Badgers U12A 4 - 0 Albury Eagles (Horsham and District League B)

Newly promoted Brockham and Albury kicked of their opening game of the season full of promise. Albury were last season's runaway leaders of the C league but were completely outshone by the Badgers in this encounter.

The Eagles started brightly and came close when a corner cross clipped the home side's bar. Brockham re-adjusted themselves and began to 'up' their own game. On 13 minutes Brockham sprinted out of defence and Turner showed clear vision with a through-ball that split open Albury's central defence. Tiley  chased the ball but his chip shot went just over the bar.

The move was a taste of things to come. Two minutes later, Turner, himself tried his luck with a well hit long shot that wasn't too far over. Both sides were physical but the game was played with the best of intentions and it was clearly going to be an attackers match. Whilst Brockham's defence and midfield were soaking up any attacks by Albury, the home side was increasingly finding it's way through the visitors formation.

On 20 minutes the inevitable happened, when Tiley's delf touch in front of goal found the net and opened Brockham's account. 1-0.

Albury didn't really have time to respond as The Badgers continued to drive forward. Barely two minutes later Teague muscled his way into the Albury area and shot well. The keeper saved but the ball fell to a waiting Tiley who pounced and  slotted in number two. 2-0.

With confidence riding high Brockham were showing a solid mix of powerful attacking surges, quick thinking vision and defensive discipline. They weren't going to sit on their lead and their verve drove them to another goal: with only 1 minute remaining Turner again showed some sharp thinking and precise passing, as his pass released the goal-bound Tiley. Tiley side stepped the keeper and rifled in his hat-trick, giving his side a commanding lead at half time. 3-0.

The first few minutes of the second half followed the same watchable but uncertain pattern as the first period. Things changed however in the sixth minute, when the ball landed at Turner's feet at the edge of the area. The striker belted in a shot that had both pace and accuracy, and flew past the keeper, to increase Brockham's lead. 4-0.

Albury played on with spirit and their attempts to fight their way back into the game kept the Badgers on their toes. They began to break down Brockhman's back line a little more and in a 10 minute purple patch they looked the most likely next scorers. On 21 minutes, they won a corner and Albury's attackers manouvred themselves through a busy Brockhman area to shoot. They were thwarted twice by the agile limbs of Wheeler in goal.

The action soon switched back to the other end of the park, with Tiley again using his speed to unsettle the Eagles defence. With time ticking away Brockham again grabbed the initiative and took control of the end of the game. Teague shot just over and Turner made more of his signature sprints forward.

With a few tired legs the game wrapped up without further incident. This was a thoroughly assured performance by Brockham, against stiff opposition. 

Man of the Match: Wilbur Tiley

Squad:  Joe Baker, Kemal Dogansoy, Jamie Donegan, Jordan Heather, Daniel Killick, Dominic Lane, Sam Potts, Jake Purcell, Joe Teague, Wilbur Tiley, Ollie Turner, Jacob Vaughan, Rufus Watson, Oakley Wheeler.

Report by Tony Watson

Dorking FC U18 5 - 0 Horley Town (Southern Counties Floodlit Youth League)

With the side entering the FA Youth Cup, where they will face either Walton & Hersham or Worthing, and with a draw away at Woking in the Surrey Cup, Chicks U18s squad will be tested to the limit in the coming season, but this was a more than satisfactory start for coach Simon Coffey (of Brockham Badgers) and his squad featuring a number of former Badgers..

Stuart scored twice in the first half, the first a header, the second being a shot Stuart latched on to after a shot from Stephen Batchelor fell to the Dorking striker, and there was no let up for Horley in the second half as soon after the interval, Stuart made it 3-0.

Nathan Crosby then made it 4-0 after being put through on goal by right back Lewis Armstrong, the forward lobbing the keeper, and Stuart grabbed his 4th of the game and Dorkimgs' 5th win he hit a fine half volley in to the top right hand corner of the Horley goal.

With captain Chris Thurgood a tower of strength at the back, Dorking never really looked like conceding, and the clean sheet added to the sense of satisfaction for the team in their first game of the season.

Dorking face Oakwood at Meadowbank,Dorking on Wednesday 8th September in the league, ko 7.45pm

Squad: Gavin Morrison, Lewis Armstrong, Ashley Smith, Chris Thurgood (c), Tom Coffey, Harry Maneh, Stephen Batchelor, Darryl Jeeves, James Baker , Ryan Stuart, Nathan Crosby, Subs - Daniel Russell, Jack Murrell, Will Davis, Chris Caley, Zak Smith

Report by Bryan Bletso

Horsham Tigers 3 - 5 Badgers U11B (Horsham and District League D)

The season opened with an away fixture under sunny skies. Although this was their first 11-a-side match, the Badgers dominated possession and spent most of the first period in the Horsham half.  Horsham defended resolutely and were dangerous on the counter attack.   Ryan Murrough opened up the Badgers' scoring by slotting in a cross from the right and Matt Ford banged home an unstoppable rocket into the top right corner of the net.  A seesaw first half ended 2 - 2.

After the interval, Brockham broke open the deadlock through a looping shot from Callum Glenn soon followed by an early contender for goal of the season:  Fergus McGoogan's crushing volley from 20 yards was simply awesome.  Brockham's fifth came from Harry Robertson's cool finish late in the game. 

Overall a solid start for the Badgers, with some spells of good passing and strong defending and five different scorers.  As the boys improve at both finishing their scoring chances and clearing their lines, the performances should get even better.   

Man of the match: Fergus McGoogan, who not only scored but was also outstanding in defense.

Squad:  James Brown, Jacob Evans, Matthew Ford (c), Callum Glenn, Fergus McGoogan, Luke Morris, Ryan Murrough, Joshua Packham, Matthew Parisi, Luke Pock, Harry Robertson, Jed Simister

Report by Paul Morris

Forest Row 5 - 1 Badgers U12B (Horsham and District League D)

For the opening match of the season the Badgers U11 B team took a voyage into the unknown – a trip to Forest Row and a picturesque pitch surrounded by woodland on three sides.  Coach Steve Smith had urged his team to insist on parental pampering after the second friendly the previous week, and at the kick-off the players looked a little more refreshed that they had on Wednesday. 

Having the best of the early exchanges, Badgers pressed on the right, but Forest Row soon found their feet and managed a succession of corners and one effort from long range that just cleared the bar and headed into the undergrowth.  After eight minutes they had made the pressure count as a break from the left put their number 9 through to take the lead with a clean finish. 

End to end play ensued, then the ultimate long ball play saw Freddie Bedford latch onto a kick from hand by keeper William Triggs and score Badgers’ first of the season.  Jubilation and confidence ensued, with the midfield in particular playing with more confidence.  However, Forest Row were not a team to lie down, and soon forced Triggs into a brave punch out which landed at the feet of an attacker.  The ball came through a thicket of players in the box, and Forest Row were back in front.

Through the rest of the match Triggs saw more and more action – his rugby training preparing him to put his body on the line again and again to deny Forest’s oncoming strikers, notably teaming up with defender Jamie Finn deny what had appeared to be a certain goal.  Unfortunately the resulting corner trickled across the area, and was somehow turned into the net, possibly without the involvement of Forest’s players.  Half time came with Badgers two goals down, but still in the match: Jamie Hunt and Harry Wilkins continued to threaten when released, though this was all too rare.    The midfield were fully committed, but the team seem to lack the ability to get the ball out of their own half.

Through the second half Triggs was again called on to do his duty, and it was thanks to him that the score didn’t reach embarrassing proportions.  He was beaten by a high cross that dropped at the far post to give the Forest number 10 the simplest of tap-ins.  A final goal came from a cheeky lob diagonally across the area.

There were many encouraging signs in this performance and with a little more tactical awareness, particularly in central defence, the team have the potential for a great new season.

Report by Tom Race

Storrington 2 - 5 Badgers U16B (Horsham and District League D)

Brockham Badgers U16B’s got the season off to a great start with a deserved win at Storrington, a win that sees them top the division in the early days of the new campaign.  Badgers had been expecting a tough game as Storrington had just been relegated from a higher division, but although Storrington saw a lot of possession, Badgers played effectively as a team to dominate the chances created.

Jack Whetnall stepped in as temporary keeper, and gave his back four confidence with an assured performance, Brockham defending well in the opening stages as Storrington took the game to the visitors.  But with centre backs James Stone and Dhilen Patel not putting a foot wrong, and full backs and joint Scoop lads of the match Sam Macfarland and Will Sprange showing excellent determination, Brockham never looked like conceding.  On the break Brockham looked dangerous from the off, Dan Hoad and Ollie Curtis giving the home defence problems from the off.  After 25 minutes Brockham took the lead, Luke Prior’s cross come shot finding the top right hand corner.  Curtis almost doubled the lead after a superb through ball from midfielder David Atkinson as Josh Caldwell and Stefan Issberner began to see more and more of the ball, but as the half ended it was Storrington that ended on the front foot with a series of corners.

Brockham came out very positively in the second period, and Elliott Austin scored 2 minutes into the half after Curtis played him in.  Brockham could have made the game safe, but Storrington came back well and mid way through the half scored two quick goals to equalise.  Badgers did not panic, and slowly carved out some chances, and 10 minutes from time Luke Prior scored to make it 3-2.  With Storrington tiring, Brockham turned the screw, and Curtis scored two goals in the final 5 minutes to make the game secure.

Badgers can be rightly pleased with this win, as it was a determined team performance and that bodes well for the season ahead.

Squad: Jack Whetnall, Will Sprange, Sam Macfarland, Dhilen Patel, James Stone, Dex Bass, Stefan Issberner, Luke Prior (c), David Atkinson, Elliott Austin, Josh Caldwell, Dan Hoad, Ollie Curtis

Report by Bryan Bletso