A convincing win and a terrific football performance gave much succour to Brockham Badgers U14A after a dismal run of results and the victory saw them through to the 4th round of the Surrey FA County Cup for the first time.
The fixture with Warlingham Colts had been on and off all week. The wintery conditions had meant no football for two weeks for most Surrey youth teams and the snow’s icy stubbornness forced MVDC’s hands on Friday, calling off all matches at the Big Field this weekend. A quick switch to Brockham Recreation Ground and a sudden thaw however meant it was game on.
The fixture with Warlingham Colts had been on and off all week. The wintery conditions had meant no football for two weeks for most Surrey youth teams and the snow’s icy stubbornness forced MVDC’s hands on Friday, calling off all matches at the Big Field this weekend. A quick switch to Brockham Recreation Ground and a sudden thaw however meant it was game on.
Brockham looked the better side from the start, but as seems their way this season, they inexplicably conceded in the first few minutes from a corner that dropped onto the cross bar and fell invitingly to the head of a Colt.
There was an air of calm confidence in the Badgers team this week though, and they dominated possession for much of the ensuing half. This was built from the back where captain Simon Vakeva-Baird was a tower of positive inspiration with both Justin Tarrant and Tom Hampshire proving imperious partners for him in a physically intimidating back three.
Midfield controlled play and built a series of surging runs through the middle and out wide, in particular to their left where Jack Coppin was demonstrating his quick feet skills and devastating pace to good effect, on two occasions going very close to scoring when one on one with the Warlingham keeper.
Pace was definitely the weapon of choice and when Jordan Martin got in behind the Colts back line and ran onto a killer ball from Flint it was only a matter of placing the ball either side of the keeper to level the game. Having opened his body superbly however the ball somehow went wide. Martin and Flint went close again before half-time when only the heavens had any idea how Brockham were a goal behind.
It was all out power and pace for the second half with the introduction of Joe Silver up front and Martin moving right to support the pace of Coppin on both flanks. Within minutes of the start Silver, who had been itching to get on, subtly poked the leveller in. Five minutes later he had his second with a deft lift over the keeper. Coppin then joined him with a superbly taken two touch finish on the end of a free kick from Tarrant, making it 3-1 to the Badgers.
Silver thought he had his hat-trick after pinching the ball from the toes of Tarrant following his powerful run from defence which parted the Warlingham team like the Red Sea, but Silver’s cheekiness was ruled out for off-side. Another through ball provided Silver with his just rewards though. He powered past two Warlingham defenders and passed the ball into the net for his trio of goals in thirty minutes.
Lad of the Match: Tom Hampshire
Report by Jason Rabbetts
