Brockham Badgers U11As were good for the three points they earned at the Big Field this Saturday, propelling them to second in the Premier division of the league.
Man for man, Brockham had the edge technically but their opponents, Horsley FC, had always been a bit of a bogey team for the Badgers – four played, three losses, one draw. Particularly influential in past contests had been Horsley’s goalkeeper and their physically imposing midfielder. Brockham were hoping both would have an off game and felt they had a good plan to contend with Horsley’s league leading scorer in the number seven shirt.
Things could not have started better. The diminutive Harrison Watts was given the task of taking on Horlsey’s big midfielder in what proved to be a David and Goliath contest, where Watts’ trickery and quick feet outclassed his opposite number throughout. It was from Watts’ wide right position that Brockham’s first bright moves started, forcing two early corners and a good save from the Horsley keeper, who disappointingly looked to be on form.
It was from the left however that Brockham made their opening. Will Timmons’s excellent overlapping runs with Joseph Rabbetts were forcing the Horsley defence into retreat and a corner was conceded. Louie Darlington lofted a ball into the box where a goal mouth scramble saw the ball fall to the feet of Rabbetts five yards out. With little room for back lift he got a shot away which was blocked on the line and rebounded ten yards out to Timmons. Timmons was quickly under pressure from two defenders but shifted his feet and the ball quickly to his left and then his right and rifled a low shot into the net through a crowded scene to give the black and whites a deserved lead.
Brockham continued to dominate possession and limit Horsley’s chances throughout the first half. Sam Church was distributing the ball excellently from right back and Luke Page was a tower of strength and composure in central defence, with the edge on pace over Horsley’s dangerous striker. Huw Morgan in goal was virtually a spectator for most of the first half.
We love football for its unpredictability though. Just before half time Brockham lost possession of the ball in an advanced position on the left and didn’t react quickly enough to the transition in play. Horsley’s impressive number seven took a quick look over his shoulder to see an acre of space behind the Badgers defence. Intuitively knowing where he wanted the ball, his team mate lofted a pass into the space for him to run onto. Out of position and with too much ground to make up the Badgers defence gifted too much time and space to too much quality. One touch to set and Horsley’s top marksman picked his spot shooting across goal to the only place Morgan could not cover. Game on.
At half time Brockham brought on Edward Russ for Owen Knowles in central midfield and Callum Holder for George Wryde up front. Russ was asked to play further up field whilst Darlington was asked to drop into Knowles position in front of defence but to encourage them not to play as deeply. The tactical change worked. Brockham were now picking up second balls in advanced positions and Russ’s ability to play as an advanced play maker meant Rabbetts and Watts were brought more into the game in wide positions, stretching the Horsley defence and opening up space for Holder to exploit through the middle.
This he did with aplomb. A cut back from Watts following a lovely passing movement that involved the faultless Darlington, Church and Russ, and Holder was in on goal. A little push of the after burners and his pace gave him a yard on his marker. Holder took a touch to the right and then drilled home Brockham’s second from 15 yards out.
Holder’s best was his second effort thought. Holder was following instructions and sitting on the shoulder of Horsley’s central defender, hoping always to use his startling pace to the team’s advantage. Receiving the ball to his feet from Church but with his back to goal he found himself tightly marked. The last thing his manager wanted him to do was turn into his marker, rather than set the ball back and start a run. But turn he did and to his team’s delight he feinted one way then the other and beat his marker. Despite coming under pressure from left and right on his run at goal he wriggled his way through and finished superbly for his second and Brockham’s third.
Morgan had a little more to do in the second half. Brockham’s higher defensive line meant he had to advance to make one or two critical clearances, and on two occasions he did his job well when a goal could easily have been the alternative outcome. But Brockham looked comfortable and seemed to have banished the spector of games past. Rabbetts finished things off with a jinking run down the left, cutting inside and shooting from 10 yards out to close out the game 4-1 to the good for the team from Brockham Lane.
Man of the Match: Harrison Watts