Saturday, 14 May 2016
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Brockham Badgers U12A 2 - 3 Raynes Park Vale
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
Brockham Badgers U12A 2 - 3 Raynes Park Vale
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
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Leatherhead Youth U11 3 - 3 Brockham Badgers U11A
With Leatherhead having been lucky to escape the first encounter of the season with a draw following a controversial equaliser eight minutes into added time, in the return match – the Assassins’ last of the season – the hosts Leatherhead Youth once more can count themselves fortunate to have earned a point.
On a large pitch with an excellent surface the Assassins were instructed to maximise use of space and retention of possession - preventing Leatherhead from settling into any kind of rhythm. Playing high up the pitch would reduce the pressure on the three-man defence and the keeper. No player was found wanting. For the first quarter Leatherhead barely saw the ball; Connor Boniface in central midfield was magnificent, using the space available to run at retreating opponents who rarely succeeded in winning the ball from him, allowing him to distribute effectively to the flanks and striker. On left and right Louie Darlington and Harry Watts time and again used the possession they received to keep the Leatherhead defence pushed back, whilst Joe Rabbetts’ strong running and harrying across their defensive line made it difficult for them to keep shape.
It was thus completely against the run of play when Leatherhead took the lead after 14 minutes. A good passing move from midfield enabled a Leatherhead cut-in from their right, their scorer taking his chance well by shaping right and side-footing left.
No despondency from the Assassins, however. Five minutes later touchline-hugger Darlington advanced down the left wing and passed inside to striker Callum Holder. Holder took the ball forward and following a neat body swerve he beat the keeper with a sweet strike.
The introduction of Owen Knowles on the left of the defensive three, and Lily Turner on the right of the midfield four enabled the team’s high energy levels to be maintained. Turner protected the flank well with her consistently accurate reading of the game; Knowles continued Will Timmons excellent work of tidying-up Leatherhead’s attempts to break through then distributing accurately to the midfield. On the rare occasion that Leatherhead threatened, Sam Church and Luke Page used lightening covering pace and strong challenges to ensure protection for keeper Huw Morgan.
At half-time it was emphasised to the team that their first-half performance had demonstrated their ability to overcome a strong Leatherhead team. It was at 35 minutes, howeve, on one of those rare occasions that they broke through that Leatherhead took the lead once more with a shot across Morgan’s left from 6 yards out.
The score remained at 2-1 to Leatherhead through the greater part of the second half; Holder had two difficult chances that on another day would have reaped reward but his speed and improved physicality kept the Leatherhead defence fully occupied, and constant marauding runs from Rabbetts doubled the terror. Further back there was no diminution in work-rate in midfield and defence, the attitude being exemplified by Watts and Knowles who maintained a high level of performance despite being asked to do so in different positions at various times during the match. In goal Morgan made two excellent saves, including a finger-tip deflection over the bar.
With five minutes to go and still 2-1 one down, it seemed – not for the first time this season – that the Assassins were to finish with nothing after a dominant performance. The decision was made to return Luke Page to the fray for a final assault up front, and only Church stayed deep to provide cover. Page followed perfectly his instructions to use his dribbling skills to wreak havoc, and following his shot a penalty was awarded for handball. He stepped up and drove a vicious strike home. 2-2.
Another turn for the worse for the Assassins however, as from the restart Leatherhead fed the ball to their right-midfielder and from some way out he struck a superb lofted shot which ‘keeper Morgan was powerless to keep out. It seemed that the Assassins were not to be rewarded for their magnificent endeavours.
But justice was to prevail. The Assassins kept pressing, winning two corners in the dying seconds. Luke Page’s first effort was put behind for a second, which he struck cleanly and with intention curled on a beautiful parabola, dropping it in just under the bar. The final whistle followed seconds later to confirm a 3-3 draw which was the least the Assassins deserved for a performance which brought together all the strengths they have worked so hard to develop this season.
Monday, 29 April 2013
Brockham Badgers U16A 5 - 2 Kingstonian Youth Royals
A total football experience was a fitting end to Brockham Badgers U16s’ season in a dominant performance over Kingstonians at the Big Field in glorious Spring sunshine.
Jason Rabbetts, in his last game as manager for the team, asked them to go and play the best possession football they were capable of and to play it with a smile he could remember in years to come. George Gomes, having never scored in a competitive match at 11-a-side for the Badgers in his nine years with the club was moved from his usual defensive duties and given a dual striker role with Jordan Martin, whilst the manager’s son was given a symbolic captaincy for his consistency throughout the season.
Play they did, and with some considerable style. Brockham dominated this match with 70% possession and some passages of play that were quite simply the best they had played in their time at the club. Martin opened the scoring with a stunning strike off the outside of his right foot from just inside the Kingstonian area having beaten his marker for pace and brilliantly controlling a wonderful lofted pass from Joe Silver after some stunning interplay from Oscar Cremmen that started from the Badgers’ back line.
Silver on the right and Jack Coppin on the left flank were skinning their counterparts for pace and delivering ball after ball for Martin and Gomes in the middle, but despite their efforts at servicing Gomes for his first ever goal, a defensive foot, the woodwork, or the Kingstonian keeper thwarted him at every chance. Cremmen and the excellent Sam Kandalaft both went close from midfield and were also doing their best to break Gomes’ duck, but nothing gave, and when the Ks scored to level the game shortly before half-time the score line was somewhat bewildering.
Brockham enjoyed a positive half-time talk and came out relaxed and confident. Soon they took the lead again with a strike from Michael Cheeseman from a tight angle that deflected in off the keeper. Kandalaft then scored a stunning solo effort following a virtuoso run through the middle that saw him shimmy through three players with close control, incredible footwork, and a beautifully and intelligently placed finish.
Kingstonians countered and scored once again but Brockham were soon back on the offensive and forcing the Ks to retreat at every opportunity. A fourth to match the classiness of Martin’s and Kanadalft’s earlier efforts was put away by Cheeseman for his personal brace. Receiving the ball with his back to goal he flicked the ball up, rotated, and volleyed with his left from 20 yards out. The pace and precision of the strike were perfectly executed and the ball flew over the Kingstonian’s keeper and hit the back of the net as Cheeseman raised his arms and nodded his head Cantonaesque style to the applauding crowd.
Martin came on to replace Silver and for the final twenty minutes was joined by Sam Lloyd. Lloyd and Martin joined the Gomes assistance brigade but despite their best and numerous efforts the bobble of the ball, a yard short of contact, or a misjudged angle continued to deny him his day of glory.
Then, in the last minute, of the last game, of his last season for the team, the ball was whipped across goal where Gomes had at last timed his run to perfection. He struck it with his right, but it was hit directly at the keeper who saved with his face. The ball spun up and then down, hit the goal line and spun backwards towards goal from where a defender slid across and headed the ball back onto the post. There seemed a moment where time stood still and everything went silent, but instantly noise and mayhem surged to the fore as Gomes spun away from goal grinning like a Cheshire cat and the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the centre spot, determining the ball had indeed crossed the line before the defender met it – GOAL. Cue a second week’s finale of mayhem as Gomes was bundled to the ground by all and sundry. What a wonderful finish to their Brockham Badgers experience.
Horsley FC 2 - 1 Brockham Badgers U11A
Brockham Badgers U11A’s season fizzled to a disappointing climax with a 2-1 away defeat to Horsley despite a good performance by the Badgers particularly in the second half.
Brockham were undone in the first period. Firstly a soft goal trickled across the line despite the best efforts of Huw Morgan in goal to get back on his feet after his excellent intervention at feet stopped the initial strike only to see his parry toed in by Horsley from three yards out. Then a speculative strike outside the area, when destined to be collected by a well positioned Morgan, met a defensive head of Owen Knowles but spun into the air and looped over the stranded Brockham keeper who looked on in disbelief.
The Badgers mustered themselves for an excellent performance in the second period during which Morgan was a virtual spectator. The Brockham team got themselves back into the game early on when Knowles was redeemed with a powerful header from a Louie Darlington corner. Surge after surge from the black and whites were thwarted by the Horsley keeper, Joseph Rabbetts hitting the woodwork with a superb left footed volley from distance, and twice again going close himself as the second half wore on.
Brockham just didn’t get the rub of the green however, and Horsley hung on for a valuable victory.
Man of the Match: Joseph Rabbetts
Monday, 22 April 2013
Aldershot APC 3 - 5 Brockham Badgers U11A
Brockham Badgers U11A took the opportunity of a league fixture break to take on the challenge of a friendly invitation from Aldershot Town’s Academy Preparation Centre.
The match was a close contest but Brockham were more than a match for the Shots. The Badgers went behind on ten minutes but a brace from Will Timmons, one with each foot, gave them the lead on thirty minutes.
When Brockham scored their third with a short range volley from Callum Holder, spectators and players alike were pinching themselves. Aldershot kept the ball very well, edging possession throughout, but Brockham were more clinical in their finishing and had a pace advantage in forward positions.
Luke Page had an excellent game at centre half, but when moved forward into midfield started to exert more influence on the game. Running with the ball he placed a wonderfully struck shot into the far corner of the net to take Brockham to a dream three goal advantage.
On the hour the Shots came out all guns blazing, butt Archie Routleff stood firm in goal with some very good rushes from his line to thwart two promising attacks by Aldershot. Brockham had a period of good possession and were clearly feeling confident, never missing an opportunity to go forward and keeping their shape well without the ball. Another good run down the left from Timmons forced a corner. Louie Darlington whipped it in and the strength of George Wryde told as he rose above his marker and nodded home Brockham’s fifth.
Aldershot came back into the game in the last five minutes with two late goals but the Badgers gave a good display to the league 2 outfit and went away with their heads held high and a deserved victory.
Brockham Badgers U16A 2 - 1 Kew Association Youth
Nine years of hard work were rewarded on Sunday when Brockham Badgers U16A bagged themselves some silverware with a 2-1 extra time victory over Kew Association Youth in the Surrey Youth League Invitation League Cup. It had everything you’d expect from a classic cup encounter including spectacular weather, thrilling end to end football, a penalty, and a last minute winning goal.
Luc Jhugroo opened the scoring for the Badgers on seven minutes when he rose majestically to meet a Michael Cheeseman corner and powerfully headed into the back of the Kew net. Brockham then settled down and dominated much of the play for a large part of the first half with Sam Kandalaft having the best of the opportunities to score with a wonderfully struck volley from just outside the box that went only inches wide of the upright.
James Rabbetts in goal and his back four of Oli Gout, Jhugroo, Simon Vakeva-Baird, and Alex Bevis looked rock solid and both Jordan Martin and Joe Silver gave great width and balance on either wing, at times terrorising the Kew full backs with their devastating pace. Most credit in the first half should go to the trio of Sam Lloyd, Lewis Wood, and Kandalaft who didn’t give the Kew team a second’s peace, time, or space, and did much to create some of Brockham’s best passages of play with Wood himself threatening to score with a long range effort.
The second half ebbed and flowed and Kew came back into the game more as they pressed for an equaliser. After fifteen minutes Kandalaft was spent and Chris Parsons came into midfield to shore things up with fresh legs. Lewis Wood was relieved of his midfield duties shortly afterwards and the creative Oscar Cremmen entered the fray. The substitutes did well and had much to contribute to the rest of the game but the unexpected process of two substitutions in quick succession disrupted Brockham’s rhythm a little and Kew capitalised. They broke down the right and put in an awkward cross along the line of the Brockham defence. Parsons did excellently to twist and reach the ball with a defensive header but its flight took into the path of the advancing Kew striker who tucked it past Rabbetts to level the game.
The game was finely balanced for much of the second half. Brockham were relaxed, and the pressure was very much on the league champions from Kew. George Gomes and Jack Coppin came on to freshen things up, with Silver and Cheeseman coming off for a well-deserved rest. Gomes made an immediate impact with a lovely instinctive volley from the D that flashed inches wide of the left upright, and Cremmen became more influential in the game with some telling play making passes into the Brockham front line.
But it was Kew that carved a golden opportunity to snatch it. Gout had been in spectacular form all season and in this game it was no different, but with his legs tiring on the rock hard pitch and in the hot sunshine, and with the pace of a fresh-legged striker advancing once again down Kew’s right he made a challenge for the ball that was adjudged to be a foul and inside the Brockham area. Penalty.
Rabbetts stood tall and waved his arms to fill what he could of the goal. The Ashford Town stadium fell into a deadly silence as both sets of supporters held their breaths in hope of a counter outcome. Kew stepped up, struck the ball hard, beat Rabbetts’ lunge but the ball went high, hit the cross bar and rebounded out into open play. A desperate rush for the ball ensued with Brockham coming away with it and clearing to safety. When the referee blew for the end of full time Brockham felt luck might just be on their side.
Two halves of ten minutes played out with Brockham displaying the better football. They looked more purposeful and the most likely to score, the industrious Sam Lloyd almost winning it with a lobbed effort that had the Kew keeper back pedalling before touching the ball onto the crossbar and over for a corner. As the clock wound down the Brockham management team started to mentally note who needed to be on the pitch for penalties and brought Cheeseman back into the game for Gout who was crocked and out on his feet. Cremmen slotted into Gout’s left-back position, Coppin came into midfield from wide left, whilst Martin, Cheeseman, and Silver took up their starting berths in a three man front line.
Then, with two minutes to play, the Kew keeper sent a long goal kick down field. The imperious Vakeva-Baird advanced from defence and met it under pressure from Kew’s midfield. The nod down fell to Martin who scampered two paces forward and weighted a lofted ball from the centre right into the path of Cheeseman who’d timed his run to perfection and beat the Kew off-side. Cheeseman took one touch, ran onto to the ball and let fly with his left past the advancing Kew keeper. The ball seemed to take an eternity to cross the line before nestling in the back of the net. Queue Brockham celebration and mayhem.
The last ninety seconds were tense, but Brockham saw the game out and took the victory. It was a fitting end to many of the boys’ and coaches’ time at Brockham Badgers Football Club.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Brockham Badgers U16A 2 - 0 Wandgas Youth; Wandgas Youth 3 - 3 Brockham Badgers U16A
All sixteen of Brockham’s U16A squad played their part in a double-header fixture versus Wandgas Youth at the Big Field this Sunday. Both games proved to be enthralling duels with a competitive edge that brought an exciting end to a wet and cold week.
In the first match Brockham took the three points but it was not without a sturdy challenge from the Gas. The first half decided the game but possession was a close affair throughout. Both keepers did well to keep offensive chances at bay and an excellent save from Dorking boy Tom Francis playing between the sticks for Wandgas prevented Michael Cheeseman from snatching the best of the early chances following a swaggering rush through the Gas’s back line.
It was a spark of inspiration from Sam Kandalaft that broke the deadlock. His quick feet are mesmerising at times and having turned one way then the other to pass his midfield marker, he dropped a shoulder and rolled the ball left and right to make his way past two more challenges before slotting the ball home just inside the upright from ten yards. If it weren’t for a spot of knee bother and a lot of competition for midfield places he’d be a shoe-in to play all match, every match.
Joe Silver has been an inspiration since grabbing the chance to establish himself as a regular starter following the suspension and injury of Jordan Martin that has made the latter unavailable for the best part of 2013. Silver’s first touch has improved and the sight of him running at pace with the ball must strike fear into any defender. It was just rewards for his efforts that he netted directly from a corner just before half time to make it two goals for Brockham, a score-line that held for the remainder of the match despite some close efforts by both teams and four changes to the Brockham line up.
The second match was a different affair with Wandgas reversing the advantage. The Badgers found themselves two goals down within fifteen minutes. The boys could have felt hard done by having had the linesman’s flag for offside against Wandgas overruled by the referee for the first, and the second goal coming from a deflection off the referee’s back that looped the ball over the Brockham defensive line and into the path of the Gas striker to tuck into the net beyond a flabbergasted James Rabbetts in goal.
Brockham’s spirit has been better this season though. An inspired substitution saw team captain Sam Lloyd re-join the fray and within minutes his guile and menace in midfield had won the ball and allowed him to drive purposefully towards goal from where he delivered an inch perfect ball from wide left of the penalty area for Cheeseman to bury and bring the black and whites back into the game. Captain Courageous did it again five minutes later with an almost identical goal that Cheeseman collected gratefully once more from Lloyd’s excellent assist.
With the second game drawn 2-2 at half-time and Brockham on the rise it looked as if there would be only one winner in the second period. Martin had two goals disallowed, one for off-side and the other for an innocuous foul. George Gomes thought he’d scored his first of the season for it to be ruled out again by a marginal off-side decision, whilst Silver shot wide of an open net, and both Martin and Cheeseman were thwarted by an inspired Francis in the Wandgas goal.
The Gas had other ideas though. At the start of the second half they had put their pacey number ten to the right of a three man attack and despite Brockham’s numerous chances he was causing Brockham’s left side all sorts of problems. Francis had clearly been instructed to hit the right channel from goal kicks and Brockham had several warnings when the number ten had almost been put in on goal two or three times. He didn’t need asking a fourth time. A lofted goal kick into the right channel was knocked on over the Brockham back line to where the Gas striker outpaced his pursuers and buried it past an advancing Rabbetts.
Brockham couldn’t believe they’d gone behind again, and there was a five minute spell where they could have lost their confidence and discipline. Instead they kept going and levelled the game with an almost identical goal that started with Rabbetts, was picked up and layed off by Gomes, and finished by Martin who ran away from his marker and rounded Francis.
With ten minutes to go and the momentum with the Badgers it might have been supposed that Wandgas would have been wishing the time away. Instead it was Brockham craving the point by the end with Wandgas going close on three occasions, the first going inches wide, a forced spill from Rabbetts being sliced wastefully across goal when it seemed easier to pass it in the net, and a long range cracker ricocheting off the Brockham crossbar.
Man of the Match: Sam Lloyd