The Lowdown on Bromley 1 Morecambe 0 – Cheek penalty makes the difference as Bromley pile the misery on Morecambe

18 April 2025 Sports Reporter

BY MITCHELL HALL

Bromley cruised to a 1-0 win over bottom of League two Morecambe thanks to a Michael Cheek penalty at Hayes Lane, in a match that also saw Morecambe’s David Tutonda dismissed in a farcical fit of dissent.

Here is Mitchell Hall’s lowdown on the match…

THE LINE-UPS

Bromley: Smith, Odutayo, Grant, Elerewe, Sowunmi, Charles, Thompson (Whitely 62), Arthurs, Congreve (Ilunga 62), Imray (McKirdy 83), Cheek.

Subs not used: Long, Kabamba, Mayor, Kacurri.

Morecambe: Burgoyne, Lewis, Stott (Tutonda 42), Songo’o, Taylor, Lewis, White, Tollitt, Jones (Slew 79), Dallas (Hope 65), Angol (Dackers 79).

Subs not used: Schofield, Dobson, Fairclough.

SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME

Bromley had the lion’s share of the chances in the first half, with Danny Imray’s one-on-one with the goalkeeper after a lung-busting run being the pick of the bunch.

Imray received the ball near the halfway line with Jude Arthurs to his left and just one defender to beat, but his eventual strike was saved magnificently by Harry Burgoyne. The home side’s dominance appeared to have paid dividends as a corner was turned into the net amidst a melee of bodies in the box, however, the referee immediately blew for a foul by Bromley to cancel it out.

Harry Burgoyne of Morecambe saves a shot from Danny Imray of Bromley during the League 2 match between Bromley and Morecambe at Hayes Lane, Bromley, England on 18th April 2025. Photo by Edmund Boyden.

It took just three minutes in the second half for Bromley to finally break through, with Imray plucking a ball out of the sky beautifully in the box before being dragged down as he rounded his marker. Cheek made no mistake with the penalty, extending his lead at the summit of the top scorer rankings to five goals in the process. Ashley Charles would defend his side’s lead less than 10 minutes later, as he threw himself down heroically at the near post to head away a certain Morecambe goal. Bromley would find more fortune as Morecambe’s David Tutonda would be sent off for dissent in explosive fashion, requiring his side to continue chasing the host’s lead with just 10 men.

TACTICAL APPROACH

Bromley deployed a physical back line, with Idris Odutayo and Deji Elerewe coming into the starting lineup alongside Omar Sowunmi and Kamarl Grant in a flat back four, allowing Imray to play further forward off the right wing. Charles anchored the midfield three, with Jude Arthurs and Ben Thompson both making runs into the forward line when the opportunity arose.

The Ravens were the more aggressive of the sides in the early stages of the game, pushing their full backs up to provide support for their build-up in wide areas. The final ball into the box was lacking for the most part, but Bromley looked relaxed as they continued to knock on the door. Morecambe were forced to adapt their game further as defender Jamie Stott was forced to withdraw after suffering a head injury. Eventually Bromley’s pressure paid off and it was hard to see a way back for Morecambe with their lack of possession.

STAR MAN

Danny Imray. A constant threat on the break or in settled possession, Imray can produce something out of nothing at this level. The Crystal Palace loanee is frighteningly quick down the right wing, as Morecambe defender Tutonda found out on multiple occasions. Bromley’s penalty and one-man advantage can both be traced to Imray’s trickery on the right, making it hard to see anyone else having such an impact on today’s proceedings.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

David Tutonda. The Morecambe man had a difficult job to do as he came off the bench in the first half to replace the injured Jamie Stott, but it was a poor start to the day for him as he gave away a penalty for a naive challenge on Imray to hand Bromley the lead. Imray would get the better of him again 20 minutes later as he forced the Morecambe man to bring him down for a yellow card. However, Tutonda’s masterpiece came two minutes after this first caution.

A seemingly innocuous foul was given in the wide area around the Morecambe box, but Tutonda took umbrage with the decision. His passionate protests earned him an immediate second yellow. Not content with his behaviour thus far, he marched towards the linesman in an attempt to intimidate the official, pointing and shouting all the way, before eventually being diverted by the referee directly. A poor display adorned by disgraceful conduct, it is hard to imagine the admonishment that his manager will unleash upon the defender when he arrives in the changing rooms.

TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB

Bromley starman Michael Cheek maintains his dominance in the scorers charts with yet another goal at Hayes Lane, taking his League Two tally to 22 goals. It has been a brilliant season for the striker, made all the more impressive by it being his maiden campaign in the EFL. Not the fastest or strongest footballer, his brilliant movement in the area and lethal finishing has helped propel Bromley comfortably into the middle of the table. His success is symbolic of the club’s wider overperformance this season.