Brockham Badgers U16A 0 - 4 Westcott 1935 Youth

Westcott exacted revenge on Brockham’s drubbing of them in the cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory in the league this Sunday at the Big Field.  Brockham dominated possession for large parts of the game but it was Westcott that proved more clinical in front of goal.

The Badgers started brightly enough, keeping the ball well and fashioning one or two chances in the first twenty minutes that suggested they would ultimately edge the game.  Simon Vakeva-Baird went close with a header from a Joe Silver corner that flashed just wide of goal, and Silver was himself denied by an excellent reaction save from Eddie Elster in the Westcott goal from close range.

Brockham were racked with injuries and absentees.  Both their pacey wingers missing and the influential Lewis Wood in midfield side lined along with the versatile and equally pacey Alex Bevis.  So when Sam Kandalaft signalled to come off feeling sick and Silver starting to complain of a tight hamstring it looked like it might be one of those days with only Luke Brightman to bring on from the bench.  When Westcott then pounced on a loose ball that had been cleared by Vakeva-Baird from a cross, and nailed it to the back of James Rabbetts net to take the lead, things went from bad to worse.

To their credit Westcott had one or two influential players missing themselves, but galvanised by their goal they now started to press forward in high areas down both flanks.  Without Jack Coppin and Jordan Martin to keep the Westcott full-backs quiet they both started to influence the game, particularly on their left where George Gomes was often two on one and struggling to keep up with a rampant Roo Campbell.

Without the width and pace that Martin and Coppin would normally offer Brockham had hoped to use their technical ability to maintain possession and work the ball through the middle more effectively or deliver early balls behind the Westcott back line from channels.  Unfortunately, once behind, the Badgers lost a little composure and passes started to be missed and possession surrendered too cheaply.

Brockham gathered themselves again though in the early part of the second half, again opening up two good chances for Michael Cheeseman and the excellent Oscar Cremmen, who along with Sam Lloyd was leading by example.  Westcott delivered a succour punch however with a tricky run through the centre that went uncontested by three half-hearted challenges and then a simple delivery behind the Brockham back line to expose Rabbetts one on one with the Westcott striker who finished with ease.

Brockham now started to play with too much haste and panic.  The sick Kandalft had to come back on for Silver, whose hamstring had now virtually immobilised him, and when Silver had to re-enter the fray ten minutes later for Brightman who pulled a groin, Brockham were virtually playing with ten men.  Needing to chase the game and adjust for injuries the Badgers switched to 4-4-2 but no sooner had they done this than Westcott added another goal to their tally with yet another one on one from a simple through ball behind the back four.

Luc Jhugroo finally added to Brockham’s walking wounded going to ground with a leg injury and finally reducing Brockham to nine and a half.  Westcott didn’t need to be told what to do with only three at the back for Brockham, and low and behold another through ball put Charlie Clarke in on goal from where he out-muscled Chris Parsons and placed a powerful shot around the on-rushing Rabbetts from 18 yards out.

Brockham mustered a last hurrah for pride’s sake but nothing led to anything more than the odd half chance.  It was Westcott’s day and Brockham’s boys will be glad half term should limit the ribbing in the school yard that would have had to have been endured.

Men of the Match:  Sam Lloyd and Oscar Cremmen

 

 

 

 

 

Brockham Badgers U16A 6 - 0 Westcott 1935 Youth

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

Brockham Badgers U11A 2 - 4 AFC Ewell

Brockham Badgers U11A lost a competitive league match at the Big Field against last week’s quarter final cup opponents.  This time AFC Ewell came away with the victory when they exacted revenge with four goals to Brockham’s two.

AFC Ewell again started with ten minutes of strong pressure but it was Brockham who took the lead with a wonderful free kick from just outside the area that Joseph Rabbetts curled into the top right corner of the AFC goal.

Ewell got themselves back into the game ten minutes later when the Badgers conceded an own goal following a corner and some goal mouth pinball.  It was a disappointing way to concede but in fairness it was probably a fair score going into half time.

Brockham came out very positively in the second half but were finding the heavy muddy conditions difficult.  Owen Knowles started to add a bit of strength and intelligence to midfield play, fashioning one or two half chances for Rabbetts and Callum Holder.  It was Ewell that took the lead however when they scrambled a ball in from short range when it seemed easier for Brockham’s defensive line to clear that for Ewell to score.

When AFC scored a third five minutes later Brockham were really on the back foot.  Passes were not quite making their intended targets in the heavy conditions and Ewell were winning most of the second balls with a more physical edge to the diminutive but skilful Badgers.  A loose pass in midfield was quickly picked up by AFC and switched right to left.  Harrison Watts and Sam Church did well to shuffle the threat wide and to safety but somehow the Ewell winger threaded a cut back through to an on-running team mate who scuffed a half shot.  Brockham missed a chance to clear not once but twice and somehow the ball rolled to a Ewell player who poked it home.

Church and Watts continued to threaten on the right and suggested that Brockham might still get back into the game if their combinations and determination could be replicated across the team.  Unfortunately for Brockham a fourth conceded goal put the game beyond them.  Luke Page was still coming onto the pitch to take up his defensive position having collected the ball from behind the goal for a goal kick.  The ensuing goal kick fell to a Ewell player who drove into the space Page was still to recover to and nailed the winner from 15 yards.

Brockham grabbed themselves a consolation goal with a terrific right footed strike from the left footed Will Timmons just inside the AFC Ewell area but unfortunately it was too little too late.  Brockham can take some comfort that Ewell were better on the day and the pitch wasn’t a big help.

Man of the Match: Sam Church

Brockham Badgers U16A 3 - 4 Warlingham Colts

Brockham Badgers U16A’s long awaited return to football following a weather enforced extended break that stretched back to December was a disappointment.  They went down four goals to three in a scrappy Surrey FA County Cup match and missed the opportunity to make it to the quarter finals for the first time.

The six week break certainly showed.  The Badgers were second to the ball for most of the first half and their usual composure on the ball and the team shape, that otherwise allows them to dictate the rhythm of a game, were missing.  Warlingham capitalised, time and again finding dangerous central balls through a flat back four that were too stretched across the field when defending, with little protection in front of them to help them organise themselves.  After two good chances Warlingham’s big and powerful forward didn’t need to be asked a third time to give the Colts the lead with a well placed ball that had been threaded through Brockham’s centre halves beating the off-side with ease.

Against the run of play however Brockham quickly equalised.  Warlingham conceded a free-kick 20 yards from goal and Michael Cheeseman expertly drilled a low and direct shot past the keeper with great precision.

Had Brockham been in the right frame of mind they’d have tightened up, got the ball on the ground, and used the perfect playing conditions to suit their game.  Instead they continued to play off tempo and allowed Warlingham back into the game with a soft goal that should have been extinguished three times as the Colts midfield runner skipped along the defensive line left to right jinking past desperate lunge after desperate lunge before laying a short pass into the path of his right winger who finished inside James Rabbetts’ outstretched foot.

Despite not playing to their usual standard it still felt as if Brockham could turn the game around but fortune had other ideas. Another through ball behind the line of Brockham’s rear guard should have been left to run and an off-side dead ball awarded.  Unfortunately the linesman was still recovering his position from an earlier move and despite three Warlingham players being at least a meter or two advantaged no flag went up.  With three racing strikers bearing down on Rabbetts he stood no chance and Warlingham duly took their cushion to two goals.

A simple half time chat and one or two tactical tweaks saw a different Brockham team appear.  Alert, organised, positive.  Within minutes of the restart Brockham had forced two corners and had two shots go narrowly wide.  They were rewarded with a cheeky short range goal on their next attack when Jordan Martin’s first shot was parried and Lewis Wood followed it up to drill home from 6 yards out.  Game on.

Brockham then levelled the match with the best move of the game.  Jack Coppin played a ball inside from the left to Sam Kandalaft, who was proving an inspiration in midfield.  Kandalaft’s vision and Martin’s enthusiastic running opened up a pass and space in a wide left position.  Under pressure from his marker Martin’s footwork took him one way and then the other before drilling a superb cut back cross from his weaker left foot to Cheeseman who advanced through the middle and finished first time.  Pure unabandoned beauty and art in motion.

With their tails up and most definitely in the ascendancy any betting would have favoured the Badgers to go on and win.  Unfortunately the game deteriorated into a verbal and physical spectacle that left a sour taste in the mouth.  Most of it was unnecessary but perhaps with some intention from the visitors to upset the balance of the game and gain a psychological advantage.  Disrupt it did.  Brockham lost their patience and with it their rhythm and advantage.   One or two key injuries from strong Warlingham challenges then disrupted their pattern further.

Warlingham capitalised with a simple cross field ball that fell to the feet of their striker who did well to stay on his feet despite close attention from Christian Parsons and crunching dive across his body from Rabbetts, slamming the ball into the top of Brockham’s net from 2 yards out.  Discipline and control deteriorated further in the last five minutes despite a strong effort from Brockham to equalise once more but time ran its course and the Badgers were out of the cup.

Man of the Match: James Rabbetts

 

Brockham Badgers U11A 3 - 2 AFC Ewell

The snow had cleared, the sun was out, and at last football was back on the agenda as an exciting league cup quarter final was played out at the Big Field this Saturday.  Both Brockham Badgers U11A and AFC Ewell contributed to a game that lived up to the reputation of classic cup knock-outs with end to end action throughout to thrill the spectators.

AFC Ewell took the game by the scruff of the neck with an early shot that was tipped over by Huw Morgan and edged possession for most of the first half.  Brockham looked dangerous on the counter though with lots of pace in advanced positions, and the defensive trio of Luke Page, Sam Church, and Will Timmons was limiting AFC Ewell’s chances to speculative shots from outside the area.

It was the pace of Callum Holder that gave the opportunity for Will Timmons to put Brockham ahead on ten minutes from the penalty spot.  A through ball behind the AFC back line from Owen Knowles had Holder and his marker running at the Ewell goal.  Holder was a yard too quick and got to the ball first and was bearing down on goal when a last ditched tackle from the AFC number five took him down in the area and the whistle blew for a clear penalty.  Timmons stepped up as cool as a cucumber and thumped the ball home low and to the right of the keeper who he sent the wrong way.

Ewell were not about to collapse though.  They continued to dominate possession and press high up the pitch.  Tight marking from them in wide offensive positions for Brockham meant any ball to the feet of Joseph Rabbetts or Harrison Watts was going nowhere other than backwards.  Knowles and Louie Darlington were excellent in offensive possession, time and again releasing Holder, but too much was being forced centrally and when losing possession Brockham sat too flat and deep allowing AFC Ewell to play in front of them with too much time and space.

This allowed Ewell to continually press and before long the pressure told.  Five minutes before the break a Ewell corner was cleared and fell to the feet of Rabbetts.  He had the opportunity to run into space on the left flank and slow the game down a little for his team mates to regain control and shape.  Instead he attempted to hit Holder with an early ball which came straight back to a Brockham defence that had reacted slowly getting out.  A quick interplay in front of the Brockham back line and a sublime lob looped over Morgan and gave AFC a deserved equaliser.

At half time debutant Conor Boniface replaced Darlington in midfield and George Wryde swapped with Holder to give the Ewell number five a bit more of a physical challenge up front.  Wryde was asked to hold the ball up with his back to goal on the shoulder of the Ewell defence and bring his wing men into play.  Brockham’s midfield was encouraged to play less deep and hit the space in front of their wide men rather than the feet.

To their credit the team executed their instructions to the letter.  Brockham were now in the ascendency.  Possession was wrestled back and there looked like only one winner and they were wearing black and white.  Wryde and Rabbetts combined well on the left and went close once each early in the second half, whilst Church and Watts were combining well on the right flank.  It was the transfer window signing Boniface however that most impressed.  His technical ability and vision was giving the team an edge and after ten minutes of his first match it was clear than one of his early flashes of inspiration would show dividends at some point in the game.  And so it transpired.  Boniface cut an intelligent ball between centre half and full back for Watts to run onto.  Watts crossed it first time from a wide right position and Rabbetts ran onto the back post to head home Brockham’s second.

Boniface was involved again in Brockham’s third.  A combination with Knowles in midfield saw another ball played through behind the Ewell back line.  Wryde raced towards the ball and the advancing goal keeper with the impressive and ever present number five in close attendance.  All three reached the ball simultaneously and clattered to the ground but it was the quick thinking and hungrier Wryde that reacted first, scrambling to his feet and slamming the loose ball home from close range.

Lilly Turner replaced Owen Knowles to add some fresh energy to midfield and to stifle AFC play further.  Turner was excellent, remaining calm in possession and frequently finding the right pass.  Brockham continued to dominate until a strong challenge distracted the attention of too many and allowed Ewell to pull one back.

Timmons went down following a fifty-fifty challenge on Brockham’s left.  Rather than remain focussed on the game, to many Brockham players were calling for the game to be stopped for Timmons to receive treatment.  The ref correctly allowed the game to play on.  Ewell cut through a stretched defence and finished well from 10 yards out.

The last ten minutes were tense.  Brockham looked in control but Ewell were putting them under a lot of late pressure.  The Badgers saw the game out however and deserved their place in the semi-final.

Man of the match:  Luke Page

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.