: "Woodsy's 50-50 but I expect Lewis to get over his bug and be right for midweek.

And on Williams' knock, Wild said: "We'll have to have a look at, he's badly bruised."

So Wild could again be down to the bare bones for Tuesday's game.

"We're constantly down to the bare bones, look at the bench today," he said.

"That bench was just what we had, but it's great experience for people like Jay Benn, who's never travelled before, Dom Tear's getting his chance here and there, which is pleasing for Dom because he's been patient.

"I've just got to dust the boys down and get ready for another tough away trip on Tuesday."