Ewell Saxons 0 - 3 Brockham Badgers U10A

Brockham Badgers U10 Assassins maintained their 100% start to the season with a 3-0 away victory over Ewell Saxons. The first goal went in after just 2 minutes when the ball was slipped through by Harrison Watts and Conan Torpey bundled the ball over the line. Brockham had control in the midfield where Owen Knowles was dominant, and attacked with pace from out wide. This paid off after 15 minutes Joe Rabbetts squared a ball from the left to Torpey who worked a nice on two into the continued run of Rabbetts who in turn scored from close range.  Torpey then made it 3 after 20 minutes with a powerful right foot finish. Brockham were now looking comfortable as the rain started to sprinkle down.

During second half Brockham continued to attack with Rabbetts making several good runs down the left and Matthew Chapman likewise on the right. Torpey, along with Sam Church were denied by good saves. As the game wore on Ewell had a couple of chances, one which produced a spectacular double save from goalkeeper Huw Morgan. However William Timmons, who had an excellent game, and Church were extremely solid in defence throughout, with Knowles putting in a man of the match performance in front of them, and the team managed to close the game out with a clean sheet. All in all a good start to what could be a very exciting season.

Lad of the Match: Owen Knowles

 

Wandgas Youth 4 - 2 Brockham Badgers U15A

Brockham Badgers U15A’s hangover from last season’s Premier Elite humbling seems to have continued.  After losing their opening game of the season by three goals to nil versus Barnes Eagles a week earlier, the Badgers failed to collect any points following a 4-2 defeat away to Wandgas this weekend.

To be fair, the black and whites dominated possession in the first half with excellent midfield work from Luc Jhugroo, Lewis Wood, and Sam Lloyd, who were given space and options by positive wide runs from Luke Brightman as a stand-in left winger, and Jordan Martin on the right.  They were well supported by threatening overlaps and the high line pressure of George Gomes and Oscar Cremmen, and it was justification for a bright start that they took an early lead on 9 minutes when Jordan Martin was put through one on one with the keeper and finished confidently.  A fantastic slide rule pass from Wandgas however was latched onto by their striker who timed his run perfectly and finished equally as convincingly after twenty five minutes to level the game.

Brockham continued to claim the lion’s share of play throughout the remainder of the first half with prolonged sequences of passes that eluded them the week before, and it looked as if it would be Brockham that might nick one before the break with most of the play taking place in the Wandgas third and the defensive pairing of Justin Tarrant and Simon Vakeva-Baird (c) looking very promising.  A rare moment of defensive hesitation in an area where the ball should have been of no danger however created a situation that enabled the Wandsworth boys to play a quick one two and slide a low ball under the diving Brockham keeper and turn the game on its head.

In the second half Wandgas pressed the game much better.  The space to pass was restricted and they gradually forced their game plan onto the Badgers.  The possession advantage was reversed for most of the second half and with an increasing amount of pressure put in and around the box by the boys in purple it was only a matter of time before Brockham conceded again when a positive run down the left to the by-line by the Wandgas winger looked to predictably conclude with a pass across goal, but instead he pulled off a marvellous tight angled shot to surprise everyone, not least James Rabbetts in the Badgers goal.

That was then shortly followed by a speculative shot that sadly slipped through the normally assured hands of Rabbetts giving Wadgas a three goal lead.  Rabbetts redeemed himself soon after with a spectacular leaping mid-air punch from under the cross bar following a fierce Wandgas free-kick.  It was end to end stuff now as the Badgers switched to 4-4-2 and the striking combination of Luke Brightman and Joe Silver gave Wandgas more to think about.  Tom Hampshire slotted into central defence very well and Vakeva-Baird took a natural left footer to the wide midfield berth.  Both teams hit the woodwork twice, two or three good saves were drawn from each keeper and then Brockham pulled a consolation goal back with five minutes to play.  Martin the scorer once more from a free kick which deflected in off a Wandgas head.

The were some very bright signs from the Brockham lads.  Organisation and shape was better, and for large passages of play they showed the talent to good effect and worked as a team.  If they can add greater concentration and work rate to their game over the coming weeks they should do well.

Lad of the Match: Luc Jhugroo

Horsley FC B 4 - 3 Brockham Badgers Barbarians U10 (Epsom and Ewell League, Division 3)

Brockham and Horsley in Seven Goal Thriller.
Brockham Barbarians U10s travelled to Tom's Field to meet Horsley Football Club in the Epsom & Ewell League. Both teams were buoyed by strong victories in their first games and for those that thought the encounter looked full of promise, it certainly didn't disappoint.
Brockham were out of the gate quickly and an early strike one minute into the game by Callum Holder forced a good save from the Horsley keeper. Chances continued to come for both teams and with five minutes on the clock, a failed clearance by Brockham led to a goal-mouth scuffle and Horsley broke the deadlock to lead 1-0.
Brockham's Tom Ambrose, Lily Turner and Arun Watkins controlled the midfield and started to push the game back to Horsley. At eleven minutes Ambrose made a sweeping pass to Holder giving him the opportunity to run at the Horsley defence, drawing players towards him he turned and squared the ball to Lily Turner who clinically converted for Brockham levelling the score at 1-1.
The goal had the right impact on Horsley who began a continuous attack the Brockham goal, some very strong defending by Bailey Osborne (Capt.) and Ben MacKenzie kept the score level. However after fifteen minutes, Horsley broke from the halfway line and found the space to snatch a goal and take a 2-1 lead. From the next kick-off Brockham were now resurgent with Watkins and Holder combining with some fine passing to allow Holder to slot home Brockham's second just before the whistle blew for half time.
The new half saw William Glen and Ben Austin join the field for Brockham and within three minutes a mistake by Brockham resulted in an own goal giving the lead at 3-2 back to Horsley. The game was starting to become stretched and both teams played some excellent football but the second half started to see some tired legs. With five minutes left, Brockham's goalkeeper, Josh Snow, made a lunging save to push the ball over the cross bar to keep his team in the game, a quick series of passes from Brockham's midfield enabled Callum Holder to pick up the ball and skip past the Horsley defence to drill home his second levelling the score at 3-3.
With just a couple of minutes left on the clock, both teams could sense the opportunity of a late goal to win the match and attempts flowed at either end. A late long range Horsley strike saw the ball skip into the bottom right hand corner of the Brockham goal giving the lead to Horsley. Within moments the full-time whistle sounded although both teams played great flowing football, Brockham left the pitch feeling they deserved more.
Man of the Match: Callum Holder
Brockham: Josh Snow, Bailey Osborne (Capt.), William Glenn, Callum Holder, Tom Ambrose, Ben MacKenzie, Lily Turner, Arun Watkins, Ben Austin
Match Reporter: David Ambrose