Brockham Badgers U15A lost out to Copthorne in extra time in this U15 Plate Final.

The U15As have made it to three finals in the last four years. They lost out in the first two and hopes were high that this year could be third time lucky.  But after bossing the second half of ordinary time, Badgers ran out of steam in extra time as Copthorne found a second wind.

Brockham had gone behind early on but, as the first half went by, looked stronger and stronger.  The second period was more or less controlled by Brockham, Stephen Kehl scoring a good header from a Liam Doyle cross to equalise for the team midway through the half.

Badgers were denied a penalty soon after scoring when the referee gave an indirect free kick in the area instead ofawarding a spot kick.  But Brockham now looked likely to push on and win the game. A Jamie Salmon cross was headed just over by Henry Hill and it seemed a matter of time before Brockham claimed the all important winner.

But the crucial breakthrough did not come and, as normal time ended, it was Copthorne who began to push into the Brockham half.

That carried on as twenty minutes of extra time was played, Copthorne crucially striking twice in the first periodto put the game out of Badgers' reach.  Brockham tried to raise their game, but it was Copthorne who rubbed salt into the wound with a fourth goal to win the trophy, although Badgers will rightly feel that the margin of victory did not really reflect the overall balance of the game.

Squad: Connor Mitchell, Joe Parker, Henry Smith, Tim Hopkins, Tom Bletso (c), Jack Hunt, Jamie Salmon, Michael Carty, Will Bletso, Ollie Legg, Ollie Smith, Liam Coyle, Stephen Kehl, Henry Hill

The U14As put an end to a poor run of three consecutive league defeats (interrupted by a very successful tour to Berlin) with a fighting 1-1 draw at Aldershot Town Reds followed the next day by a comfortable and convincing 4-1 win at Leatherhead Predators Youth.

On the Saturday at Aldershot, Badgers played well in patches but failed to create enough chances against a well-organised team who were more composed on the ball, the Shots taking a deserved lead just before half time after Harry Ramsey had twice gone close for the visitors.

A well-contested second half came to life in the 63rd minute when Mike Richardson showed great tenacity to beat the keeper to the ball on the by-line and cross for George Coffey to slot home with a good finish. Thereafter both sides had a couple of  good chances to win the game, but a draw was probably a fair reflection of the balance of play.

The next day Brockham made a shorter journey to Leatherhead where they had knocked Predators out of the Surrey Cup earlier in the season. Looking fresher and more competitive than the previous day, Brockham took just 11 minutes to open the scoring, Harry Ramsey ending a good move involving Man of the Match Liam Ratcliffe and George Coffey, with a shot that the Predators’ keeper couldn’t hold.

Dennis Rapson then made a brave save at the feet of a Leatherhead striker, before his opposite number had to leave the field with an injury. Brockham were putting some decent passing moves together, and they deservedly extended their lead just before the break. Centre back Will Bletso won the ball with great determination just inside his half, and played the ball forward for George Coffey who provided his second assist of the match, this time for Chris Brooks who supplied a great finish for 2-0.

Badgers came out for the second half and, within four minutes, had killed the game off.

First, just one minute after the restart, Oli Winter went past a couple of players before playing a slide rule pass to Harvey Mewis on the right of the area, Harvey then executing a delightful chip over the keeper.

Badgers’ fourth, just three minutes later, was a collector’s item. Alex Nicholson was bundled over in the box and skipper Ross Bangs was handed the ball by his team mates. Ross duly despatched the penalty for his first ever goal in a competitive match for Brockham!

The next ten minutes were all Badgers as they besieged the Leatherhead goal, but full credit to their stand-in keeper who made a number of decent saves, and to their defence which stood firm as shots rained in from Brooks, Richardson, Josh Brown and Will Mahoney - mostly over the bar it must be said.

Predators pulled a goal back towards the end with a header from a corner, and Badgers may have felt they missed out on a much bigger margin of victory, but overall they were happy to rediscover some of their best football.

Back to winning ways and three crucial points were earned by the U13As as they took on promotion contenders Meadow Sports in a mid-week encounter.  It was an impressive response to last weekend’s disappointment with the returning Jordan Martin banging in four goals and stand-in left back Jack Coppin grabbing himself his first Man of the Match award.

The Badgers looked the more organised and committed of the two teams from the first whistle and Martin settled nerves with a composed finish cutting in from the right.  Moving into a great position left of centre ten minutes later, he received a ball and ran left to right at goal before bending a right footed shot around the keeper which crept in off the inside of the upright.

Meadow got themselves back into the game five minutes before the break with a well taken direct free kick from twenty yards which their number three drove into the roof of the net with power and accuracy.  Then, shortly after half-time, they were level when Brockham’s defence got caught dithering under a high ball which the Sports' striker greeted with more intent and thumped first time on the half-volley past Rabbetts in goal.

This response was against the run of play though and the Badgers' possession and pressure soon took them ahead again as Martin netted probably the best goal of the game. With his back to goal, Martin received the ball to feet from midfield, flicked it up, swivelled, and made contact perfectly with his right.  The ball flew over the keeper and would have cleared the recreation ground had the net not stopped its progress – one for the scrap book.

The re-entry of Luke Brightman and Oscar Cremmen sealed it for the Badgers.  They tore into the Meadow Sports midfield with their passing and movement and, before long, contributed to Brockham’s fourth.  Coppin fed Justin Tarrant who drove into the space created by Cremmen and Brightman’s movement off the ball.  Without having to be asked, he struck a comet of a shot and buried the ball with power and menace from 20 yards.

Cremmen, running the left channel well, received from Coppin and put a beauty of a cross into the box that begged to be met with a head.  Martin, showing he is no one-trick pony, gratefully obliged and notched his fourth of the game.  Tarrant finished the game off with the Badgers sixth' - a well executed free kick from 25 yards which matched Meadow Sports’ first.

This victory took one of Brockham’s four other promotion contenders out of the running.  With results going the Badgers' way at the weekend, Barnes are now out of contention as well, leaving only Wandgas and Aldershot to spoil the party. 

Let’s hope Brockham show some more of the same stuff this weekend when they meet Wandgas and nothing but a win will suffice.

Lad of the Match:  Jack Coppin