Brockham Badgers Black U11 v Albury Eagles U11 Surrey Youth League Under 11s

Brockham Badgers Black U11 v Albury Eagles U11

 

The first instalment of this season's much anticipated 'El Classico' saw The Badgers and The Eagles go head-to-head with everything to play for in the championship.

 

Recent meetings have not favoured The Badgers and in the early going this pattern seemed to be repeating itself.  Brockham's midfield and defence got in each other's way a number of times gifting chances to Albury.  It was only due to George Lees in goal that The Eagles failed to score.  George's acrobatics, assured handling and great positional sense kept his team in the game.

 

Morgan began to take control on the right of defence with some string challenges and accurate passes.  His will and determination started to infuse the rest of the boys with belief.  It was a great example to his teammates.  Joe Allen got more and more assured at the back and his great timing and passing was a highlight of the first half.

 

Oliver Yeates started to make his runs and create chances.  He sparked a revival as Brockham pinned Albury back for long periods and eventually won a penalty when Morgan was brought down in the box.  Morgan smashed it home to give Brockham a slender lead at half time.

 

Henry made some good through balls and started to knit the side together.  Brockham might have even got a second.  When the half-time whistle went Brockham were clearly on top.

 

Half-time: Brockham Badgers Black 1  Albury Eagles 0

 

The second half started with wave after wave of Albury attacks.  Again George Lees made us all proud.  He made the right decision every time.  Closed down quickly when one-on-one.  Stood up tall.  Made the strikers panic.

 

Zain settle down to the blocking and intercepting that he does so well.  Joe continued to make the game look easy with some astute passes.  He really did not make an error during the game at all.

 

But still Albury pushed on.

 

Toby and Ezra, often outmuscled, never gave up the chase.  They were alive and tenacious throughout.  Henry protected his back four and looked to release Lucas for his trademark runs.

 

But Albury won every goal kick The Badgers took and often there was no challenge.  This meant the pressure never dissipated.  Meanwhile the strong goal kicks from Albury never saw Brackham sit deeper so as to take the ball.

 

Lucas and Ezra combned well to carve out some chances on the break.  But Brockham were tense and tired.  Lucas almost scored on a couple of occasions though.

 

 George couldn't keep them out forever and eventually the ball broke kindly for Albury and they got a deserved equaliser.

 

Late on Joe Allen almost got the winner with a controlled shot that the keeper just clawed out and Ezra couldn't quite get to the rebound.

 

'Chopper' Yeates got a yellow card for a foul later on.  It wasn't malicious and Oliver took it for the team.

 

It was a tough game mentally and physically.  Brockham need to hold on tight and be a team when their attacks don't always work out.  Positions were abandoned and sometimes teamwork was undermined.  But it's a very good result.  With Milford and Albury to play away Brockham will need to learn from this game in order to mount the challenge the team deserves.

 

Final Score: Brockham Badgers Black 1  Albury Eagles 1

 

Team: George Lees, Morgan Hamilton, Lucas Woolley, Joe Allen, Zain Kahn, Oliver Yeates, Henry Lucas, Toby Evans, Ezra Charles

 

Man of Match: Joe Allen (just pips Morgan and George), a fantastic display of reading the game and delivering killer passes.

 

Match Report: Jason Charles

 

Brockham Badgers U15A 2 - 4 Wandgas Youth

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

Brockham Badgers U10A 2 - 2 Forest Youth

Honours were even at the Big Field on Saturday when Brockham Badgers renewed acquaintances with the competitive Forest Youth Under 10 squad.  Close encounters of a fourth kind were on the cards after three previous meetings between these teams in the last seven months had produced one draw and two narrow one-goal victories to the Badgers.

It was Forest Youth who set the tone in the first half.  Despite a good show by Brockham, the visitors played some exceptional football at times, applying strict pass and movement techniques from the training ground to good effect in the game.  At times the Badgers were chasing shadows as Forest created neat triangles around a team of black and whites trying to find their normal tempo and balance against a neatly drilled opposition.  It was on merit that Forest lead by two goals to nil at the interval.

Brockham responded to the challenge however, and gradually imposed their pressing style on the game.  The rear guard of Huw Morgan in goal, Ed Russ at right back and William Timmons at left back, remained patient and built play from the back, continuously instigating dangerous moves from both channels with incisive passes setting up rampaging runs in wide positions from Joe Rabbetts and Matthew Chapman.

It was a neat one two inside however that created the opportunity for Brockham’s first goal however.  As William Timmons attempted a give-and-go movement with the impressive Sam Church in midfield, Timmons was brought down with a mistimed tackle just inside the Forest Youth half.  There was only ever going to be one set piece taker from that distance.  Russ stepped forward and allowed his team mates to take up their positions but in reality with only one thought in his mind.  Using his excellent power and technique he hit an absolute corker of a dead ball from 20 yards straight into the top corner of the Forest goal, leaving the keeper rooted and both sets of supporters applauding.

Owen Knowles was proving a tricky customer up front, going close on two occasions and feeding some dangerous balls to Rabbetts who skimmed the post on one occasion.    Harrison Watts took up the right midfield position in the second half and was also making some mazy runs which forced three corners in succession.  It was Conan Torpey however who squared the game.  With ten minutes to go he re-entered the game in an advanced position and immediately harassed the Forest defence with continuous pressing of the ball.  Time and again he forced mistakes and decisions, and on two occasions came close to scoring.  Third time lucky he chased down a ball, met it with power and drew a late challenge in the penalty area.  The referee raised his whistle to his lips but before he could blow the ricocheted ball buried itself in the Forest Youth net and the advantage was played rewarding Brockham with their second.

Man of the Match:  Harrison Watts

 

 

Surrey Youth League - Premier Division - Brockham BAdgers U16A 7 Worcester PArk U16s 0

Brockham Badgers U16A produced their best performance of the season to sweep a good Worcester Park team aside on Sunday.

 

Worcester Park had beaten Badgers 2-0 in the away fixture between the two sides, although Badgers felt aggrieved to have lost that match, but in the return fixture, apart from a sluggish opening 10 minutes, their was no doubt who would be claiming the three points..

 

With George Coffey and Harry Ramsey on fire in attack for Brockham, Badgers quickly swept into a 3-0 lead at half time courtesy of 2 goals from Coffey and a welcome return to the score sheet from an inspired Oli Winter.

 

Park had no answer to Brockham’s determination in the second period.  A wonder goal from Ramsey made it 4-0,  good work from Will Bletso then closed the ball down and fed the ball to Ransey for him to send in a pin point cross for Coffey to grab his hattrick.  Ramsey scored a second before Will Mahoney scored from a bullet header from a corner to complete the rout.

 

Manager Simon Coffey was delighted with all of his side from keeper Dennis Rapson, his three man defence of captain Matt Higgins, Mahoney and Bletso, the midfield with Mike Richardson and Harry Morland bossing the game.  With the pace of Ramsey and inventiveness of Josh Brown and George Coffey, Badgers have the chance to put real pressure on the top teams in the division, as well as advancing in the Surrey U16 Cup where they face Corinthian Casuals in the quarter finals of the competition during February.

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