Horsley FC 2 - 1 Badgers U9A (Epsom & Ewell League Premier Division)

After a wet stormy night Brockham were hoping to pick up some points at Horsley FC. Brockham applied the early pressure but soon the chances were falling to Horsley, shooting and heading just wide. Inevitably the goal came to Horsley who took the lead 1-0. A good stop by Archie Routleff, in goal for Brockham, was well cleared by Owen Knowles. The play was going Horsley’s way and they had more chances before half time but they failed to take them.

Brockham Coach, Jason Rabbetts, must have said the right things at the interval as The Badgers come out bearing their teeth. Ed russ passed the ball out from midfield to Jo Rabbetts wide on the left, Jo whipped the ball across the Horsley goal for Sam Church to put away, 1-1. The second half was better for Brockham with some great play by George Wryde. It looked like the game was heading towards a draw but some poor defending by Brockham allowed Horsley to snatch the game 2-1.

Man of the Match: George Wryde

Report by Rick Russ.

Woking 4 - 0 Dorking FC U18s (Surrey FA U18 Midweek Cup)

Dorking's U18s came up against the powerful Woking academy U18 side on Wednesday night at Woking FC's Kingfield ground, a ground that not too long ago was hosting Conference football in what was a great experience for Dorking FC's youngsters.


Dorking conceded after 10 minutes, but then proceeded to have the better of the first half and only slack finishing prevented Dorking from going in at the interval level or even ahead.


Dorking suffered an injury to centre back and captain Chris Thurgood shortly after the restart and while coach Simon Coffey sought to reorganise things Woking showed their class by taking full advantage, scoring a second and third goal in quick succession with some clinical finishing.  Dorking steadied the ship, and once more pressed without being able to make any breakthrough, a late Woking goal giving the home side what looks like a decisive victory when in reality the match was far closer than the scoreline suggests, the difference being Woking's fitness (as befits a side that trains daily) and finishing


Squad: Gavin Morrison, Marcus Legg, Josh Clark, Lewis Armstrong, Chris Thurgood (c), James Baker, Darryl Jeeves, Stephen Batchelor, Daniel Read, Ryan Stewart, Nathan Crosby subs Chris Caley, Ryan Harvey,  Henry Warne


Report by Bryan Bletso

Chiddingfold FC 1 - 5 Badgers U10A (South Surrey Youth League)

This would be the Badgers first game in the South Surrey League and I was lucky enough to get a press-pass to travel to the game with the tactical mastermind that is Mick Lucas.  On arriving at Chiddingfold  there was definitely a feeling that the boys were going into the Lion's Den.  But Mick "The Motivator" Lucas began the mind games early on insisting that The Badgers do a full warm-up despite the team arriving a few minutes behind schedule.  It was a decision that would pay dividends.

The early going was tight.  Chiddingfold  were a solid unit.  They used the guile of their number 14 and the aerial ability of their number 9 to pin The Badgers back.  But Jack Duncan was as determined as a Jack Russell yapping at a postman's heels.  He consistently put in the tackles and chased off the many early Chiddingfold attacks.  His spirited early running would give The Badgers a solid base on which to launch their own attacks.  And they were soon to come…

Oliver Yeates was inspired on the ball and saw a left foot smash tipped over by the keeper early on.  Shortly after he had a shot from a tight angle bounce back off the post.  Oliver was involved in every attacking move and seemed to be conducting those around him with a football brain beyond his years.

It was Henry Lucas who broke the deadlock.  One touch to bring the corner under control and then a second to drill the ball home.  It was a great strike by Henry who has become The Badgers' no claims insurance policy: he's always there if you need him and he gets more valuable every year!

The second followed soon after with Ezra Charles swivelling to dispatch a volley into the far corner after more great work from Oliver Yeates. 

Oliver was really hitting his stride now and was soon involved again.  He stepped to the left and then cut the ball back sharply leaving the Chiddingfold  defence, and most of the spectators, wondering where he'd gone.  Then, while his dad put through a missing persons call, Oliver set up birthday boy Morgan Hamilton for a fine finish.   

The game had been close in terms of possession but Brockham's creative play was scintillating.  Chiddingfold  were not out of it though.  They were a real threat at set pieces and their talismanic number 9 got his head to a corner to pull one back just before half-time.  And with Chiddingfold  pressing for a second Jack Duncan and Joe Allen were alive to everything happening around them.  Both boys started the half and ended the half with some crucial tackles.

Half Time: Chiddingfold  FC 1 Brockham Badgers 3

George Lees had dealt well with any shots that had come his way in the first-half.  He was put up front in the second-half and did the team proud.  Joe Allen went in goal after some fine defending in the first-half.  He kept it simple when he needed to but he also executed some fine chipped passes up to the forward players.  Joe's all-round game looked great and he didn't put a foot wrong between the sticks either.

Adam Bower was making some good runs with the ball and trying to find his team mates.  He had a good shot charged down by the resolute Chiddingfold  defence and he never gave up.  Adam's determination was infectious and he really inspired those around him to raise their game.  It was another excellent appearance for Adam.

Ezra Charles continued to combine with Morgan, Adam and Oliver.  At times he seemed to defy the laws of physics, changing direction so quickly it was as if he was turning himself inside-out like one of those reversible anoraks from the 1980s.  Twisting on a fifty-pence piece, Ezra found room where there was none and put many quality balls across the box.

The next goal would be the best of the game.  An early ball out from Joe at the back went through Oliver, George, Ezra, back to George, back to Ezra and then pinball-ed its way up the pitch as the boys put more one-twos together than Muhammad Ali.  Then Ezra finally played Morgan through who finished it in style.  It was a fantastic team goal reminiscent of Ronaldo and Rooney from a season or so ago, only these boys have a better first touch!

The game continued to ebb and flow.  Chiddingfold  never gave up and were always a threat.  There were some close attempts at goal but Henry Lucas seemed to have everything under control and elegantly delivered the ball wherever it needed to be.  And if you want to see a team defend from the front then George Lees chased down every ball and put pressure on his opponents which eventually forced the error for the final goal…

Birthday boy and midfield general Morgan Hamilton completed his hat-trick with a sliding shot that beat the keeper to his right.  I'm not sure of he took the match ball home with him but, put it this way, nobody could get it off him when he was on the pitch!

Full Time: Chiddingfold FC 1 Brockham Badgers 5

Man of the Match: Oliver Yeates, goal scorer turned provider - his best performance ever (like Chris Waddle but with a better haircut)

Squad: George Lees, Joe Allen, Henry Lucas, Jack Duncan, Morgan Hamilton, Oliver Yeates, Ezra Charles, Adam Bower

Report by Jason Charles

Badgers U9A 2 - 5 Epsom Eagles A (Epsom & Ewell League Premier Division)

Buoyed by last weeks’ win against Elm Grove Colts, the Brockham support were hoping for another good result. Brockham set off at pace and immediately put Epsom under pressure with Ed Russ getting the ball to Matt Chapman who hit the ball first time giving the keeper no chance, 1 – 0. Epsom fought back and soon began to put Brockham under pressure. Epsom passed the ball well and equalised. The flood gates then opened and within 15 minutes Brockham found themselves behind 1 – 4. A handball decision went against Epsom and Will Timmons stepped up to take the penalty and get Brockham back in the game. Timmons, the calmest boy on the pitch, hit the ball to the keeper’s right, keeping it low and placing it in the corner, 2 -4. If only he’d been available at Italia ’90!

Huw Morgan, in goal,  kept Brockham in the game for most of the second half with Epsom putting Brockham under the cosh. Epsom’s pressure paid off and they extended their lead to 2 – 5, a victory that they deserved.

Man of the Match: Huw Morgan

Report by Rick Russ

Leatherhead Youth 4 - 0 Badgers U14A (Surrey Youth League Premier Elite)

Despite two key players missing and only twelve travelling, Brockham were hoping to nick a result against Leatherhead Youth.  Unfortunately their optimism was dealt a blow, yet again, within the first five minutes.  Losing possession, the Badgers were lethargic in recovery and were punished with a simple through ball and a well taken finish.

Brockham had setup with five in midfield to stifle the Tanners 4-4-2 formation but the Badgers’ limited squad options were not making the extra man count.  Luke Brightman, who had been risked despite his knees continuing to trouble him, was trying hard but struggling to compete.  A further ten minute period of pressure from the Tanners forced a change for Brockham.

His replacement, Lewis Wood, was another walking wounded having not started due to being sick on arrival.  However, the black and whites now matched the Leatherhead boy’s 4-4-2 formation and the extra space in midfield and greater options up front started to pay dividends as Wood forgot his illness and increasingly exerted his influence.

Why it seems this season that the black and whites need to go behind before they decide to wake up to the game is a puzzle, but so it seemed.  They now battled for the ball and organised their shape better throughout the balance of the first half, and went into half-time on the ascendency and edging the game despite being a goal down.

Leatherhead was having none of it though.  They came out for the second half fighting, and while Brockham should have built on their confidence from the first half they instead faded a little.  It is small margins that make the difference at this level – mind, body, and soul need to be committed, but despite their clear capability the boys on occasions look as if they don’t believe they deserve to be on the pitch with elite teams.

As confidence flat-lined and tiredness crept in the concentration dropped in midfield.  Despite a well organised Brockham back line, a Tanners’ cross from the right dropped between the Brockham defence and midfield.  There was no-one in black and white there.  Leatherhead’s runners in the middle were alert and got ahead of the Badgers midfield.  They ran at the now outnumbered Brockham defence and threaded a ball through the middle which was despatched one on one with the keeper.

Brockham decided to risk Brightman again, taking the imposing but tiring Justin Tarrant off.  The plan being to rest him for ten minutes and then bring Brightman back off, having done a short term job for the team.  No soon as Tarrant was off, James Rabbetts in the Badgers goal went down with a twisted knee – he was out. Looking for options, the Brockham manager rued his decision to go with a small squad this season, and had no choice but to throw Tarrant into goal and risk Brightman for the rest of the game.

Patched up and on the back foot they put up a spirited fight, but two further goals put paid to any chance of a recovery.  The better team on the day won, but Brockham on a good day with a full squad will be a different prospect.

Lad of the Match:  Lewis Wood

Report by Jason Rabbetts

Carshalton Athletic 4 - 3 Badgers U11 Sunday (Surrey Youth League Premier)

The young Brockham team travelled to Carshalton knowing they would be in for a tough game.  They certainly got what they expected, however they were unfortunate to come away empty handed.  They were quickest out of the blocks, dominating the first half and clearly surprising Carshalton, with Nataniel King and Callum Agent scoring two excellent goals.

Brockham continued to attack at the beginning of the second half, however, poor defence of two set pieces allowed Carshalton to level the score.  The Brockham defence were indecisive and failed to press the forwards, allowing Carshalton to pounce and easily find the net on both occasions.  Brockham didn't give up and earned the lead again as an on target shot by man of the match Thomas Hemming took a deflection off a defender to pass the keeper.

Another set piece saw Carshalton draw level before they snatched an unlikely winner in the closing moments.

Man of the Match: Thomas Hemming

Squad: Callum Agent, Max Austin, William Conroy, Finn Campbell, Harry Fairley, Callum Glenn, Thomas Hemming, Max Hill, Justin Hurst, Joseph Issberner, Natanial King, Tom Phillips, Aiden Torpey, Alex Watts, Alex Wells, Jack Wisbey

Report by Christopher Hurst

Badgers U15A 0 - 4 Tooting and Mitcham Terriers (Surrey Youth League Cup)

A very bad day at the office for Brockham's U15A's saw Tooting stroll to a convincing win on Sunday in the league cup.

The omens had not been good before the match with Brockham missing keeper Dennis Rapson through injury, plus missing Harvey Mewis and Jack Wylie through other commitments. Alex Nicholson volunteered to go in goal and he was perhaps the only Brockham player to emerge with any credit from the match.

Tooting were promoted into the Premier Elite of the Southern Youth League at the end of last season and have had some promising results in the division to date, but they seemed to catch Badgers asleep as the visitors swept into a 2-0 lead inside 5 minutes. Brockham were lacklustre throughout, heads down and it was no surprise when Tooting made it 3-0 just before half time

A marginal improvement was seen in the second half but Brockham never looked like scoring and Tooting rubbed salt in the wounds late on by scoring a 4th goal

Coach Simon Coffey called this the worst performance by this team he had ever seen and it was hard for any of his players or the spectators to disagree. However, this team is talented and a return to normal service should not be too far away

Squad: Alex Nicholson, Will Mahoney, Liam Ratcliffe, Will Bletso, Matt Higgins, Josh Brown, Chris Brooks, Ollie Winter, Frankie Routleff, Harry Ramsey, George Coffey, Mike Richardson


Report by Bryan Bletso

Badgers U9 Barbarians 6 - 0 Ashurst Wood Lions (Horsham & District Youth League)

A windy Brockham Big Field greeted the Brockham Badgers Barbarians versus Ashurst Wood Lions match on Saturday. After a steady run of draws, the pre-match question was could Brockham now build on their first league win achieved the previous week?

The first quarter of the match was very tight, with little space for both teams to demonstrate their skill. A couple of half chances to Ashurst, that were snuffed out by William Glenn, fantastic in defence, and Lily Turner, who was as comfortable in the net as when she came outfield later in the half.

Early on, with Ben Mackenzie dropping in the hole between the forward and midfield lines, he started to terrorise the Ashurst system and gaps started to be created. With Huw Morgan’s marauding runs and Tom Ambrose driving the team on, the deadlock had to be broken. Indeed just before the half was up, a long range drive from Jethro Burton was just about blocked by the Ashurst defence, but the ball only went as far as Arun Watkins who instinctively slotted it into the bottom left hand corner: 1-0 to the Badgers!

The first half had passed so quickly, in fact the only time one noticed the presence of referee Chelsea Pete was when he awarded the goal and signalled half time.

Half-time saw a number of changes, with Callum Holder moving upfront and Huw Morgan going in goal. This meant rests for Arun Watkins, and Ben Austin who had indeed been imperious at right wing-back throughout the period.

It was clear from the kick-off in the 2^nd period that the Badgers new-found confidence was going to make the difference and with each pass and run they were looking more and more like the team to beat.

It wasn’t long before the relentless pressure on the Ashurst defence started to produce tangible results; following more Mackenzie wizardry, a Callum Holder screamer flew into the top left corner: 2-0 and the Badger’s tails were up.

Almost from the kick off the Badger’s were attacking again, this time coming from deep with William Glenn heavily involved, the ball again fell to the lightning Callum Holder who fired low into the bottom corner. It was 3-0 and there was no way back.

Another attack, another Badgers goal! Tom Ambrose’s industrious display deserved a reward, and with a shot on the turn that dipped under the bar, the Badger’s were now four nil up and didn’t look like conceding – in fact Huw Morgan in net was doing his maths homework for much of the second half.

A few more tweaks in the positions, with Arun Watkins and Ben Austin re-joining the team. It didn’t stop the flow of the goals, with Callum netting another brace. Firstly a low drive that pin-balled through the defender’s legs – the goals panel adjudged it to be a striker’s reward rather than an own goal – so a second hat-trick in two matches for the Holder flyer. His fourth came with a stinging drive that was too hot for the Ashurst goal-keeper to keep out.

So it was 6, yes 6 nil to the Badgers Barbarians. Holder takes many plaudits, with four goals. Watkins was showing great skills. William Glenn and Jethro Burton were towers of strength in defence. Lily Turner and Ben Austin were incredibly strong and proved too determined to beat. Morgan was amazing in the outfield, his goal-keeping skills not really tested in this match. Tom Ambrose led the team well, and provided a bit of bite when needed. The man of the match as appointed by our visiting Champions League academy director, was Ben Mackenzie for his effective placement and full-on energy that drove the team to such a score.

Amazing.

Man of the Match: Ben Mackenzie

Squad: Tom Ambrose (Capt.), Ben Austin, Jethro Burton, William Glenn, Callum Holder, Ben Mackenzie, Huw Morgan, Lily Turner, Arun Watkins.

Report by Bobby Watkins

Badgers U16A 2 - 1 Heron Olympic (Horsham and District League B)

Brockham Badgers U16As maintained their unbeaten league start to the season with a hard fought win over joint top of the league Heron Olympic.  Badgers had beaten Heron 5-0 in the league cup, but Brockham were in no doubt that this would be a tight match given Heron's good start in the league.

The first half was close with neither side really able to shade play, Brockham looking secure in defence, while Heron's goal rarely came under sustained pressure.  Heron were matching Brockham in midfield, while a mobile defence saw the visitors often thwart any threat from the home side,

Goalless at half time, the second half was just as close as the first, and it looked like it would take something special to break the deadlock.  The breakthrough came Heron's way, a corner forced home with 20 minutes to go to give Heron a 1-0 lead as reward fro their hard work. Suddenly the game sparked into life, Brockham stung into action, Henry Hill combining well with Stephen Kehl to cross for Tim Hopkins, whose powerful shot cannoned off the bar and into the goal before the ball bounced out.  A very sporting away linesman flagged for the goal, and Brockham were back in the game.

Moments later it got even better, a penalty awarded for a handball, Henry Hill sending the keeper the wrong way from the spot kick to put Brockham 2-1 up just 5 minutes after Brockham had gone behind.

With 15 minutes to go, Heron put pressure on the Brockham goal, but the Brockham defence was in strong form, Scoop lad of the match Will Bletso often mopping up some dangerous attacks as fellow defenders Henry Smith, Jack Hunt and captain Tom Bletso did their bit to see the time out and secure a good win over strong opposition

Scoop Lad of the Match: Will Bletso

Squad: Connor Mitchell, Henry Smith, Jack Hunt, Tom Bletso ©, Will Bletso, Ollie Smith, Charlie Holmes, Mike Carty, Joe Parker, Henry Hill, Stephen Kehl, Tim Hopkins 


Report by Bryan Bletso