After almost a month’s inactivity, the U11As
returned to action with a comfortable win in the Epsom and Ewell League
Division One, extending their lead at the top to four points with two
games in hand over their nearest rivals. The whole 15-man squad was
used, with all players getting a decent run, and the team showed it’s
versatility with frequent changes of formation.
The game could
not have started better, Ben Sawyers scoring at close range after
Dan Hetzel’s fine run and cross eluded the visiting keeper. Matthew
Batts then saved well at the edge of his box, and Badgers played out
the half in confident fashion without adding to the score. Liam Ratcliffe
formed a solid partnership in central midfield with Harry Morland,
Angus Hodge was lively on the right wing while Hetzel took up some
good forward positions.
A minute into the second half, Oli Winter
was unlucky to see his shot from the edge of the box hit the underside
of the bar and bounce on the line but, a minute later, Josh Brown
surged forward and fed William Bletso, who slid a precise shot just
wide of the keeper for 2-0. Brown then hit a post on 16 minutes, before
Bertie Edwards-Hedges, threatening to score all day, weaved through
the defence and buried a shot in the bottom corner. Just before the
end, a goal line scramble saw Angus Hodge bundle the ball over the
line and become the twelfth squad member to score this season.
A
convincing win then, with some fine free-flowing passing and another
commanding defensive display, epitomised by hard-working captain and
Man-of-the-Match Ross Bangs, restricting the visitors to just a couple
of serious attempts on goal.
Squad: Matthew Batts, Will Mahoney,
Matt Higgins, Alex Nicholson, Ross Bangs, Josh Brown, Harry Morland,
Oli Winter, Bertie Edwards-Hedges, George Coffey, William Bletso,
Liam Ratcliffe, Angus Hodge, Dan Hetzel, Ben Sawyers.
Report by Bryan Bletso
Playing the team at the bottom of the division,
with a goal difference of sixty less than their own, the
U10 Assassins underestimated a determined South Park team and were
trailing 2-0 less than twenty minutes into the game. They recovered
to 2-2 by half-time, but left it to the very end to score two further
goals and secure what should have been a straightforward victory.
A
changed starting formation had goalkeeper Jamie Luckins playing up
front and midfielder James Rabbetts in goal. Brockham were slow to
settle and could not dominate South Park, who survived early shots
on their goal and counter-attacked with forays into the Brockham half.
Nine minutes into the game, one such attack caught out the Badgers'
defence and Rabbetts could not keep out a strong shot.
Brockham
renewed their efforts, but too often there were no attackers in front
of the South Park goal to take advantage of passes out of defence.
Felix Saro-Wiwa came close to scoring on several occasions but the
South Park keeper and the woodwork combined to keep the ball out of
the net. South Park continued with attacks of their own and another
lapse of Brockham concentration allowed them to score again.
Brockham
could not subdue the opposition but kept themselves in the game with
goals from Sam Lloyd and Luke Brightman and a couple of fine saves
from Rabbetts in the last ten minutes of the half.
The second
half saw Luckins – who had played well on the field – return as goalkeeper.
Brockham played with energy but suffered from a lack of width across
the midfield, which allowed South Park to stifle many attacks. Nonetheless,
Brockham’s dominance was growing and there were about a dozen shots
on goal from Lloyd, Rabbetts, Saro-Wiwa and William Pereira, many
requiring agile saves from the South Park keeper.
With only
five minutes to go, the Brockham pressure finally paid off with
Pereira and Saro-Wiwa – with the last kick of the game – both scoring
to finish the match 4-2. Brockham will be very relieved to take all
three points from the match and credit goes to South Park Juniors
for taking the fight to their opponents and persevering to the end.
Squad:
Jamie Luckins, Tom Hampshire, Chris Walton, Tom Charman, Luke Brightman,
Cameron Boychuck, Sam Lloyd, James Rabbetts, Felix Saro-Wiwa, William
Pereira.
Player of the Week: Luke Brightman
Star player: Joel
Ross-Merrick - Started playing in midfield but drifted backwards,
which was handy as our defenders starting drifting forwards. Actually ending up playing a sweeper's role as the last man, sometimes
the only man, and played extremely well. Well done Joel.
As soon as the whistle went, Warren Mead were all over the Badgers and were playing at such a high tempo. Cameron Wallis, who was Captain for the day, was called into action immediately and pulled off some good saves. As the game slowed down, Badgers managed to find their way into it. A really exciting game of end-to-end football followed, but neither team could find the back of the net. Warren Mead's persistency nearly came off when a shot from just outside of the area hit the cross bar, but went out for a goal kick.
Badgers defence was clearly the busiest but Ali Masson, filling in for the injured George Gomes, linked up well with Archie Knight and stood strong. With the extra safe hands of Cameron Wallis they ensured a clean sheet going into the break.
Into the second half and Warren Mead started at a high tempo once more, but Badgers managed to create a great chance on the break. A great pass from George Gomes found Ali Masson who crossed a ball into the path of Luc Jhugroo, but his fierce shot was cleared for a corner.
Although Badgers were set up more defensively, they still pushed numbers forward. Moving into the final five minutes of the game, a clearance from Luc Jhugroo to Lewis Wood allowed him to run towards goal. After intense battling, Lewis forced the opposing midfield into scoring an own goal. This really took the wind out of Warren Mead.
Badgers were now up and turned on the style. Some quick passing between Ali Masson and Lewis Wood allowed Nathan Hughes to slot home another goal. Warren Mead immediately woke up and won two consecutive corners, but great defending from the whole team ensured a clean sheet and a win - most probably the best game of the season for the U10 Barbarians.
Squad: Cameron Wallis (c), Nathan Hughes, Archie Knight, Luc Jhugroo, Lewis Wood, Ashley Marshall Alistair Masson, George Gomes
Player of the Week: Archie Knight - The Rock in the defence!
What a weekend!
The U11As advanced to the last eight of the Surrey County Cup with
a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory away to Abbey Rangers on a sunny
Sunday morning at Addlestone. Following hot on the heels of their
4-0 league win 24 hours earlier, this completed what must be one of
the best weekends in their short history, and sets up a home tie on
the 4th February with Tooting and Mitcham Juniors.
Abbey
are currently flying high at the top of the Surrey Primary League,
but Brockham showed them little respect as they took almost complete
control of the game for the first twenty minutes. The back four of
Mahoney, Higgins, Nicholson and captain Ross Bangs were as solid a
unit as they have been this season, with Alex Nicholson outstanding
in the centre, winning countless challenges, breaking up attacking
moves and passing intelligently. His partner Matt Higgins was equally
effective, sensing danger and snuffing it out at every turn with great
athleticism. The Badgers' midfield were invariably first to the ball,
Oli Winter and Harry Morland doing a fine job of winning and keeping
possession, then setting up their wingers or front men. Josh Brown
on the right wing and Bertie Edwards-Hedges on the left were involved
throughout, strong when on defensive duties but quick and incisive
when breaking forward. Up front, George Coffey and William Bletso
worked hard to impose themselves and retain possession.
A couple
of free kicks around the box came to nothing and, for all their possession,
Brockham were guilty of a lack of punch near goal. This was almost
punished when Rangers, in a rare attack, had the ball in the net,
but the referee had already blown for offside. Winter then tried a
couple of strikes, one of which drifted just wide of the angle, but
the first half ended goalless.
Abbey’s best player had been their
centre back, but eight minutes into the second half he brought down
Brown with a rash challenge as he burst in on goal. Ben Sawyers struck
a magnificent penalty, which gave the keeper no chance, and Brockham
started to believe they could win this one. It took only another three
minutes to make sure, with a move that was typical of Badgers at their
best. From the centre circle, Winter played the ball out wide to Will
Mahoney, the right back making one of his frequent drives forward.
He played a delightful ball over the top for Bletso to run on to,
but he still had plenty to do to take the ball in his stride and advance
- before hammering it over the keeper for one of the goals of
the season.
There followed much clock-watching in the Badgers'
camp for the last quarter and Abbey inevitably poured forward in a
belated but concerted effort to pull a goal back, but Matthew Batts
was alert to any danger, coming off his goal line confidently whenever
the ball got too close. The fresh legs of Angus Hodge helped soak
up some of the pressure and the defence held firm to ensure another
clean sheet, their seventh in thirteen games, with Alex Nicholson
earning a well-deserved Man of the Match award. Manager Simon Coffey
was absolutely delighted and also very proud of his team, as they
lined up afterwards for a team photo in their rare yellow second strip.
Man
of the Match: Alex Nicholson
Squad: Matthew Batts, Will
Mahoney, Alex Nicholson, Matt Higgins, Ross Bangs, Oli Winter, Harry
Morland, Josh Brown, Bertie Edwards-Hedges, George Coffey, William
Bletso, Angus Hodge, Ben Sawyers.
