Badgers U10A 4 - 1 Albury Saxons (South Surrey Boys League)

It was the first home fixture of the new year and Brockham Badgers were hunting their first win of 2011.

Albury Saxons started brightly and definitely had the better of the first few minutes.  Brockham slowly began to get their fluid passing running smoothly and Morgan Hamilton had to take credit for the way in which he drove the team forwards.  Morgan's strength and commitment to the cause saw him rain shots down on the Albury goal.  The keeper was on fine form though and put in one of the best performances seen all season.  Poor Morgan must have been wondering what he had to do to score. 

Oliver Quigley was spinning and turning defenders as he made runs from midfield.  Some great touches in the box that set up numerous chances for The Badgers but that ball wouldn't go in!  Oliver Q was denied by tight defending, Adam Bower smashed one into the side netting and Morgan's shotgun blasts gave the goal the kind of peppering last seen on a Gordon Ramsey mackerel fillet.

The pressure was really piling on now.  Toby Evans continues to impress with great positioning, neat passing and an impressive engine.  He's a really accomplished team player.  Toby was in the right place on a number of occasions to intercept and set up team mates.  But…

Still the opening goal wouldn't come.  A little bit of composure and team work was needed but the boys enthusiasm bubbled over and individuals were too often electing to shoot when a pass was on for a clear cut chance.

Ezra Charles eventually broke the deadlock.  From out wide he wriggled his way through the slalom gate defenders and smuggled the ball home from the tightest of angles.  It was no more than Brockham deserved and it was always going to take something special to beat Albury's wonder keeper.

Half-Time: Brockham Badgers 1 Albury Saxons 0

The second half saw master craftsman Oliver Yeats hand the gloves over and start to weave his magic on the pitch.  Brockham continued from where they left off and were soon dancing to Oliver's high-tempo passing and incisive running.  Albury held firm though.  They showed fantastic organisation and defended with real gusto.  The second goal was always coming though and it was worth waiting for. 

Another attack was cleared by Albury but the ball sat up for Jack Duncan who has a hammer of a right foot.  Jack drilled the ball home giving the keeper absolutely no chance at all.  Jack's technique was perfect; possibly the strike of the season so far.

All seemed good.  The Badgers had their two goal cushion.  The stage was set for the wonderful passing game we've come to expect.  But Albury had different ideas.  Whilst The Badgers went underground the Saxons were rising up and got a goal they thoroughly deserved to make it 2-1.

Now Adam Bower, Oliver Yeats and Ezra went into overdrive.  With Joe Allen acting as the fortress, Henry Lucas found the gaps and threaded the ball through to midfield to set up the attacks.   Adam chased every lost cause and pressured every opponent on the ball.  But chance after chance flashed by the goal.  Then as everyone stepped forward to meet a corner, Oliver Yeats stepped back.  Ezra spotted him and played it out.  Oliver made no mistake with the finish and the two goal cushion was back.

The goal continued to elude Adam until some fine off the ball running saw him drift into range at the back post.  Adam slammed it home with style which was nothing more than his performance deserved. 

Full-Time: Brockham Badgers 4 Albury Saxons 1

  

Man of The Match: Adam Bower for a great all-round performance (Ian Rush meets Ian Wright)

Squad: Henry Lucas, Joe Allen, Jack Duncan, Oliver Quigley, Toby Evans, Morgan Hamilton, Oliver Yeates, Ezra Charles and Adam Bower

Report by Jason Charles

Badgers U11 (Sunday) 6 - 1 Molesey Juniors (Surrey Youth League Premier Division)

After their excellent cup win the previous week expectations were high of the Brockham team.  Whilst they certainly enjoyed a comprehensive win, it wasn’t until midway through the second half that they found their shape

Brockham attacked from the off, with Aidan Torpey immediately breaking up the right hand side, launching a shot at goal.  His shot sped across the goal mouth, just passing outside the post.  Brockham continued to pressure and halfway through the first half they got their breakthrough as Finn Campbell latched onto a ball, took on a defender and neatly slotted it home.  Next Campbell became provider, taking a shot from the right hand side.  The keeper parried, however Callum Agent was waiting and promptly stroked the ball into the back of the net.  

Molesey then had a period where they applied the pressure.  Will Conroy, Brockham’s captain and man of the match was as reliable as ever, snuffing out their attacks and pushing his defenders forwards.

Max Austin then found his sprinting legs as he brought the ball from deep inside the Badgers defence.  He rounded every defender before directing the ball across to Agent who drove the ball  home to take a 3 – 0 lead into half time.  

The second half saw an early lapse of concentration from what had been a solid Badgers defence.  Molesey attacked down the right before passing a long ball to the left corner of the penalty area.  An excellent shot was then launched into the top right hand corner of the goal, giving the keeper no chance.

The Badgers immediately broke back.  Torpey drove up the right hand side delivering a fabulous cross which Max Hill  just headed over the cross bar.  Hill quickly made amends as he sent a terrific looping shot over the Molesey defence, high into the roof of the net.  Austin then went on another of his sorties from the Badgers defence.  He weaved past each defender and the keeper before slotting the ball home.

Austin then stretched to get a boot onto an excellent cross by Agent, but was just beaten to it by a sharp defender. Hill then followed Austin’s example, surging forwards, rounding the keeper and firing at goal, only for it to hit the post and fall to Austin to poke it home.  A solid Badgers performance for their 6 – 1 victory.  They will need to find their cup form next week as they take on a very strong Hook Youth side.

Man of the Match: Will Conroy

Squad: Max Austin, Finn Campbell, William Conroy, Thomas Hemming, Callum Glenn, Max Hill, Alex Wells, Aidan Torpey, Tom Phillips, Alex Watts, Harry Fairley, Justin Hurst, Conor Gilmartin, Callum Agent

Report by Christopher Hurst

Wandgas Youth 3 - 1 Badgers U14A (Surrey Youth League Premier Elite)

Despite losing, the Brockham boys have turned a corner.  A spirited performance, in a brutally unforgiving league, lead by an inspirational Justin Tarrant, meant the game could have gone either way and with the season now at mid-point the black and whites can take some hope into the second half of their challenge.

Wandgas started brightest, controlling midfield and playing some intelligent balls into the channels.  On one or two occasions they could have been clean through had it not been for the well marshalled back line of Luc Jhugroo, Tom Hampshire, and Justin Tarrant, with the latter making some particularly important aerial interceptions and well timed tackles.  Oliver Gout was also working very hard in covering from left midfield.

The strong and talented Wandgas No.8 was making most things happen for them and having been out muscled by Tarrant he switched further left to see if he could impose himself on Jhugroo.  He was short changed.  Jhugroo used his reading of the game to good effect and was not going to be intimidated, timing his tackles well or marshalling the ball out of play when needed.

Mid-way through the first half Brockham got hold of the game.  An awkward first touch was all that failed Alex Flint from scoring when one on one with the keeper and Joe Silver could have bagged the opener had a cross ball run to his right rather than his left.  At half-time a blank score sheet for both teams was about fair.

Both sides went for the jugular in the second half, each desperately needing the points at the bottom of the table.  Wandgas gained the advantage with a ball into the left channel which whipped across the face of goal without challenge and leathered in at the far post.  Brockham responded immediately though with a ball of their own in from the left by Jack Coppin which was nodded across goal by Sam Lloyd and finished by the head of Jordan Martin at the far post. 

The game was very open now and the action flew from end to end with both sides fashioning chances for themselves that were either snatched at or off target.  It was Wandgas however that earned the dividends for their efforts.  A cleared ball fell into an innocuous area 30 yards from goal but was met with a peach of a strike by the Gas midfielder.  With Rabbetts caught off his line the ball flew in an arc over his head and under the crossbar – a cracker.

The Badgers were not beaten though and dug in searching for an equaliser.  Martin, Silver, and Coppin pushed into a pacey three man frontline looking for any ball in behind the Wandgas defence.  There were one or two chances that could have had better results but the service from midfield was being thwarted by some good closing down by Wandgas.  It was this closing down that led to their third ten minutes from time and put the game beyond Brockham’s reach.

The Badgers midfield was closed down and the ball nicked from them on their right.  A neat one two between inside to flank saw a ball flashed across the six yard box for Tarrant to clear.  A moment’s lack of concentration took his eye off the ball and his foot missed the clearance only for the poaching Wandgas striker to tap in.

Brockham can take heart from the game.  They gave it a proper go and looked full of belief and desire.  It was a far superior performance to that which they turned out against Wandgas last time out and with more hard work, more Badgers determination, and their unique camaraderie they can still prove they deserve to be competing at this level.

Lad of the Match:  Justin Tarrant

Report by Jason Rabbetts

Heron Athletic 2 - 7 Badgers U12A (Horsham and District B League)

On a bitterly cold morning Brockham eventually overcame determined resistance from Heron to romp home as clear winners.

 

Early skirmishes were well balanced as both sides crowded around the ball for warmth on the small undulating pitch.  Tiley toubled the Heron defence with his pace, firstly almost capitalising on a keeper error, then breaking through again to slide a shot into the far corner to open the scoring.  A typically mazy run from Turner ended with him shooting just wide but it wasn’t all one way traffic and Heron pressurised the Brockham back four, forcing keeper Warne into several good saves.  Back at the other end Vaughan won the ball well to set up Thomas with a looping left foot shot that just cleared the angel of the goal.

Heron’s #17 then levelled the scores with a long range shot that gave Warne no chance, but Brockham pressed forward again, Donegan crossing to Tiley whose shot was saved only for him to knock in the rebound for a 2-1 lead.  It was all Brockham for several minutes with Dogansoy’s quick feet and good touch on the left and Donegan’s hard work on the right setting up chances, but against the run of play the Heron #17 broke 3 weak tackles and put in a good cross which was cracked in for the equaliser.  Despite a good run and shot by Teague and a succession of Brockham corners the scores remained level at half time. 2-2.

Coach Teague made some decisive changes – Wheeler taking the gloves to allow Warne out to strengthen central midfield and releasing Thomas to use his pace on the right flank.  With more possession Brockham built up the pressure on Heron, releasing Thomas through, but he showed too much of the ball to the keeper who saved bravely.  A neat five man move down the left ended with Turner shooting just wide and frustration was just beginning to threaten when Teague won the ball and passed wide to Thomas who cut in and fired into the corner to retake the lead, 3-2.  Another Turner header was cleared off the line before Brockham were awarded a free kick just inside the Heron half.  Warne tried to take it quickly only for the referee to call it back but Warne made no mistake second time around, hammering home a thunderbolt to open a 2 goal gap for the first time.

Heron fought on but solid defence from Killick and Lane with excellent covering from full backs Vaughan and Purcell held them at bay.  Meanwhile Brockham’s extra fitness and confidence began to tell – Turner charged down a keeper clearance and tapped home the rebound for 5-2, Warne set up Teague who calmly slotted a left foot shot under the keeper for 6 and Thomas crossed for Turner to poke in another three footer for 7.

Man of the Match was shared by Jacob Vaughan and Wilbur Tiley for their hard work and good play at either end of the pitch and Moment of the Match had to go to George Warne for his decisive hammer blow for 4-2.

Squad: Kemal Dogansoy, Jamie Donegan, Daniel Killick, Dominic Lane, Sam Potts, Jake Purcell, Joe Teague, Wilbur Tiley, Will Thomas, Ollie Turner, Jacob Vaughan,

George Warne, Oakley Wheeler, Harry Wickens

Report by Ian Thomas