Badgers U14A 1 - 5 Netherne Falcons (Surrey Youth League Premier Elite)

Shell shocked is probably the best way to describe the opening ten minutes of Brockham’s match with Netherne.  It wasn’t the fact that the Badgers were 2-0 down within that time, it was the sheer size and strength of the opposition that had the spectators gawping and the players retreating from a rush of offensive tempo and power.

The Netherne side are a muscular outfit with at least ten of their squad matching Brockham’s tallest, whom until this season were seen as something of an exception.  However, they can play.  The black and whites gave themselves an uphill battle from the start by gifting the opposition a customary first minute goal.  The ball was worked well through the left side of midfield, and despite all their training to the contrary, Brockham gave the attacker too much space with which he took aim and buried from 15 yards.

Netherne’s second however was fortunate to say the least.  This time the ball was worked down the right from where a cross was put in from a tight angle.  The flight of the ball was abnormally affected by the spin it received on leaving the player’s boot.  It hung in the air forever and dropped out of reach of the Brockham keeper into the very far top corner of the goal leaving those on the touchline wondering whether it was intentional or fluke.  To their credit Brockham mustered themselves and held the score line for the remainder of the first half.

With so much muscle and height to contest with it was pointless playing anything other than the ball on the ground.  This is a strength of the Brockham team and so they came out for the second half with the intention of going for it, with a 3-5-2 formation. 

It worked.  Midfield were passing the ball around with good effect in possession, and worked well as a unit with the front men  Alex Flint and Jordan Martin when trying to regain it.  This gave time to bring some composure at the back which Simon Vakeva-Baird in particular was putting to good use in delivering balls for the powerful Jack Coppin who was looking more comfortable and dangerous on the left.  For twenty minutes they dominated and within ten were rewarded with a goal. 

A ball from midfield between the Netherne centre backs fed the pacey Martin.  He was forced wide by his pursuing defender but did well to deliver a sharp cross to Flint in front of goal.  The Netherne keeper got there moments before but the pressure of Flint’s approach forced him to fumble.  With great vision and composure Flint dragged back the ball and cushioned it into the path of the on-rushing Coppin who placed it wonderfully under the recovering dive of the keeper.  Game on.

For a further ten minutes Brockham were the better side, but gradually the opposition’s greater fitness and athleticism made its mark and the Badgers’ tiredness in pursuit of competing took its toll.  In the final ten minutes Netherne bagged three more.  The signs of improvement are there though.  There were moments of real quality from the black and whites that can be built on.  As their fitness improves they’ll close the gap again.

Lad of the Match:  Justin Tarrant

Match Report by  Jason Rabbetts

Epsom & Ewell Colts 0 - 8 Badgers U11 Sunday (Surrey Youth League Premier Division)

The young Badgers clearly had a lot of energy to expend, having missed out on a match the previous weekend, however, they waited until the second half before finding their rhythm and then the goals flowed.  The first period was a lacklustre affair as they seemed to find it difficult to adjust to the pitch, which was narrower than they are used to. Joseph Issberner scored their only goal.

The second period was a different matter.  Brockham applied the pressure as Epsom and Ewell kicked off, forcing a free kick as a result of a hand ball.  Aidan Torpey stepped up and powered a shot at goal which the keeper couldn't hold, allowing Callum Agent to pounce and score Brockham's second.  Next a slick move up the left hand side saw a Max Austin pass to Agent steered to Justin Hurst in the middle of the box who notched up Brockham's third.  Hurst then turned provider.  Having trapped the keepers poor clearance he threaded the ball to Austin who needed no invitation to smash the ball into the back of the net.  Torpey was next to surge from defence, past a number of Epsom defenders, before firing to the right of the keeper whose outstretched hand could only deflect the ball onto the inside of the post and into the net.

Austin added his second, latching onto a long ball, speeding past a couple of defenders before stroking it past the keeper to give the Badgers their sixth. Another ball from mid field to Austin promptly resulted in his third.  There was then a chase by three Brockham players after a long clearance from their keeper.  Max Hill won the race to score Brockham's eighth.

It was pleasing to leave with a clean sheet, much down to the dominance of Alex Watts (man of the match)in defence, who ensured solid communication throughout the game.  Brockham will have taken valuable confidence from this encounter as they will no doubt meet stiffer competition from Epsom Eagles in a crucial league contest next weekend.

Squad: Callum Agent, Max Austin, William Conroy, Matthew Ford, Callum Glenn, Conor Gilmartin, Micheal Goff, Max Hill, Justin Hurst, Joseph Issberner, Natanial King, Aidan Torpey, Alex Wells, Alex Watts, Jack Wisbey

Report by Chris Hurst

Badgers U16B 3 - 6 East Grinstead Meads (Horsham and District League)

Badgers U16B will feel slightly aggrieved to have lost this game to table topping East Grinstead, the side matching the away team all the way during this game only for two late goals for the visitors to put a misleading gloss on the result.

Brockham had gone close early on when Ollie Curtis chased down a keepers kick, but his shot just missed the goal.  Soon after Dan Hoad put Badgers ahead, Brockham’s attack causing the away defence concern all game.  East Grinstead drew level midway through the half, but a twice taken penalty from Elliott Austin saw Badgers re-establish their lead at 2-1.  Brockham could not hold on though and the league leaders scored two goals in quick succession late on in the first half to take a 3-2 lead into the interval.

A sluggish start in the second half saw Brockham go further behind but as the second half went on it was Brockham who were on top, and the team really should have reduced the arrears before Ollie Curtis pounced to muscle his way into the box and make it 3-4 with 10 minutes to go.  East Grinstead were wobbling now, but a fortuitous goal 5 minutes from time steadied them, a long range effort seeing the Brockham keeper dazzled by the low sun as the ball found its way into the net.

Then with the last kick of the game, an unfortunate own goal made it 6-3 to the away side and seal the win for East Grinstead to give them their fifth straight win.

Squad: Ben Wright, Sam MacFarland, Max Ruffm Dhilen Patel, James Stone, Dex Bass, Josh Caldwell, Elliot Austin, David Atkinson, Ollie Curtis (c), Dan Hoad, Will Sprange, Stefan Issberner, Josh Hook

Report by Bryan Bletso

Badgers U16A 1 - 3 Cranleigh Tigers (Horsham and District League)

Brockham Badgers U16A spurned the chance of going top of the table as second from bottom Cranleigh sprang a surprise with a 3-1 win at the Big Field

Badgers started on fire, bossing the first 10 minutes, but some poor tackling saw Cranleigh take the lead in the first half as Brockham’s performance deteriorated as the half went on.  Badgers failed to take any lessons on board at half time and within a minute of half time, Cranleigh extended their lead to make it 2-0.  To be fair, Brockham suddenly got their act together, with Charlie Holmes seeing a lot of the ball, and the visitors were put on the back foot, Henry Hill having a good chance to pull a goal back before some good individual play from Ollie Smith saw him ride a few challenges to find himself one on one with the keeper, Smith slotting the ball past the keeper to put Badgers back in the game

Their only looked like one winner now, but Cranleigh dug in and with 10 minutes to go scored on the break to make it 3-1.

With the game lost, Badgers will look back on a big lost opportunity, and perhaps reflect that the side is best placed pulling together as a side rather than seeing discord in the ranks produce underachievement.

Squad: Connor Mitchell, Henry Smith, Jack Hunt, Tom Bletso (c), Will Bletso, OIllie Smith, Ollie Legg, Charlie Holmes, Mike Carty, Joe Parker, Henry Hill, Stephen Kehl

Report by Bryan Bletso

Dorking FC U18s 3 - 1 South Park (Southern Youth League)

Dorking FC U18s good start to the league season continued with a win over South Park FC's Under 18s on Wednesday night at Meadowbank, courtesy of a hattrick from leading scorer Ryan Stewart.  The team go third in the league and are unbeaten after 5 games, with games in hand on the second placed team Lingfield, Croydon Athletic continuing to trail blaze the division with a 100% start to the season.  See up to date table below

Dorking went behind in this game, South Park being level on points with Dorking going into this game scoring early on.  Dorking were playing without a regular centre back through injury, with Nathan Crosbie and Lewis Armstrong playing out of position to do a job for the team, both players excelling on the night.

Fellow defenders Marcus Legg and Josh Clark were in good form at full back, and it wasnt long before Dorking's youngsters were on level terms, Ryan Stewart scoring the first of his three goals with a fine shot which found the top corner of the South Park goal.

1-1 at half time, Dorking soon took the lead.  A corner was drilled in, the ball finding Stewart whose well placed shot found the net giving the keeper little chance from the edge of the 6 yard box.

Stewart then put the game beyond the reach with a 20 yard lob  over the keeper

Dorking play at Three Bridges on Wednesday 10 November

Squad: Gavin Morrison, Josh Clark, Marcus Legg, Lewis Armstrong, Nathan Crosbie, James Baker, Darryl Jeeves, Stephen Batchelor, Daniel Russell, Will Davies, Ryan Stewart  Subs: Chris Caley, Jack Murrell, Henry Warne


Report by Bryan Bletso 

South Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
Croydon Athletic U18	5	5	0	0	22	3	+19	15
Lingfield U18	7	4	1	2	23	14	+9	13
Dorking U18	5	3	2	0	13	5	+8	11
Leatherhead U18	6	2	4	0	9	6	+3	10
Oakwood U18	9	2	4	3	18	17	+1	10
Redhill U18	5	2	2	1	8	6	+2	8
South Park U18	9	2	2	5	15	27	-12	8
Merstham U18	6	2	1	3	14	13	+1	7
Horley Town U18	7	2	1	4	13	19	-6	7
Crawley Down U18	6	1	2	3	10	27	-17	5
Three Bridges U18	5	0	4	1	4	7	-3	4
East Grinstead U18	6	1	1	4	4	9	-5	4

Badgers U14A 1 - 2 Aldershot Boys Elite (Surrey Youth League Premier Elite)

This week’s Brockham Badgers U14A’s performance was a promising development against a team that had played them off the park three times last season.  This season Brockham had already taken a point from the away fixture and they were optimistic about their chances of competing for the return match.  Alas no points came the Badgers way but it was a tight game competed on a level throughout from which Aldershot only came out narrow 2-1 winners.

For the first twenty minutes neither team imposed any level of superiority, but equally, organisation and creativity were lacking during what was a particularly scrappy first half.  The Shots took the lead from a move that was to become a theme of their attacking intent.  Moving the ball down their left they were allowed to put a cross into the Brockham box.  The black and whites failed to close the ball down quickly enough and unsighted James Rabbetts was beaten at the near post from 10 yards.

Brockham’s defensive line was managing to deal with Aldershot’s main front line threats but too few of Simon Vakeva-Baird’s and Justin Tarrant’s well won knock downs were being picked up by the midfield.  This was putting Brockham’s defence under unnecessary pressure and gifting Aldershot the initiative.  The Badgers came out better prepared second half.  Midfield organised itself a little tighter and anticipated the knock downs better.  Gradually they started to wrestle the possession advantage from the Hampshire boys and before long Brockham were level.

A cross ball from midfield to the Brockham right channel was cleared by the Aldershot defence but the knock-back was met by Tarrant who let fly a first time rocket from 25 yards that buried itself in the bottom corner.

Buoyed by their leveller it would have been of no surprise had Brockham pushed on and grabbed a winner, but complacency got the better of them.  Again The Shots built from the left, their No.6 feeding their menace of a No.17 winger.  He was allowed to run to the by-line with the ball and zipped in a low cross in front of goal.  Two defenders and the Brockham keeper let it pass in front of them without a word to each other and the Badgers midfield stood and watched as two unmarked Aldershot runners competed gleefully for who was going to tap it in.  It was a cruel response but a lesson in concentration and communication the black and whites shall have to learn.

To their credit Brockham came right back at the Shots with two excellent chances denied.  The first was a free kick from Jordan Martin that ran through to the back post.  Lewis Wood had made an excellent unseen run to the same position, but meeting the ball at speed and on his weaker foot the ball looped over the cross bar from just a few yards out.  Martin went close himself shortly after with an instinctive shot with his left foot from range that struck the angle of the upright and cross bar and ricocheted  to safety.

Brockham can be proud of their performance.  Although their results may not show it, they’ve improved their game this season and this match was testimony to that.  They’ll continue to target survival and show the academy kids that with the right attitude, work ethic, and belief, a village side can compete.

Lad of the Match:  Tom Hampshire

Report by Jason Rabbetts

Guildford Academicals 4 - 1 Badgers U15A (Surrey Youth League Premier Elite)

For the second week running, Brockham opened the scoring only to end up losing the match. Little consolation but on both occasions, the goals were superb. This time, after Dennis Rapson had already been called upon to tip over an early shot from a Guildford striker, George Coffey's shot was deflected just wide from a Chris Brooks set-up, and when Coffey took the resulting corner, Brooks showed great technique to dip at the near post and send a brilliant header into the far corner from an acute angle.

The home side equalised 7 minutes later when Matt Higgins appeared to be brought down on the edge of the Brockham box, but the referee waved play on and a shot flew in from 18 yards. Keeper Rapson was called on once again to tip over the bar shortly before the break, but a fairly even half ended all square at 1-1.

Badgers had two great early opportunities to regain the lead in the second period, Harvey Mewis and Chris Brooks just failing to hit the target with enough conviction, and on 51 minutes Academicals went ahead with a routine header from a corner, the kind of goal Brockham are conceding all too easily at present.  Nevertheless they continued to battle and throughout the game were never dominated by the hosts, but as the game wore on fitness levels were starting to become a factor for some players. Will Mahoney, having another excellent game at right back and getting forward whenever possible, thought he had grabbed an equaliser with a fine shot, but the offside flag had gone up for another player who was not interfering with play. That was really that for Brockham as, against the run of play, a Guildford striker found the net from distance with a great strike, and a fourth was added after another Badgers attack broke down.

4-1 was a harsh result and this was a much improved team performance on the previous two games, but Brockham missed the pace of the injured Ramsey and the strength of Nicholson. The tireless Brooks was too often isolated in chasing lost causes, but the centre midfield pairing of Mike Richardson and Oli Winter worked hard and kept a decent tempo going through much of the game. The two teams will do battle again next week in the Surrey Cup and Badgers will hope to make their possession count more effectively.

Squad – Dennis Rapson, Will Mahoney, Liam Ratcliffe, Matt Higgins, Will Bletso, Oli Winter, Mike Richardson, Frankie Routleff, Josh Brown, Jack Wyllie, Harvey Mewis, Alex Nicholson, George Coffey, Harry Ramsey, Chris Brooks.

Report by Simon Winter

Badgers U15A 1 – 3 Sheen Lions Pride (Surrey Youth League Premier Elite)

There won't be too many easy points in the league this season, and from past encounters between these sides Brockham would have looked on this fixture as a good opportunity to grab three of them. It all looked promising when Badgers took an early lead in the 7^th minute, Harvey Mewis finding the top corner with a superb finish from 18 yards after a lovely exchange of passes with Mike Richardson. Unfortunately, Sheen won a corner in the next minute and equalised with the freest of headers on the six-yard line.

The visitors have always played neat passing football but have sometimes lacked steel, but on this evidence they have worked on this part of their game, and the three bookings they earned testified to their determination to break up play with an endless string of badly-timed tackles. So it was ironic that on one of the few occasions that Brockham were themselves guilty of such a challenge, and against the run of play after Badgers had taken the game to Sheen for most of the half, the trip was in the box and the Lions converted the penalty to take a 2-1 lead into the break.

Brockham continued to work some openings in the second period but their play broke down too often around the box, and after 56 minutes Sheen added a third with a move that seemed to meet little resistance from the Badgers defence. Despite a more battling display than last week, in particular from man of the match Harvey Mewis who fought for every ball, Brockham missed out too often in the 50-50s and scarcely won a high-ball challenge from a corner or free kick all match. There are tough games ahead and the boys know they will need to improve if they are to compete in the league this year.

Squad: Dennis Rapson, Will Mahoney, Liam Ratcliffe, Matt Higgins (c), Will Bletso, Oli Winter, Mike Richardson, Frankie Routleff, Josh Brown, Jack Wyllie, Harvey Mewis, Alex Nicholson, George Coffey, Harry Ramsey, Chris Brooks.

Report by Simon Winter

AFC Wimbledon 6 - 0 Badgers U14A (Surrey Youth League Premier Elite)

Brockham Badgers U14A’s relentless pursuit of a league win continues, but undiminished is their capacity for optimism. This was a sound performance against a superior team, with plenty of positives to draw on.

First of all, that’s the home and away games against the English champions out of the way.  Secondly, the Premier Elite division already looks like two leagues within a league, with the teams around Brockham dropping points as regularly.  Thirdly, and most importantly, the Badgers game is improving slowly but surely.

Superlatives don’t do this side justice.  Wimbledon were dominant from start to finish.  Their first goal came within the first few minutes with an easy tap in at the far post following a cross field ball.  The second was not long coming as the black and whites struggled to handle the Dons mobile and muscular midfield. 

Brockham dug deep however.  Trying to press with three up front whilst limit chances at the other end by playing Justin Tarrant as a sweeper, they contained any significant goalmouth threats for a large part of the first half.  It didn’t last unfortunately as a smart one two and a quick turn in the box saw a Wimbledon striker snatch their third which was roundly applauded by both sides support.

A change to 4-4-2 with Simon Vakeva-Baird pushed centrally to act as a target man gave some food for thought for future encounters with lesser opposition, but against this side it had minimal impact.  Vakeva-Baird was winning the ball more regularly for Brockham and his first touch on occasions received deserved praise from the opposition management, and Sam Lloyd’s marking job on the Wimbledon number 8 presented an enthralling spectacle of passion versus skill.

The combination of all the small percentages in craft, movement, patience, organisation, strength, and technique however added up to a chasm in scoring potential.  Wimbledon grabbed three more goals of equally impressive craft in the second half leaving Brockham to grasp at one further means for optimism – over the two legs, they’re still the only team in the league this season to score against the Dons!

Lad of the Match:  Justin Tarrant

Report by Jason Rabbetts

Roffey Robins 0 - 6 Badgers U9 Barbarians (Horsham and District League)

The heavy rain of the previous night gave way to perfect conditions on a large Roffey Robins pitch, which was perfectly suited to the hard-running, passing game of Brockham Badgers U9 Barbarians.

Having been pretty much dominant in all five of their previous games this season, the  Badgers were in no mood to let their standards drop. From the outset, superiority was established on the solid defensive foundations of Ben Austin and later Huw Morgan in goal, and Jethro Burton and William Glenn in defence. In midfield, captain Tom Ambrose and Lily Turner kept the opposition chasing the ball with their excellent positioning and distribution of the ball. Particularly pleasing was the fact that the team proved that the goals can come from several positions, and that they do not have to depend solely on one player to put the ball away.

The first goal came after only four minutes, Lily Turner passing from deep on the left to striker Arun Watkins on the left corner of the penalty box. Neat footwork took Arun passed two Robins defenders before he hit the back of the net.

Badgers did not have long to wait before their second. A penetrating ball from Jethro Burton on the halfway line found Lily Turner on the edge of penalty. She side-stepped to the left then fired high into the net for her second of the season.

After nine minutes, player-of-the-match Arun Watkins earned the reward for his constant movement and harrying of the Robins’ defence, claiming his second goal from four yards out.

3-0 Badgers halfway through the first and prospects did not improve for the Robins as Huw Morgan came on in goal and top-scorer Callum Holder joined as second striker. Dominance of possession continued, however the team had to wait until the second half to add to the scoreline.

Robins’ second-half kick-off was intercepted by live-wire Callum Holder, now pushed forward to the most advanced striking position. Callum stole the ball from his opposite number and laid it wide to Ben Mackenzie who returned it to an advanced central midfield position for collection by Tom Ambrose. The latter cheekily passed through the advancing defender’s legs to Callum who shot from just inside the area low into the left corner of the net. 4-0 and another rout on its way.

Still no joy given to the Robins by defenders Glenn, Burton and Austin, all three immaculate in defence, leaving Morgan in goal with little to do.

As busy as ever, however, was Lily Turner who, intercepting a Robins throw close to the halfway line, moved the ball on to Ben Austin whose quick ball to Callum Holder on the right corner of pen area was followed by a dribble past 3 Robins defenders and a shot high into net for his second.

The match won, it only remained for Callum Holder to complete his third hat-trick in as many games. Big-man-at-the-back Jethro Burton cleared up a Robins free-kick with a long clearance to Holder on the goal-line left of the of pen area. A few steps to the right and a chipped shot into the right hand corner. Six for the Badgers today, eighteen in six matches, and the team goes from strength to strength, showing that hard work plus ability is an unbeatable combination.

Man of the Match: Ben Mackenzie

Squad: Tom Ambrose (C), Ben Austin, Jethro Burton, William Glenn, Callum Holder, Ben Mackenzie, Huw Morgan, Lily Turner, Arun Watkins.

Report by Frank Holder