Brockham Badgers U11A 2 - 1 Old Coulsdon Colts

A thoroughly professional performance by Brockham Badgers U11A rewarded them with a deserved 2-1 victory versus Old Coulsdon Colts at the Big Field this weekend.

An early shock saw Brockham concede in the first five minutes.  Until that point the Badgers had settled well and the Colts had not shown their teeth.  However, a brilliant shot from outside the box that dipped into the top corner deserved to go in.  It was a wonderful goal following some goal mouth pressure that saw a defensive clearance roll to the edge of the area where the OC’s midfielder was lurking and drilled home despite a full stretch lunge from Huw Morgan in goal who could have done no more.

The Badgers showed great maturity from the restart.  They remained patient and continued to try and play good possession football.  Whenever the ball was won the team built from the back and looked very threatening from both wide positions.  When Sam Church broke up Coulsdon possession in a deep midfield position, he took two touches forward and with his third drove a grass cutting pass through the centre of the Colts defensive from right to left.

The good off-ball running of centre forward George Wryde drew a defender with him and it seemed he would pick up the early pass and drive towards goal, but instead he intelligently elected to allow the ball to go beyond him following a shout from Joseph Rabbetts who was bombing down the left.  Seeing the danger of an unmarked Rabbetts approaching the OC’s keeper came off his line to narrow the angle but Rabbetts deftly guided the ball beyond him with his first touch and levelled the game.

Brockham continued to go about their game with great balance and intent.  The interchange of defensive and midfield positions between Sam Church and Louie Darlington, and particularly between Luke Page and Owen Knowles was very encouraging.  Then came the Badgers’ goal of the season contender.  Knowles advanced from midfield beyond the half way line as the Coulsdon defence retreated.  Spotting the runs of Wryde and Rabbetts he lofted a ball into the space between central defence and the OC’s right back to where Rabbetts have continued his run.  As the ball dropped Rabbetts opened his body and from a tight angle and under pressure hit a Van Basten like volley with his left across goal and inside the far post.  Unbelievable.

Brockham continued to exert control and could have added to their tally with Callum Holder and Wryde both going close.  Equally OCs rallied and for a period looked good for an equaliser.  However, the Badgers held on in the right way rather than through luck and panic, and finished 2012 with a valuable three points to keep them in contention with the league leaders.

Man of the Match:  Joseph Rabbetts

Brockham Badgers U16A 3 - 1 AC Fulham

Arguably a game of two halves but more like a game of phases, where at times Brockham played some of their best football ever, and at others some of the most lackadaisical and naïve.  On balance however the better football won through and Brockham rolled out deserving 3-1 victors.

Badgers started confidently passing the ball around with composure, but within 5 minutes got a wake-up call when the pace of AC Fulham gave Luc Jhugroo and Chris Parsons a test in central defence which they responded to with consummate ease.  This helped the Badgers relax and for the best part of the first half they sprayed the ball around with assurance and they were rewarded when some great passing and off the ball movement gave Michael Cheeseman a fantastic chance that he put away with his favoured left.

Alex Bevis was having an excellent game at right back and exploited the generous space in front of him that Fulham were affording, allowing the impressive Jordon Martin to push up almost as a second striker. Bevis’s pace and inter play with Martin was some of the best of the season and creating space for others in the team to exploit. The move of the match came following a training pitch switch of play when Bevis crossed the ball from half way on the right with pin point accuracy out left to find the chest of Michael Cheeseman, who the laid off the ball to Sam Lloyd, onto Jordon Martin whose shot was deflected for a corner.

Despite Brockham’s dominance, James Rabbetts played his part in goal.  On several occasions Fulham picked counter attacking opportunities when Badgers were committed forward or when their passing went through phases of poor quality.  Fulham’s pacey forwards bore down on goal but Rabbetts was always quick to respond and advance from his line to snuff out the danger expertly.

A rare return to seasons gone by for Simon Vakeva-Baird playing wide left was bearing fruit also.  He was a real threat in the first half and a 35 yard shot in the second half would have proved a wonder goal of the season had it not come off the crossbar.  However, he was rewarded when he tucked away Brockham’s second following some excellent destructive break up work from Lewis Wood in midfield which led to the Badgers’ other midfield warhorse Sam Lloyd delivering Vakeva-Baird’s assist.

The second half kicked off with Fulham making a clear statement. Badgers were pushed back into their own half and Fulham were not going to take this game lying down. Badgers’ defence was much busier in the second half and Rabbetts had a lot more to do than he expected. Brockham were committing too many players forward and allowing the pace of Fulham to run at an unguarded and unsupported defence, which led to them conceding and Fulham getting themselves back into the game.

The next goal was going to be key and fortunately for the Big Field boys it fell to Jhugroo to put the game out of AC’s sights.  Jack Coppin and Joe Silver now paired on the left were destroying Fulham with their pace and had forced corner after corner.  With ten minutes to go another corner was conceded by Fulham.  The delivery was perfect.  Jhugroo first attempt struck the keeper but he buried the second.  Brockham locked down and closed the game out for a deserved victory.

Man of the Match:  Luc Jhugroo