Brockham Badgers U11A 4 - 1 Horsley FC

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

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

Stoneleigh Athletic 1 - 1 Brockham Badgers U11A

The Alamo comes to mind.  Brockham Badgers were by some distance the superior team and should have scored a hat full had their finishing been more clinical.  Instead they had to settle for a draw following a Joseph Rabbetts penalty conversion and a Stoneleigh equaliser 30 seconds from time.

Brockham dominated from the start and should have been two up within five minutes when both Rabbetts and the powerful front man George Wryde forged themselves excellent chances following good build up play from Sam Church and Callum Holder on the right.  But Stoneleigh’s keeper was having an excellent game and saved well on both occasions.

Brockham then won a penalty but the otherwise faultless Luke Page failed to convert when the Stone’s keeper made another impressive save to turn the ball around the post.  With the disappointment still fresh in the minds the Badgers remarkably won another penalty when Holder’s jinking wing play was brought to a halt with a late challenge.  This time Rabbetts stepped up and was also denied by another magnificent save but managed to convert the rebound to give the black and whites a more than deserved lead.

It is no exaggeration that just about every Brockham player on the pitch was denied in some way by the performance of the Stoneleigh boy between the sticks.  Darlington, Knowles, Ed Russ, and Page all should and could have scored, and even Will Timmons, Lilly Turner, Harrison Watts, and Church got involved in goalmouth action from defence.

It was inevitable therefore that despite such clear dominance and as time ticked by something was going to upset the applecart.  And so with less than a minute left on the clock a Brockham goal kick was picked up in midfield by Stoneleigh, quickly switched to their left where the Stone’s winger hit it first time and placed a beauty over the retreating and otherwise unchallenged How Morgan in goal.

Brockham’s keeper felt the pain only keepers can feel.  But there was nothing he could do.  The team had played excellently from Morgan to the forward line.  It was a great strike and just one of those days.  Unfortunately for Brockham it was the second one of those days in as many matches!

Man of the Match: Sam Church

Stoneleigh Athletic 1 - 5 Brockham Badgers U16A

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.

Brockham Badgers U11A 1 - 1 Leatherhead Youth

Brockham Badgers U11A found an early Saturday morning break in the rain to beat the weather and play their local derby with league leaders Leatherhead Youth.  Both teams played well and put on an enthralling match of high quality to compensate for the damp conditions.

Brockham edged the first half with good possession, Louie Darlington and Owen Knowles in particular showing great awareness and composure to control the game from central midfield.  Leatherhead were frustrating their hosts however, particularly in full back positions where they did well to blunt what is normally very sharp wide attacking play from the Badgers. 

Brockham looked the most likely to score, both Callum Holder and George Wryde having a couple of decent chances each, and so it was the black and whites that took the lead shortly before half time.  Joseph Rabbetts received from Knowles and cut the ball inside and square to Wryde who had followed the play down the left.  Wryde struck a peach of a shot first time with his left, powerfully driving the ball over the advancing keeper with enough dip for it to fly under the cross bar.

The second half was also a close affair but Leatherhead began to exert more pressure.  Nathan Page and Huw Morgan’s performances in central defence and goal respectively were critical, and when called upon they delivered, giving Brockham enough to stay a nose ahead in the game.  Leatherhead hit the cross bar, Brockham hit foot of the post, Brockham then put the ball in the net from an off-side position, and the ball narrowly avoided crossing the Brockham line when Leatherhead whipped it across goal without a touch from the crowded area.

The last five minutes were nail biting, so when Leatherhead won a corner after a minute into stoppage time, the outcome was written in the clouds.  The first delivery was cleared for a second corner.  The second delivery cleared for a third.  When the referee indicated it was all over once the corner was delivered for a last time, Brockham parents couldn’t look.  The inevitable transpired.  The best delivery of all three corners put the ball into a dangerous area.  Morgan met the ball first but it dropped into the area where a scramble involving four players saw the final strike from a Tanner push the ball over the line for a last gasp equaliser.

Man of the Match:  Luke Page

Junior Bees 3 - 6 Brockham Badgers U11A

A stunning second half performance made up for a shocking first half for Brockham Badgers U11A to run out deserved winners away to Brentfords’ Junior Bees.  The Badgers had an excellent first five minutes, playing to plan and scoring an early opener when Joseph Rabbetts headed home an Owen Knowles cross.  But The Bees got themselves a lucky equaliser a few minutes later and Brockham resorted to the untidy route one tactics of their hosts and spent the rest of the half in a tailspin, conceding a second for good measure.

The second half was a very different story.  Edward Russ, struggling with a long-term injury, was replaced in the centre by Knowles who started to dictate the tempo of the game and orchestrate most of Brockham’s build ups.  The defensive line of Sam Church, Luke Page, and Will Timmons began to relax on the ball and pass out from the back, always keen to receive short from Huw Morgan in goal, who was relieved to have some distribution options at last.

This took a lot of pressure off the team who were now able to widen their shape in possession and exploit their most potent asset – their attacking threat on the flanks.  The second for the Badgers came from just such a move.  Sam Church won the ball in defence and played a wonderful ball into the right hand channel for Callum Holder, who proved a revelation in the second period.  His run to the by-line was finished with a pin point ball across the six yard box to the feet of George Wryde who finished first time with his left.

The black and whites had the Bees on the ropes now and sensed victory was within their grasp.  When Holder was released again down the right by Louie Darlington, he beat his marker again, ran into the space and delivered a lofted cross for Rabbetts to repeat his first with a powerful downward header into the Bees net for Brockham’s third.

Holder made it four to the good when his delayed pass intended for the run of the effervescent Wryde was misjudged by the Bees keeper and slipped through his legs.  Brentford grabbed a third for themselves but the momentum was all Badgers now and when another Holder cross whipped into the box, Page, driving forward from defence, buried it with an equally impressive header as Rabbetts’ earlier efforts.

Rabbetts finished the Juniors off with a cross come shot from the left that looped over the keeper and into the top far corner.  It was difficult to split Holder’s assists, Rabbetts’ hat trick, the game play dictation of Darlington and Knowles, Wryde’s bullying forward play, and the organisation of Brockham’s defensive unit in the second half, so no man of the match was named.  Instead the whole team walked off the pitch secure in the knowledge they had all played their part.

Brockham Badgers U16A 2 - 4 Kew Association Youth

What started brightly ended in disappointment as Brockham Badgers U16A were defeated for the first time this season in a 4-2 home defeat to Kew Association Youth.

Brockham were out of the blocks quickly.  Man of the match Sam Lloyd set up both early goals as Brockham took a two goal lead within the first ten minutes. Both were slide rule passes behind a lethargic back line, and finished excellent first by Jack Coppin, and then by Michael Cheeseman five minutes later.  Seemingly, the Badgers were cruising.

On fifteen minutes however, James Rabbetts was lucky to stay on the pitch.  The Kew striker had beaten the off-side trap and was bearing down on his 18 yard box.  Rabbetts rushed out to close the angle, and took the attackers legs from under him as he’d nipped the ball past the prostrate Rabbetts.  Had the fouled striker not immediately got up and distracted the referee with a tirade of verbal objections then Brockham would have been down to ten men.  Instead a free kick was awarded to Kew 20 yards from goal and the striker went in the book instead of the Badgers’ keeper.

Rabbetts saved well from the following set piece but Brockham were slow to react to the loose parried ball and Kew got their revenge from short range to narrow the deficit to just one goal.

There was a nervous ten minutes as Brockham steadied themselves but they controlled the game for large parts in the lead up to half time, but did start show worrying signs of things to come by losing the ball too easily in midfield and the defence standing too far off Kew players in possession.  Whilst the balance of the game to the interval was marginally in favour of Brockham, Kew were certainly not out of this match.

The second half began well enough for the home side.  Captain Sam Lloyd and his strike partner Cheeseman were leading from the front.  Both were running sometimes 30 or 40 yards to chase down the ball and put in strong tackles to ensure Kew had to fight for everything.  Unfortunately support from midfield and defence in transition was sometimes wasteful.  Winning the ball Brockham should have imposed themselves, instead they too often lashed a foot at a blind pass and gave away possession too easily.  When closing down play they too often dived into a tackle or allowed a player to turn and run, and the combination of profligacy and sloppiness punished them in the end.

Three goals in a twenty minute period put Kew ahead by two and Brockham were now chasing the game.  For the last ten minutes they were camped in the Kew half.  Joe Silver, Coppin, and Cheeseman were all menace as a top line but it was all too little too late, and Brockham can consider this three points wasted.

Man of the Match: Sam Lloyd

Brockham Badgers 5 - 0 Cheam Sports

From a neutral’s perspective it was clear to see within the first twenty minutes that Brockham held the technical advantage and should push on and win the game against their lower league rivals in this cup draw.  Yes, Cheam had the ball in the back of the net in the first ten minutes, albeit by virtue of a hand ball, but equally the Badgers should have scored in the first thirty seconds.

Despite their qualities however, Brockham were wasteful in possession throughout the first half.  Sam Lloyd had hit the post and Jack Coppin, one on one with the keeper, decided to make a simple finish difficult and shoot wide, but if the team didn’t start taking their chances and getting the game by the throat they could find themselves on the end of an upset.

Fortunately that was not to be.  The defence were steadfast in the second half with Christian Parsons and Luc Jhugroo looking rock solid at the centre, and James Rabbetts was having an excellent game with a couple of exceptionally good saves.  Sam Kadalaft conducted the midfield who held onto the ball and dictated the tempo, and despite missing both their first team strikers, Brockham made it count up front with man of the match Oscar Cremmen scoring a hat-trick from the number ten position.

His first was a simple close range nod in after getting on the end a corner from Sam Lloyd which followed an excellent shot at goal from Jack Coppin who had switched to the right and cut inside.  Simon Vakeva-Baird had worked tirelessly up top on his own all game and played a part in Cremmen’s second.  He nodded a high ball on from midfield and into the area between an on running Cremmen and an out-rushing Cheam keeper.  Cremmen was very brave sliding in and poking the ball into the net from ten yards before getting clattered.

Oli Gout, Alex Bevis, and George Gomes had switched shifts left and right of defence all day and were now starting to get some good overlaps working, finding space in wide positions and introducing a threat of their own.  It was Bevis who fed Lloyd from the right who lashed a shot at the keeper that was goal bound.  The shot was saved though and sent out for a corner which Lloyd took himself and who else but Cremmen was there to bundle the ball in from short range for his third.

If it was a day for the unexpected in a hat-trick for Cremmen then it was to turn surreal when Lewis Wood got himself on the score sheet – a rare event indeed.  Joe Silver hit a fierce shot after a twisting run from the right which was saved but not held.  Wood was on the move and arriving at pace he leathered a thunderbolt from fifteen yards that nearly took the net off.  He wasn’t going to miss this rare opportunity.

Vakeva-Baird got his just rewards for a very good performance five minutes from time when he used his height to good effect heading in a Coppin corner.

Man of the Match:  Oscar Cremmen

Elm Grove Colts 4 - 1 Brockham Badgers U11A

Travelling with only eight fit players it was unlikely Brockham were going to come away with a result and so it transpired.  Playing uphill in the first half they trailed two goals to nil despite have at least four decent chances but all of which went wide or over. 

Luke Page was marshalling his defensive partners Lily Turner and Will Timmons excellent against the numeric advantage and Huw Morgan was playing out of his skin in goal.  This gave Brockham something to build on and the second half started a little brighter when they nicked one back and gave themselves a chance.  Joseph Rabbetts fed George Wryde who clipped a left footed strike past the Colts keeper. 

But then Elm Grove buried another to take their advantage to two goals again.  If things were tough up to that point they were about to get more challenging.  The mercurial Louie Darling was caught in a strong tackle and could not carry on.  The Badgers were now two men down and having to work their socks off.  Sitting deep they tried to break on the counter but it was proving very difficult.  With time running out, Elm Grove took their chances once again and notched their fourth.

Man of the Match: Huw Morgan