The best team on the day lost! Another enthralling encounter between Brockham and league winners Wolves, saw the Badgers seize the advantage in terms of open play and chances, but the opposition snuck into the sheep pen and ran off with the Sunday roast.
Both teams play some very good football. They each like to build play from the back and move the ball along the ground with a natural passing style that on occasions gives a display of pass and move one touch dynamism that belies their age. Wolves are very good at dictating the tempo and as such can take the sting out of the opposition when it comes to pressing and urgency. A little more of Brockham’s normal style and tempo might have produced a different result.
Brockham were up for this one though and were soon out of the blocks with a couple of attempts on goal from Conan Torpey and Ed Russ that stung the Wolves keeper’s hands. The Badgers certainly had the lion’s share of possession in the first half but Wolves are an excellent counter attacking team. They allow their opposition to play in certain areas and wait to press and nip in once the ball reaches their own half. They then rarely waste it, making accurate passes to quick moving players that mount goal opportunities in a matter of seconds for a clinical forward with a real eye for goal.
Wolves’ first came from an interception in the middle of their own half which was quickly switched outside right. Brockham were a little slow to cover the threat and a cross came in that was finished well. A similar second shortly followed. A wasteful pass in midfield conceded possession, the ball was switched right again and despite some tight marking by Joseph Rabbetts the canny Wolves winger sneaked a cross in from the by-line. Huw Morgan anticipated well and went to ground to parry the ball with an outstretched hand as it fizzed across his area, but it fell to a Wolf in sheep’s clothing who sharpened his claws from short range.
Against the run of play, two shots had put Brockham down by two goals. Brockham pushed on. Torpey hit the post, Russ skimmed the cross bar and fired another into the belly of the very capable Wolves keeper, and William Timmons, who was having an excellent game in left midfield had one shot pushed away by the keeper and another fizz past the post.
The next goal was typical of football , and what makes it such a frustrating but ultimately exciting game. A long goal kick from Wolves was met by Rabbetts deep in his own half. The ball spun up off his knee from his half clearance, Morgan and Rabbetts hesitated as the ball dropped between them and the Wolves number 4 was there again to nip over the sheep pen fence and snaffle supper for a third time. The big bad Wolf licked his lips.
The second half was one way traffic. Brockham stifled the Wolves counter attacking threat with a little more pressing high up the pitch. This worked, neutralising threats to the extent that Morgan had nothing to do in the second period. Sam Church, Ed Russ, and Owen Knowles combined well with some one touch passing that saw a good shot from Russ collected confidently by the Wolves keeper. Russ then headed another good chance from a Church cross and had a another strong shot from distance pushed over the cross bar.
Harrison Watts and Rabbetts were absolutely solid by now, and this provided a little confidence for Brockham to continue to push for a goal. Russ on a rampaging run punched the ball at goal from outside the area. The Wolves defender raised an arm to protect himself and a penalty was given. Russ drilled it low and hard and the Badgers were back in the game.
Rabbetts had a powerful shot sail over, a great turn on the outside of the box saw Torpey ping another shot which the Wolves keeper saved yet again, whilst Church was finding lots of space on the right to put in threatening crosses in a repeated display of link up play with Russ. Timmons had another crack, Torpey hit the post for a second time, and the big bad wolf in goal blocked yet another, this time from Timmons.
Twelve shots to none, but it wasn’t to be in the second half. Brockham tried everything but the Wolves keeper was up to the challenge. Watts was the Badgers’ man of the match for his perfect defensive display, but everyone agreed that the Wolves stopper must surely have walked away with their own award.
Man of the match: Harrison Watts