Brockham Badgers gave themselves a lifeline in their bid to avoid relegation from the Surrey Youth Premier Elite League with a gritty 1-0 win at Tooting and Mitcham on Sunday. Brockham now face two tough cup final-type games against high flying Guildford Academicals and Wycombe Wanderers HDC as the dog fight at the foot of the table reaches the business end of the season.
With the draw last game out against current title holders AFC Wimbledon, who are once more challenging for the title, Brockham at last seem to be fulfilling their unquestioned potential that saw them reach last year’s Surrey Cup Final.
Tooting are themselves involved in the relegation scrap and this inevitably created a tense game of few chances. But it was Brockham who looked tightest at the back, keeper Tom Wells rarely troubled, but when called into action showing safe hands. The defensive back three of captain Matthew Higgins, Will Mahoney and Will Bletso looked commanding all game, with Tooting mostly reduced to longer ranged efforts such was the defence’s control.
In midfield, Mike Richardson and Josh Brown excelled, getting stuck in and invariably winning the 50/50s as Brockham gradually gained the upper hand as the game went on, while in attack Eb Isiakpona and George Coffey tirelessly were running the line to give Tooting little respite. However, Tooting themselves knew that a win for them would go a long way to pull themselves a little way clear of the relegation spots, and as expected they gave Badgers no quarter throughout the match.
The first half saw few chances of note, both teams acquitting themselves well but unable to achieve any dominance or clear cut chances, Brockham winger Harry Ramsey proving the most likely to unlock the Tooting defence in the first half with several penetrating runs.
Goalless at half time was just about right, but as the second half progressed, it was Brockham who looked the more likely to snatch a vital win. The Tooting keeper had made a fantastic save from close range after 10 minutes of the restart to deny Mike Richardson, but with 20 minutes to go, he could do nothing to prevent George Coffey finding the net from close range, a darting run seeing Coffey evade his marker and latch on to a deep Matt Higgins free kick in the 6 yard box to slot the ball home.
Badgers then played out a big 20 minutes to see the game out, Harvey Mewis and Chris Brooks showing good composure while Frankie Routledge showed absolute commitment against his former side. Isiakpona thought he had grabbed a second for Badgers only to see a good effort ruled out correctly for offiside, but despite a large number of corners conceded by Brockham, Tooting never really created a clear cut chance leaving Brockham to claim a vital win.
Squad: Tom Wells, Will Mahoney, Matt Higgins (c), Will Bletso, Harry Ramsey, Chris Brooks, Josh Brown, Mike Richardson, Harvey Mewis, Eb Isiakpona, George Coffey, Frankie Routledge
Report by Bryan Bletso
