A powerful and commanding performance by Brockham Badgers U16A saw off the challenge of local rivals Westcott and booked Brockham a place in the Surrey Youth League cup final.
Much pre match banter and school ground taunting had promised a competitive match with plenty of local interest, but it didn’t detract from the football as both teams went at each other in a fair but competitive spirit that lead to early periods of classic end to end cup football.
Westcott gave Brockham an early scare when Dan Huggins bore down on James Rabbetts in a one on one competition but shot narrowly wide as Rabbetts closed the angle. Then Huggins fired another salvo five minutes later that spun off the defensive leg of Luc Jhugroo and Rabbetts palmed the ball around his near post.
Brockham struggled in the first twenty minutes to get the ball down and play their normal passing game. Westcott played to their game plan well, pressing early and putting balls in behind the Brockham defence. Their two man marking job on Michael Cheeseman was also limiting one of Brockham’s usual offensive outlets. This however meant that Jordan Martin and Jack Coppin were able to exploit wider positions where they often found themselves one and one and in space.
Some good pressure from Jack Coppin forced a corner which Sam Lloyd swung in to the near post. Westcott’s number seven swung a leg at the ball from where it propelled viciously to Ed Elster in the Westcott goal. He had no time to react other than to palm the ball away where it fell for Coppin to bang home from short range.
Once Brockham took the lead their nerves settled and they began to dictate more of the tempo of the game and play to their strengths, fashioning more openings from wide positions. Jordan Martin particularly impressed with some fast and jinking runs down Brockham’s right, shooting wide on one occasion shortly before half time when he and everyone thought a goal was a certainty.
The second half began with further Brockham pressure and another corner was conceded by Westcott. Specific instructions for corners were given at half time and these were followed to the letter as Cheeseman whipped in the dead ball for Simon Vakeva-Baird to attack and finish with his head at the near post. Two ahead and feeling confident Brockham now pushed on to further secure their advantage.
Brockham’s third was arguably the best in terms of football. George Gomes fed a short ball from right back to Oscar Cremmen who had made a run from central midfield. Cremmen knocked a ball inside to Sam Lloyd who played a one-two back to Cremmen. Cremmen’s quick feet took him inside a yard and past his marker from where he laid off a ball to Martin who was beginning a run down the right channel. Martin ran with the ball all the way to the by-line, skipped one and then two challenges as he run along the white line to goal from where he crossed. Everyone had been sucked to the ball with the exception of Cheeseman whose movement away to the back post was timed perfectly and he headed powerfully as the ball dropped to him unchallenged.
Lewis Wood was having a magnificent game in central midfield and shortly after his pin point pass from the centre to Martin on the right was accurate enough for Martin to run onto again, take on his marker, then cut back a ball for Cremmen to drive home the Badgers fourth from ten yards.
Coppin and Martin were causing all sorts of problems for Westcott and their combination led to Brockham’s fifth. Coppin cut inside from the left and picked up a loose ball central and thirty yards out. He looked up and spotted the movement of Martin and pinged an inch perfect pass in front of his run. Joe Silver made a clever run inside as he swapped with Martin, opening up the space for Martin to run into. Martin really had the bit between his teeth in the second half, but was still selfless enough to take on his marker and cut back a ball once again for Cremmen. Cremmen this time was not in a position to take a shot so he laid it out to the left for Wood. Wood took on one defender and then a second as he advanced towards goal and executed a clinical finish with his right for Brockham’s fifth.
Brockham’s sixth was the simplest and resulted in Martin getting his rewards. James Rabbetts put a long goal kick over the top of everyone. Martin was quickest to respond, beat the offside trap and bore down on Elster’s goal, this time finishing the job with confidence.
To their credit Westcott continued to press forward, forcing two corners and a free kick from one of which Roo Campbell went close with a header over the bar, but by this time it was over as a contest and Brockham were able to look forward to a cup final in their last season as Badgers.
Men of the Match: Lewis Wood and Jordan Martin