From a neutral’s perspective it was clear to see within the first twenty minutes that Brockham held the technical advantage and should push on and win the game against their lower league rivals in this cup draw. Yes, Cheam had the ball in the back of the net in the first ten minutes, albeit by virtue of a hand ball, but equally the Badgers should have scored in the first thirty seconds.
Despite their qualities however, Brockham were wasteful in possession throughout the first half. Sam Lloyd had hit the post and Jack Coppin, one on one with the keeper, decided to make a simple finish difficult and shoot wide, but if the team didn’t start taking their chances and getting the game by the throat they could find themselves on the end of an upset.
Fortunately that was not to be. The defence were steadfast in the second half with Christian Parsons and Luc Jhugroo looking rock solid at the centre, and James Rabbetts was having an excellent game with a couple of exceptionally good saves. Sam Kadalaft conducted the midfield who held onto the ball and dictated the tempo, and despite missing both their first team strikers, Brockham made it count up front with man of the match Oscar Cremmen scoring a hat-trick from the number ten position.
His first was a simple close range nod in after getting on the end a corner from Sam Lloyd which followed an excellent shot at goal from Jack Coppin who had switched to the right and cut inside. Simon Vakeva-Baird had worked tirelessly up top on his own all game and played a part in Cremmen’s second. He nodded a high ball on from midfield and into the area between an on running Cremmen and an out-rushing Cheam keeper. Cremmen was very brave sliding in and poking the ball into the net from ten yards before getting clattered.
Oli Gout, Alex Bevis, and George Gomes had switched shifts left and right of defence all day and were now starting to get some good overlaps working, finding space in wide positions and introducing a threat of their own. It was Bevis who fed Lloyd from the right who lashed a shot at the keeper that was goal bound. The shot was saved though and sent out for a corner which Lloyd took himself and who else but Cremmen was there to bundle the ball in from short range for his third.
If it was a day for the unexpected in a hat-trick for Cremmen then it was to turn surreal when Lewis Wood got himself on the score sheet – a rare event indeed. Joe Silver hit a fierce shot after a twisting run from the right which was saved but not held. Wood was on the move and arriving at pace he leathered a thunderbolt from fifteen yards that nearly took the net off. He wasn’t going to miss this rare opportunity.
Vakeva-Baird got his just rewards for a very good performance five minutes from time when he used his height to good effect heading in a Coppin corner.
Man of the Match: Oscar Cremmen
