The U10
Assassins won through to the final of the George Szekely cup, fighting
back from a single goal deficit on a difficult away pitch to beat
a determined Horley Town B 4-1. For the first three-quarters
of the game, this was a typical cup tie: very tense and seemingly
able to go either way. But Brockham’s greater class won through
in the end, giving them a flattering margin of victory.
The Badgers'
normal flowing style was not helped by the conditions underfoot. Despite the beautiful sunny weather, the pitch was very muddy in places
and uneven everywhere. This contributed to the team's inability
to settle in the first half, as Horley were able to use the extra
width of the pitch.
The game swung from end to end. A brave
diving header from Sam Lloyd only just missed the Horley goal and
soon after a crucial tackle by Chris Walton prevented Horley
from scoring.
Brockham manager Jason Rabbetts switched
the team around to try to find some coherence, but was hit by a cruel
piece of luck, when an innocuous Horley shot found its way into the
net. This redoubled the confidence of the Horley team who played
out the rest of the half with great composure.
But in the second
half, Brockham started to play their way into form. The first
Brockham goal came from a strong shot by Felix Saro-Wiwa which rebounded
to James Rabbetts, who headed it into the roof of the net from short
range.
Again the balance of the game changed, as Brockham visibly
started to look more confident. A period of Brockham pressure
again found Rabbetts well positioned, and his firm shot just inside
the right-hand post gave Brockham a winning position.
To their
credit, Horley pressed forward to try to equalise, but Brockham were
able to take advantage of the space Horley left at the back. A cross from Saro-Wiwa found Luke Brightman free to score and then
Sam Lloyd broke fast from the half-way line, beat a defender and then
the keeper.
Once again, Brockham parents’ emotions were shredded. But it was worth it, because now the final beckons!
Squad: Jamie
Luckins, Tom Hampshire, Chris Walton, Tom Charman, Luke Brightman,
Cameron Boychuck, Sam Lloyd (c), James Rabbetts, Felix Saro-Wiwa.
Player
of the week: James Rabbetts
It was a positive start from both teams, both were well organised and pushing numbers forward but without finding the back of the net. A through ball from Ashley Marshall led to a shot from Lewis Wood which hit the post. Saints were also creating opportunities, but the defensive partnership of George Gomes and Archie Knight ensured the attacks were short-lived. Badgers then won a free kick which George Gomes guided into the box, Lewis Wood managed to get his foot to the ball, but it hit the post again.
Saints kicked-off the second half with real intent. Badgers started to defend deep and allowed Saints to pushed forward and get a shot on goal. Unfortunately the clearance was straight into the path of one the Saints' forwards, who struck a low shot into the back of the net.
A tactical change for Badgers pushed George Gomes up field with Luc Jhugroo and appeared to give more attacking opportunities - an Ashley Marshall free kick from just outside the area went wide; a second whipped in free kick was met by Lewis Wood, whose header hit the crossbar.
Moving into the final five minutes of the game, Badgers went for broke and penned the Saints into their own half but still could not find the back of the net. Then, after some persistent battling from Nathan Hughes and Ashley Marshall, George Fenwick slotted home the equaliser. The final whistle went to the delight of the Badgers' supporters.
Squad: Cameron Wallis (c), Nathan Hughes, Luc Jhugroo, Lewis Wood, Ashley Marshall, Alistair Masson, George Gomes, George Fenwick, Archie Knight
Player of the week: George Fenwick - best last kick!
