Brockham Badgers U11A notched their first win of the league campaign in a dominating display that belied the score. Joseph Rabbetts scored the opener with a stunning left footed strike in the first few minutes. Winning the ball in his own half he scampered down the wing, cut inside, and hit a pile driver from a tight angle which flew past the keeper and in off the angle of the far post and crossbar.
Callum Holder was next on the score sheet. Playing the lone striker role he prowled on the shoulder of the AFC defenders all day waiting for a chance to beat the off-side trap. Once or twice he had already come close but this time he timed his move to perfection. Latching onto a great through ball from Louie Darlington in midfield he shrugged off some close attention from the Ewell defender and bore down on the keeper burying the ball with power and confidence.
Brockham were in total control and just had to keep their patience and composure. However, as has often been the case in the last two games, moments of inexperience let the home side back in the game. With the ball deep in the Brockham half but safely out to the side line, one too many touches and a dangerous move inside by Brockham’s defender allowed the Ewell striker to nick the ball from him. He took two touches out of his feet on a run and hit the ball low and early with a strong right footed strike from distance that slid under the outstretched diving arm of William Timmons, who had courageously stood in for the Badgers absent keeper.
A two goal Badgers advantage was quickly re-established when Luke Page made a driving run from midfield and collected a square ball from the right. He took on his defender, beat him, and drilled his shot past the diving AFC keeper. There really was only one team in the match now and Brockham should have pushed on to take a comfortable margin victory. However, inexperience punished them again. Ed Russ went on one of his trademark rampaging runs from central defence. The ball was lost just outside the AFC penalty area, which normally should not have been a problem, but nobody had filled in for Russ in a defensive position and everyone bar Lilly Turner had joined him too far forward in an offensive onslaught. Ewell quickly got the ball to their front men who were now three on one with Turner. As she was drawn out to try and slow the ball, they passed inside and the Ewell striker ran unchallenged at an advancing Timmons. He stood no chance.
Half time was an opportunity to gather themselves and rectify the over-enthusiasm that had given Ewell a fighting chance for the second time. Ewell came out on the front foot and forced one or two excellent saves from Sam Church who had now swapped for Timmons in goal. Brockham were losing their composure out of possession, all too often diving into challenges or getting sucked to the ball when all they had to do was slow play down. AFC won a corner and Brockham failed to meet it with any meaningful challenge. It fell to a Ewell player who slammed it into the roof of the net. Somehow the game was level and AFC were in the ascendency.
Fortunately there was no repeat of the previous week. To their credit Brockham decided they weren’t having any of it. They shored up at the back and took two more goals when both Holder and Page completed a brace each. There were some hairy moments which forced Church to make a couple more excellent goal keeping decisions, and a Ewell shot that flew off the crossbar. But the Badgers nine men had managed without any subs and without a goalkeeper to battle the three points out of the second half.
Man of the Match: Joseph Rabbetts