This match is always one for the Badgers to look out for when the fixtures are published. Both teams have followed each other up and down the Surrey Youth League and the matches between the sides always produce a competitive game. None, unfortunately have repeated the 6-0 demolition by Brockham in their first encounter and neither was it to be repeated on Sunday.
There’s always an edge to Wandgas that can give them a psychological advantage unless stifled in early periods with a quick start from any of their opposition. Brockham have the beating of this side providing they get down to business early and Brockham started well enough - the opening ten of fifteen were promising. Possession was even and both Jack Coppin and Kieran Rice had very good opportunities to give the Badgers the lead. Wandgas had clearly prepared themselves for Brockham’s pacey forward line and were sitting deep with a four man defence.
Unfortunately this encouraged Brockham forward and their early success brought some ill-disciplined enthusiasm with it. Shape was lost, space between midfield and defence opened up, long balls entered their game, and Brockham lost their ability to hold onto the ball. That was all Wandgas needed to snatch a goal and go into half time one up.
Wandgas clearly had their tails up and smelt blood. Brockham set up with two attacking wide midfielders and their new target man Alex Mitrovic through the middle. This might have done the job had Wandgas not brilliantly switched to three at the back, saturated midfield with an extra man and still left the Badgers back line to contend with two forwards supported by two adventurous wing backs. The move paid dividends when Wandgas got themselves a well worked second.
The response from Brockham, to their credit, was instant. Brockham mirrored Wandgas’ formation and at times almost had a four man front line. Brockham’s reply was an absolute stunner. Coppin received the ball central and just inside the penalty area. His quick feet shifted the ball onto his favoured left foot and he pinged a perfectly placed shot with power between the upright and the cross bar.
The Badgers felt they could get back onto even terms and maybe push on for a winner. Well that’s what they thought. In a five minute spell of madness it all went pear shaped. A ball, pinged in from the Wandgas right, ran across the six yard box, passing three defenders on its way and surely a straight forward collect for James Rabbetts in goal. Nope. Somehow the ball managed to avoid anyone in black and white and opted to gravitate to the colour purple and latterly the Brockham net. Minutes later the industrious Luke Brightman was beaten by a Wandgas forward and the attempts by the otherwise faultless Simon Vakeva-Baird to cover were deemed unfair and a penalty was awarded which was despatched with the ruthlessness of a smiling executioner.
Notable performances by Sam Lloyd, Lewis Wood, Vakeva-Baird, and Luc Jhugroo were rewarded with a collector’s item of a goal from the ever-reliable George Gomes who despite being one of the shortest in the pitch met a Jordan Martin corner with an even rarer headed goal in the dying seconds. It was of little consolation though, and the Brockham boys must now consolidate and dream of a title challenge next season rather than this.
Man of the Match: Luc Jhugroo