Shortly after half time, Epsom handled in the box to give Brockham a penalty. Mackrell's spot kick was smatly saved, but he was alert, following in and blasting the rebound home for a 3-1 lead. Brad Hales made it 4-1 with a super shot across the face of the goal, after some good work by McDonald down the left. The Eagles managed to score a consolation right at the death but, by this time, the game had been won and the Badgers march on to the next round.

Lad-of-the-Match:  Andrew Higgins – superb at left back and solid in defence. 

Brockham Badgers U13b   3 - 2   Ockley Acorns United

Brockham went behind early in the first half, when a long distance effort deceived the keeper Henry Warne, but the side showed admirable character by equalising immediately, with Stephen Kehl scoring his fourth of the season.

It was soon 2-1 when Sven Van Acoleyan netted from close range and, for the rest of the half the Badgers were on top. 

By contrast, the second half saw Brockham on the back foot, as Royal United got more into the game and the home side capitalised on a keeper clearance to make it 2-2 midway through the half.  The Badgers may have snatched a late winner when Tim Whybrow put Mitch Ward through, but the striker was marginally off side.  Defender Maxim Harper did well at left back, but man-of-the-match was Jack Hunt for some great defensive play.

Brockham Badgers U11 (White)   3 - 3   Copthorne

Greenway   3 - 2   Brockham Badgers U11 (Black)

The Badgers suffered the heartbreak of an injury time goal from the home side Greenway, to lose a tight, exciting game of football played in excellent spirit. It was déjà vu for the U11 (Black), who had suffered a similar last ditch defeat two weeks previously against St Pauls.

Brockham started well, as livewire Henry Smith scored an early goal and it could have been 2-0 when first Smith hit the bar then Alex Marshall shot over when well placed. 

Keeper George Corfield was playing with real composure, but not even he could stop a close range equaliser for the home side five minutes before half time and, just when it looked like the Badgers would go into the interval with a creditable 1-1, Greenway snatched the lead on the stroke of half time as Brockham failed to clear.

Badgers came back well after the break, and deservedly equalised when George Heymann scored his first for the club from a Marshall corner.

The drama was saved for injury time. First Thomas Bletso had a good chance to win the game - the Greenway keeper doing well to deny him. Then Corfield made a fine stop as the seconds ticked down only to see the ball roll along the line into the path of a striker, who shot home from inches out to grab a dramatic late winner for Greenway.

Lads-of-the-match - Robbie Ventham and Alex Marshall

Brockham Badgers U10a   1 - 1   AFC Ewell

Report by Simon Winter

Brockham were looking to take maximum points against an AFC Ewell team, second from bottom of the division. Although missing three regulars, the Badgers took the game to Ewell in the opening minutes, and were on top for long periods without ever really finding their usual rhythm. Indeed, it was Ewell who came closest to scoring first, bringing a good save from Matthew Batts, and they looked dangerous on the break.

Lad-of-the-match Harry Morland was in the thick of the action in central midfield, distributing the ball well, and it was from one of his corners on ifteen minutes that Brockham took the lead. Bertie Edwards-Hedges showed great awareness to lose his markers and head firmly in at the near post. Badgers defensive pairing, captain Ross Bangs and Alex Nicholson, kept the opposition at bay with well-timed challenges and generally solid clearances.

Going in 1-0 up at half time, Brockham felt they would go on to record their first home win of the season and they tried their hardest to add a second goal with a prolonged spell of pressure. Most of the danger came from Edwards-Hedges’ strong runs and crosses from the left wing, but each time the Badgers failed to make the final touch. A breakaway equaliser was always on the cards and it duly arrived ten minutes from time when a cross from the right was not dealt with by the defence and the ball was bundled over the line.

Lad-of-the-Match:  Harry Morland

Brockham Badgers U10b   5 - 3   Caterham Pumas

Report by Trevor Reaveley

The Badgers were on the attack from the kick off with Joshua Brown forcing an early save, closely followed by good interplay between Brown and William Bletso resulting in Brockham’s first goal, a superb finish by Brown.

The Pumas began to find their feet and were making some good moves forward, but strong defending by the whole Brockham team was keeping them at bay. It turned into quite an open end-to-end game and a good move involving Daniel Hetzel, Liam Ratcliffe and Joshua Brown ended with the second goal of the day for the ever-present Brown.

The tempo was raised and both teams were having their moments, with Brockham just having the upper hand. A Pumas attack ended with a save and a quick, long kick by goalkeeper Mathew Batts. The ball found its way to Hetzel up front, who played back to Ratcliffe. He then set Hetzel away for the third goal with a precision pass through the Caterham defence.

Another attack by the Pumas was well saved by Batts but, unfortunately, he couldn’t hold on to the ball which fell for them to score their first goal. A second followed swiftly from a magnificent long shot which everyone watched into the top of the net, but no one could do anything to stop. The half time whistle blew with the Pumas having the best of the play.

The second half started as the first had ended and, within three minutes, the scores were level due to some very poor marking and the team swarming upfield en masse.

Edward Newman and Thomas Moriarty replaced Daniel Baty and Daniel Hetzel. Moriarty was very soon linking well with Brown and hit the bar and post. William Bletso was replaced by Daniel Crook who, in previous outings, had come on and scored. Could he do the same today and recover the lead for the Badgers?

A very hard game was tiring both teams and, when the Badgers earned a corner due to a very strong run from defence by Kensit, some slack marking let Brown in to get his hat-trick with a clinical finish.

Brockham, with the lead restored, gained more confidence and some good work by Brown, Ratcliffe and Moriarty ended with Crook getting on the end of a Ratcliffe cross, to make the final score 5-3 to the Badgers.

A very entertaining, well fought game for spectators and players alike. It looked like the Badgers would throw away the game at one point, but all credit to them for pulling together and playing as a team - with full support from the Foghorns and the Foghornettes on the touchline.

A great result for the boys, after a sparkling first half display during which they showed their ability to pass the ball beautifully. A strong all round performance was typified by the midfield engine of Parker and Knowles, who ran the show, and Mackrell up front who scored both goals and was unlucky not to get three more. With such energy in midfield, the Badgers’ defence was well protected and looked strong.

The second half started with a good Ockley goal but the boys showed their strength of character by restoring the 2 goal lead almost immediately – Lloyd being in the perfect place to smash in Mackrell’s cross.

There followed a period of Badgers’ probing but, as is often the way, the goal came at the other end when a speculative Ockley shot from the edge of the area flew past everyone and into the net. Nerves took over and the remainder of the game was played mainly in the Badgers half, but the boys were strong until the end with commanding performances from the new centre back partnership of Bangs and Thomas, as well as Dunleavy in goal.

Third in the table now and feeling good about the next few games.