Brockham Badgers U10A 3 - 3 Leatherhead Youth

A magnificent effort to come back from two down against a very good Leatherhead side earned Brockham Badgers U10A a well deserved point at the Big Field this Saturday.

Leatherhead took the lead early on with a wonderful strike from outside the area, and they doubled their lead ten minutes later with a headed goal following some nice wide play and a cross in from the right.  Brockham were struggling to find their rhythm early on but once they got the ball on the ground and started to move it quickly across the ground they gradually imposed themselves on the game. 

Conan Torpey was once again a threat up front – all movement, strength, and pressure, giving the Swans defence a real handful of power to deal with.  Two opportunistic strikes in succession were dealt with before Torpey got the Badgers back in the game.  Will Timmons showed great composure under pressure to weave out of a tight spot in left defence, put the ball down the line to Joe Rabbetts who went on a tricky run and fed a nice ball from the left.  Torpey still had a lot to do but with a calmness that belied his age he slotted home with a great right footed finish from ten yards.

Torpey then fell foul to a double set back.  Mud in his eye followed by a tough shin challenge put paid to his threat for a while and the disruption was all Leatherhead needed to set their stall out again.  Pinching the ball from a Brockham defender in a tight position the Leatherhead winger put a pass across goal for their impressive No.6 to bag a third for the visitors just before the break and force Brockham‘s manager to re-write the half-time team talk.

The Badgers set up differently in the second period.  George Wryde and Rabbetts were set the task of stopping the service that was all coming down the right side of the Leatherhead formation, whilst captain Ed Russ was asked to put in a man-marking shift against their creative and combative No.6.  The change made a difference.  It was Brockham now looking the most threatening and a good stint by Matt Chapman was now asking questions of Leatherhead’s left field.  Two or three good chances for a goal were thwarted at both ends with Huw Morgan and his counterpart in the Leatherhead goal making a difference to the scorecard.  But with only ten minutes remaining Brockham needed a break.

Dividends were repaid for their good work when Harrison Watts and Owen Knowles combined on Brockham’s right to cut a ball back from the bye-line where who else but Torpey was there to bundle the ball in for Brockham’s second.

Sam Church’s introduction for Watts late on was the last roll of the dice.  It was decisive change.  As the clock ran down, Church made an interception deep in Brockham’s half, he cut the ball inside for Russ who fed Rabbetts making a run on the left.  His ball into Torpey was switched back left to Wryde who slid a left foot shot into the bottom of the Leatherhead net.  The centre kick was taken and immediately the referee blew up for full-time.  The Badgers had pulled off an excellent recovery from two goals down to level the game 3-3 in the dying seconds.

Man of the match: Conan Torpey

Manorcroft 2 - 0 Brockham Badgers U15A

Points are proving difficult to find in 2012 for Brockham Badgers U15A, and so it proved as they went down by two goals to nil at Manorcroft this Sunday.   No points from five games since the turn of the year leaves them looking over their shoulders only four points clear of relegation with some difficult games to come.  A poor run they have to halt.

It doesn’t help that goalkeeper James Rabbetts has been in an out with injuries all season, and is now a long term absentee.  Justin Tarrant and Jack Coppin both admirably volunteering to stand in during his absence.  A number of key players are also yet to hit any sort of form in 2012.  Losses to be fair have been narrow in score line and on occasion not necessarily a reflection of the performance on the pitch, as Brockham have dominated at times and rarely been outplayed.  Alex Mitrovic is also new to the team, leading the forward line, and still coming to terms with his team mates and Brockham’s style of play.  These are excuses but also crumbs of comfort from which to draw some confidence.

Manorcroft took the lead after fifteen minutes with a fortunate goal.  Stand in keeper Tarrant had advanced a long way off his line and the Manorcroft winger lofted an opportunistic ball from range which dropped into the net.  The game was still up for grabs.  Brockham should have upped the tempo and gone at the Manorcroft boys with their normal high speed pressing game, but instead they allowed their opposition to dictate the pace of the game.  At times it was snail like, and Manorcroft simply parked the bus with two banks of four in a well organised defensive shape.

Things improved marginally midway through the second half but the final ball in the final third was lacking and on far too many occasions possession was given away with a sloppy pass.  Manorcroft were all hustle and bustle without creativity and bundled a second in with twenty minutes remaining.  Brockham continued to dominate possession but again the incisive pass, the tempo, and the desire seemed to be missing from the efforts of too many players.

If the Badgers are to salvage anything from this season it is these key players that need to muster themselves and the team and demand performances.  Two or three leaders need to establish themselves.  Conceding without a keeper is understandable but failing to score against an average team who for large parts of the game played with only ten men is a concern.  This Brockham side are capable of beating anyone on their day, as some of their victories this season are evidence.  It’s time for a response.

Man of the Match:  Luc Jhugroo and Simon Vakeva-Baird

Brockham Badgers U10A 4 - 2 AFC Wimbledon

Brockham Badgers U10 Assassins enjoyed an important victory over AFC Wimbledon at the Big Field this Saturday, and in doing so secured themselves a place in the Epsom & Ewell League Premier Division for another season with five games still to play and a top two finish up for grabs.

Edward Russ and Conan Torpey settled the team down with an impressive start, linking play through the centre and demonstrating an immediate threat – Torpey instinctively turning and striking the ball first time to go close on two occasions early on.  But it was Huw Morgan in goal, and his two defensive rocks Sam Church and William Timmons that really gave the Badgers the confidence to push forward and have a go at the elite side from Wimbledon.  All three were on form and intelligently built play from the back allowing Harrison Watts and Joe Rabbetts to create space with their movement in wide positions.

Torpey opened the scoring with his fifth league goal of the season.  Receiving centrally from Russ he spun his marker and struck it first time again, this time bulging the back of the net.  AFC were having none of it however, and tested Morgan with a succession of shots which he matched with some excellent goal keeping before they eventually snatched an equaliser.

It was the rampant Torpey that got the Badgers back in front once again just before half time, this time from short range following a jinking run from Watts on the right.  But once again, AFC bared their teeth with an excellent passing move down their right and a well executed finish to level the scores shortly after the break.

Owen Knowles and Matthew Chapman both came on into the wide midfield positions, whilst Rabbetts and Watts dropped into the defensive berths previously occupied by Church and Timmons.  Their fresh enthusiasm and desire made an impressive impact, pinning the Dons defence into their own half with rampaging run after rampaging run and good defensive cover play when required.

The two combined to give Brockham their third when Knowles laid a ball in from the left which was knocked on to Chapman at the far post who calmly placed the ball between the keeper and the upright.  Knowles then further justified his entry to the game with a deft finish five minutes later to seal the Badgers fourth and all three points.

Man of the match: Huw Morgan

 

Brockham Badgers U16A 1 Farnborough Yellow Elite U16 0

Brockham Badgers U16A prepared for their Surrey Cup quarter final match next weekend against Corinthian Casuals with a good 1-0 win over Surrey Youth League Premier Division league leaders Farnborough Yellow Elite.

 

Brockham had been unlucky to have lost the first match against Farnborough earlier in the season, the league leaders scoring a winner in injury time to deny Brockham a deserved draw, and since then Farnborough have gone on a winning run that has taken them clear at the top of the division, albeit having played three more games than fourth place Badgers.

 

After a break of three weeks since their last game, Brockham were a bit rusty but soon got into their stride and should have been ahead at the interval as George Coffey hit the post, Harry Ramsey had two good attempts go close, Ali Nicholson almost shot home from close range while a ricochet saw Mike Richardson’s goal bound shot spin wide.  Even so it took a great goal line clearance from Will Bletso to keep Badgers in front at the interval

 

Brockham took the lead on 52 minutes, a good free kick from captain Matt Higgins headed home with a glancing header by Frankie Routlef.

 

Farnborough then exerted a good spell of pressure on the Brockham goal, and lad of the match Denis Rapson was called into action on several occasions in the Badgers goal to keep the Brockham lead intact.  As the visitors got more desperate, chances were created by Brockham, Ramsey’s pace causing the visitors all sorts of trouble, only the Farnborough keeper standing between him and a couple of goals.  Brockham held out to gain a deserved win and move into a good position in the league with 10 games to go

 

Team – Denis Rapson, Will Mahoney, Connor Baker, Will Bletso, Matt Higgins, Ali Nicholson, Mike Richardson, Oli Winter, Harry Morland, Frankie Routleff, George Coffey, Harry Ramsey, Gecco Navalta

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