Bromley and Fleetwood Town are separated by one place in the League Two table as they approach Saturday's clash in gameweek 32 at Hayes Lane.
The mid-table clubs have identical records in their previous two league fixtures, securing four points from six, as they seek to throw themselves into playoff contention in the campaign's concluding months.
Match preview
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Promoted to League Two this term, Bromley have had a decent-to-good season, ranking 13th in the division after 30 games, leaving Andy Woodman's side nine points shy of Salford City occupying the final playoff spot.
While the Ravens still have a mathematical chance of ending in the top seven, results on home turf must improve to rise in the standings and make a late play to catch either Port Vale in sixth (49 points) or Salford (48).
Despite entering Saturday's game unbeaten in two league games — after a 3-3 thriller against Salford and 1-0 success over MK Dons — the Greater London outfit have failed to win in three fixtures in front of their supporters, with losses to Colchester United (1-0) and Grimsby Town (2-0) this year following December 29's 1-1 draw with Swindon Town.
Woodman's men have now failed to score on their turf in consecutive games for the first time since firing blanks against Kidderminster Harriers (0-0) and York City (2-0) in the National League last term and hope to avoid misfiring in three successive matches on their turf in league play since March-April 2013 when they suffered losses to Eastbourne Borough (2-0), Hayes & Yeading United (4-0) and Dover Athletic (4-0) in the National League.
While success for Bromley takes them above Fleetwood in the table, the side with the third-worst return in home fixtures in League Two — 15 points from 14 games — must raise their game to notch a fourth triumph as hosts this weekend.
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Facing the Lancashire-based visitors offers hope of a first win at Hayes Lane since Boxing Day, with the Fishermen securing only four away successes in 13 heading into round 32's visit to Bromley.
Pete Wild has had a mixed record since replacing Charlie Adam before Christmas, winning four of nine league rounds, playing out two draws and losing three.
Two of the Cod Army's three defeats have come on the road at Doncaster Rovers (2-1) on New Year's Day and recently at Morecambe (4-2), but the latter has been followed by beating Cheltenham Town 2-0 in Lancashire and securing a point by holding Tranmere Rovers to a goalless encounter.
Regardless of their indifferent results away from home, Wild's men have been one of the better sides since the turn of the year, accruing 13 points from a possible 24, four shy of 2025 leaders Swindon Town's 17.
Like their opponents, the Fishermen, eight points behind seventh-placed Salford, still have a mathematical chance of ending in the top seven spots, further boosted by playing one game fewer than the club they are chasing.
Away results must improve for the Cod Army to enhance those prospects, and Fleetwood hope to secure a fifth triumph on their travels this weekend to strengthen those chances.
Team News
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Bromley suffered no seeming injury problems in the recent win at MK Dons, giving Woodman a healthy squad for Saturday's fixture with Fleetwood.
Fourteen-goal man Michael Cheek has netted seven home goals this term, four shy of league-leading AFC Wimbledon forward Matty Stevens (11), and the striker, who has netted three match-clinching goals this term, aims to be decisive in gameweek 32.
Ronan Coughlan is out for the season after sustaining a severe Achilles injury against Carlisle United in January, while Zech Medley remains absent.
Without the eight-goal Coughlan, who had scored two match-winning strikes before his season-ending injury, the Fishermen will rely on eight-goal midfield man Matthew Virtue-Thick to be decisive — the Englishman has netted three game-sealing goals in 2024-25.
Bromley possible starting lineup:
Smith; Jenkinson, Elerewe, Webster, Imray; Arthurs, Charles; Thompson, Congreve, Mayor; Cheek
Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:
Lynch; Rooney, Bolton, Wiredu; Cover, Bonds, Virtue-Thick, Neal, Hunt; Graydon, Marsh
We say: Bromley 1-1 Fleetwood Town
Despite securing four points apiece in their previous two matches, Bromley are winless in three on their turf (two losses), while Fleetwood have won just one away match from four since Wild took charge, losing two.
Neither pattern justifies a clear favourite heading into Saturday's fixture, suggesting that the points could be shared in Greater London.
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