Brockham Badgers U15A paid for their poorest performance of the season as Steyning took full advantage to record a comfortable victory.

Admittedly Brockham were not helped by a series of injuries during the game, but the Badgers never looked comfortable throughout the game.

Steyning took the lead midway through the second half, but Brockham were hardly able to muster a shot on goal as their passing too often went astray.

Brockham had their best spell of the game early in the second half as Stephen Kehl went close and an Ollie Legg free kick struck the bar with a helping hand from the keeper but, despite the best efforts of Scoop Lad of the Match Will Bletso at centre back,  Steyning scored twice in quick succession twentyminutes into the second half to take the game beyond Badgers. 

A consolation goal from Kehl ten minutes from time briefly raised hopes of a comeback, but that was quickly scotched by a long range effort from Steyning to complete the scoring at 4-1.

Brockham will need to bounce back quickly if they are to maintain their promotion push.

Scoop Lad of the Match: Will Bletso

Squad: Connor Mitchell, Joe Parker, Tim Whybrow, Henry Smith, Tom Bletso (c), Jack Hunt, Will Bletso, Michael Carty, Ollie Smith, Ben Stokoe, Stephen Kehl, Ollie Legg, Liam Doyle, Henry Hill

The U14As successfully overcame a potentially difficult Surrey Cup tie at Leatherhead Predators Youth, in the end running out comfortable winners against their fellow Surrey Youth League Premier Elite division opponents.

Leatherhead had made it difficult for Brockham in the opening twenty minutes, pressing well without really creating any clear cut chances as the Brockham defence, marshalled well by keeper Dennis Rapson and Lad of the Match Will Mahoney, stood firm.

Gradually Brockham wrestled the advantage from Leatherhead in a good fifteen minute spell at the end of the first half. Jack Wylie was prominent in several good moves as Brockham looked dangerous, and Harvey Mewis shot just over from a corner.

Brockham started the second period with a good tempo and the improved performance levels soon told when Chris Brooks used his pace to good effect, driving down the Leatherhead right and poking the ball past the advancing keeper.

Two minutes later it was 2-0, as Alex Nicholson crashed the ball home from ten yards. Mike Richardson then had a shot hooked off the line and Josh Brown shot just over.  With Ollie Winter running the midfield Brockham’s dominance soon told with Nicholson crossing for Richardson who made no mistake and finished the game as a contest.

Leatherhead came back well in the final ten minutes, but Brockham held firm and kept a clean sheet to add to their convincing win.

Lad of the Match: Will Mahoney

Squad: Dennis Rapson, Will Mahoney, Ross Bangs, Matt Higgins, Will Bletso, Alex Nicholson, Ollie Winter, Liam Ratcliffe, Jack Wylie, Harvey Mewis, Josh Brown, Chris Brooks, Mike Richardson

Ignore the 1-4 result which flattered the visitors; this was an immense performance from the team in black and white.  Drawn against the runaway leaders of the Surrey Youth Premier Division in the second round of the league cup, Brockham never looked second best and proved they were more than capable of competing at the level of the Aldershot side that had given them a drubbing in the opening week of the season. 

As the boys gathered for their normal half-hour warm up routine there was a different mood in the air.  They were attentive, concentrated, but relaxed and quietly confident.  The Brockham side knew they have nothing to lose and were determined to get down to business and show what they could do.

From the opening whistle they put on a performance to banish the woes of the previous week and one that will give them renewed faith to push on in the league next week.  When they lost possession the Badgers put out a defensive 4-5-1 formation that frustrated Aldershot.  When in possession they quickly switched to a 4-3-3 setup which caused the visitors problems throughout the game.

Only one unfortunate and brief lapse in discipline saw too many Brockham players sucked towards the ball during one of Aldershot’s early but limited forays forward and, as with any good side, Aldershot made it count by going one ahead.  But this was a different Brockham side than had been seen before.  This was a coming of age match that was epitomised by the leadership of their captain Sam Lloyd.  Brockham gathered themselves and dominated possession for the rest of the game, tearing into Aldershot with their expansive one-touch passing.

Simon Vakeva-Baird and Jordan Martin were having great success from wide positions, both going close on two occasions each, whilst repeatedly delivering dangerous crosses for the intelligent Alex Flint and the advancing midfield pairing of Luke Brightman and Lloyd to move onto.  Brockham’s persistent pressure was rewarded twenty minutes in when a Martin corner was not cleared by the Aldershot defence and some goalmouth confusion saw the ball put into the net by one of their own players. 

The pattern of Brockham’s dominance continued.  Flint’s deft touches and rolling turns played in Lloyd, Brightman, and Lewis Wood, all of whom saw their shots gathered by a surprised but composed Aldershot keeper.  On another day the Badgers would have been ahead going into half-time.

The response everyone expected from Aldershot came swiftly in the second half when they scored directly from a corner, despite protests from the Brockham side who claimed James Rabbetts in goal was pushed over the line whilst trying to gather.  Rabbetts helped build a positive response however with two spectacular saves during a spell of Aldershot pressure.  Brockham took confidence from this and seized the initiative back going close themselves on three occasions, but the result was put beyond them with two fortunate Aldershot strikes in succession.

The first was a speculative lofted free kick from 25 yards which, in the maelstrom of wind and rain that had whipped up in the preceding few minutes, gathered unnatural speed and height to nestle itself in the top corner of the net beyond the unsighted Rabbetts.  The second was even more bizarre.  As the otherwise imperious Sam McCormick approached the ball to take a goal kick the wind moved the ball moments before he struck it.  Inevitably the mishit fell straight to a grateful Aldershot striker who buried it first time.

What was an unfortunate result was a thoroughly rewarding performance.  The Brockham boys can take a good deal of confidence in showing they can really step up when they put their minds to it.

Lad of the Match:  Sam Lloyd

A late morning start might be the clue to getting the best out of the young Badgers.  Benefiting from a prolonged warm up, the first fifteen minutes saw their best football – ever. 

Most noticeable was movement into space and the continuous searching by the man on the ball for the best opportunity to pass.  Joseph Issberner was the provider for the first two goals, in both cases beating several Hearts players before passing to Max Austin to find the back of the net.  Next it was Issberner’s turn to receive the ball from Justin Hurst, before scoring Brockham’s third.  The tempo was quick, with the Badgers piling on the pressure.  Austin got his third with a strong left footed shot before Hearts pulled one back. 

Issberner provided to Hurst for Brockham’s fifth. Badgers went on to score a further three, two for Mathew Ford plus a deflection off an unfortunate Hearts defender.  Austin hadn’t finished.  Receiving the ball mid-field, he took it towards the Hearts goalmouth, drew the keeper out before beautifully directing the ball over the keeper's head and finding the net to round off an excellent display by the Badgers.

Squad: Fergus McGoogan, Aidan Torpey, Justin Hurst, Max Austin, Jed Simister, Joseph Issberner, Matthew Ford, Harry Fairley

A heartbreaker!  

This was an even game with both teams playing well.  Brockham held the edge in the first half with a 1 - 0 lead.  We showed some excellent passing play through the midfield and James Brown really gave their left back some problems down the right wing, sending in several dangerous crosses. Matthew Parisi was outstanding in goal with several tremendous saves. 

The second half was a see-saw battle.  Brockham failed to clear their lines a couple of times and Albury capitalised and, in the end, prevailed with a late fourth goal.  

Patrick Scarr scored a tremendous hatrick up front, but man of the match was Matthew for his shot blocking which kept us in the match. 

Squad:  Alex White, Jacob Evans, James Brown, Josh Packham, Luke Morris, Luke Pock (c), Matthew Parisi, Patrick Scarr