A dominant performance saw Brockham Badgers U15A through to the third round of the Surrey FA County Youth Cup but not without a nail-biting match full of promise and frustration. If Opta had been there it was 85% possession for the Badgers but despite this the Colts put up dogged opposition and in particular their goalkeeper’s man of the match performance kept them in the game throughout.
Epsom & Ewell went ahead early on. A complacent start by the Badgers saw a lack of pressure on the ball allow a cross in from the Colts right. It was met sweetly in the six yard box by their striker but parried by James Rabbetts in goal. The second ball fell to a player in the blue and white hoops and crashed back into the Brockham net.
This shook the Brockham boys into life and for much of the match it was one way traffic. The Badgers defence was occasionally breached but on each occasion Rabbetts was able to collect or match the shot. With the ball camped in the middle and final thirds of the pitch and very much flowing in the Colts direction the black and whites attempts kept coming but nothing seemed to convert.
Some spectacular saves from the Colts keeper were matched by equally unspectacular finishing by Brockham. There were shots at the keeper, shots wide, shots high, the woodwork, two goal line clearances and a decent penalty shout. Finally Jack Coppin rifled a great ball into the Epsom net from an acute angle following one of many Brockham corners and levelled the game shortly before half time.
The second half followed much the same pattern as that of the first. Badgers dominated possession and with the exception of one or two opportunistic scares Rabbetts was very much a spectator. Sam Lloyd, Jordan Martin, Joe Silver, and Simon Vakeva-Baird all went close but nothing would break for Brockham. The siege continued and the Epsom & Ewell defences held strong right through to extra time and beyond to penalties.
The Badgers had already gone out on penalties to Epsom & Ewell in a League Cup 4-4 thriller three weeks before and were determined not to make the same mistake again. This time the tables were reversed. Justin Tarrant, Sam Lloyd, Oscar Cremmen, and Martin all finished confidently, whilst the hoops missed the target twice.
Brockham’s performances are improving and the team is getting back to full strength and fitness. Confidence is key, and there’s a glimmer of that returning too. It looks like the odd smile is coming back as well.
Man of the Match: Luke Brightman