A disappointing start to the season saw Brockham Badgers U12A go down two goals to three against a spirited Raynes Park Vale.
An excellent pre-season didn’t translate into the level of performance expected of the Badgers. Their passing just didn’t come together and they resorted to the long ball game of Vale. There were spells of quality but this was a game the Badgers will reflect on as one played well below par.
The Vale number eight was the obvious danger man and Brockham got away with some early warnings when Raynes Park could have taken the lead on two or three occasions with balls over the top and behind the Badgers back line. It was Brockham however that took the lead shortly before half time with a fine left footed shot from George Wryde.
The manager was partly to blame for a series of substitutions at critical times. The players slotting in did well enough but the balance was affected too often at critical phases of play when Brockham might otherwise have settled their game and gained the possession advantage.
Raynes Park equalised early in the second half with another ball over the top, but Joseph Rabbetts scored a fine solo effort to give the black and whites the lead again when his shot come cross floated in from the left and over the Vale keeper.
One or two poor decisions and a soft challenge let Vale into the game again when the ball was lost in front of the Brockham defence and their number eight rounded the Brockham keeper to slot home the equaliser.
Ryan Atkinson came into the heart of the Brockham defence and put in a good shift intelligently dropping off and sweeping up the danger when the same series of balls over the top arrived. Conor Boniface and Harrison Watts were beginning to wrestle back the initiative in midfield but once again the manager made a change at a crucial time that had he been more patient may have influenced the outcome of the match more positively.
The players however were playing their part in the outcome with a match played in third gear. When Huw Morgan took another goal kick with no targets or movement to help with angles his effort fell to a blue who tucked a ball into the number eight who once again took his chance well to win the game for Vale.
Man of the Match: Sam Church and Harrison Watts
