Brockham met the third opposition team this season to wear the familiar black and white of the Badgers, but despite having to wear orange bibs in the first half before away shirts arrived, there was no distracting the Big Field boys from the task.
Brockham dominated possession from the off and should have had a two goal lead within the first fifteen minutes, but instead went a goal behind for the first time this season. To be fair, the goal had to be applauded. It was unsaveable. Advancing down the left flank the Stoneleigh number 10 was well marshalled inside by George Gomes. However, Brockham discovered the bright striker was equally adept on his right as he was his left. Running across goal from the corner of the eighteen yard box he let fly with his right and placed the ball perfectly between up-right and cross bar, giving James Rabbetts no chance despite his admirable effort in managing the faintest of touches at full stretch.
The response from Brockham was superb, equalising within five minutes with an excellent move. Gomes won the ball at right back and scampered forward before playing a pass into space for Joe Silver to run onto. Silver used all his pace and guile to beat the Stoneleigh left back and deliver a brilliant ball across goal that Michael Cheeseman met with a fierce left footed strike from ten yards out, notching up his sixth of the season.
Stoneleigh were in no mood to roll over however, time and again using their playmaking number 12 to good effect, particularly down the left where they were starting to find space. A tactical change switched Jordan Martin in front of Gomes to thwart any further luck and Jack Coppin came onto the left to starting using the opposite channel that had been largely unexploited by Brockham. The impact was immediate. Sam Kandalft found a yard with his neat footwork and with great awareness put the ball between full back and centre half on Brockham’s right. Martin picked the ball up and delivered an awkward ball that Coppin scooped in from close range in a goalmouth scramble.
Two minutes later another short range goal was finished off by Chris Parsons. Stoneleigh conceded a corner which Sam Lloyd half scuffed short to the near post where Parsons had positioned himself and was first to react.
Half time saw Chris Bevis replace the excellent Gomes and Simon Vakeva-Baird slot into midfield for Kandalft. Both were immediately involved in Brockham’s next goal. Bevis played a ball into the right hand channel from his defensive position which Vakeva-Baird ran onto and applied enough pressure for the Badgers to win a corner only minutes into the second period. Cheeseman put in a dangerous dead ball which was cleared with a defensive head from the near post. It dropped on the edge of the Stoneleigh box where Martin was circling for prey. He thumped a powerful right footed shot goalward which took a fortunate deflection and sent the keeper the wrong way, gifting Brockham their fourth.
The next twenty minutes were a little disjointed. The black and whites were hoping for a cricket score and started to lose a little discipline. Balls were punted forward in hope rather than with intent, and play was disrupted a little with subsitutions as the Badgers rested a few tired legs and rotated the bench. When they did play to plan however things happened, and probably the best example was the build-up play to Brockham’s fifth and arguable best goal.
Oscar Cremmen fed Coppin on the left who chipped the ball into an advanced left channel position for Cheeseman to chase down. Cheeseman was herded to the touchline but managed to wriggle past his marker and dart toward goal on the limit of the pitch boundary. He pinged an incredibly flighted ball across goal which Martin flew through the air to meet at pace and volleyed almost taking the net off with the power of the ball. Brave and fantastically well timed with intricate and determined approach play.
Despite the Badgers’ ruthless forward play, the defence deserved great praise for their shape, discipline, and particularly their constantly improving communication with other, from goal keeper all the way across the back line. It was a deserving Oli Gout therefore that was awarded man of the match for his exemplary contribution at left back.
