Straight from the start of the second-half, Brockham attacked and Holland got the equaliser with just a minute gone. It was 2-1 to Brockham when Andrews tapped home, after Mackrell chased down the keeper and laid the ball across. The Badgers were now well in control, but needed saving tackles from Van Acoleyen, Higgins and Sugden as well as some smart keeping from Hardy, to preserve their narrow lead.
A stunning run and shot across the keeper from lad-of-the-match McDonald made it 3-1 and the football was now coming straight from the training ground with some superb one-touch play and sharp skills. McDonald created a fourth goal for Mackrell to tap in from close range. Captain Harvey and Thurgood provided the strength in midfield and the second-half was complete when Crosbie scored the goal of the game with a simple drag back leading to a shot fired high into the top corner from the edge of the box.
The Badgers were right back in the game just after the half-time break, a great Stephen Kehl cross being tucked away by Sven Van Acoleyn to make it 2-1. But, despite good possession, Badgers could not stop Ockley adding two more goals to make it 4-1 midway through the half.
Brockham though did not give up the game. Midfielder Henry Hill drove his team forward and a penalty won and scored by Ryan Winter and a great Aran Clark strike from distance made it 3-4 with about five minutes to play. It looked like the Badgers might go on and snatch something from the game, but Ockley made the game safe late on, with their fifth goal, to end a good contest between the two sides
Both teams played well in this finely balanced match, with chances falling at each end as a result of some excellent individual skills on both sides.
Brockham kicked off the first half with confidence, having several opportunities to score before lad-of-the-match Josh Caldwell hit the ball confidently from the edge of the area into the back of the net, giving the Kirdford keeper no chance. Brockham’s defence was then solid until a goalmouth scramble saw Kirdford equalise with the last kick of the first half.
The
second half was very tense, with both sides having chances to snatch
victory. Brockham came close when Nathan Acheson struck the post
shortly before the final whistle. Kirdford also had chances but keeper
Jack Whetnall handled the ball with confidence.
Badgers' U11 (Black) bounced back from the disappointment of losing in injury time last week with a resounding 6-1 victory over Horsham Tigers. Hat-trick hero Henry Smith bagged the goals that take his goal tally into double figures after a fine start to the season.
The first half saw Brockham have more possession. Smith opened the scoring after a good move saw Sam Norkett play the ball nicely out of defence to Alex Marshall, whose fine cross took out the Horsham defence. Smith took this time to make it 1-0 to Brockham. Further chances followed with Thomas Bletso, Marshall and Alex Ward going close, but Horsham snatched an equaliser on the stroke of half time when ever dependable defender Robbie Ventham was unlucky enough to deflect the ball past keeper George Corfield.
The Badgers started the second half well and Smith grabbed his second, then Marshall made it 3-1 within the first couple of minutes. A fine save by the Tigers' keeper denied Ward, before Smith completed his well deserved hat-trick. Oliver Curtis then made it 5-1 - as Badgers' midfielder Matthew Gill drove his side forward, with defenders Ventham, Atkinson, Kinsey and Morgan keeping it tight at the back.
Horsham did win a penalty, but keeper Corfield showed his great potential by pulling out a fine save - Marshall doing well to clear the rebound. A good day's work for the Badgers was rounded off when Toby Dowle netted his side's sixth goal.
Unbeaten in the league, but Brockham U10A were nevertheless still searching for their first home win of the season. They finally achieved it with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Old Coulsdon Colts.
The Badgers started the stronger and applied some early pressure
on the Colts’ goal, with George Coffey coming close twice before setting
up Bertie Edwards-Hedges. He coolly rounded the Coulsdon keeper on fourteen
minutes to open the scoring.
Soon after, Angus Hodge struck
a post, but adjusted his sights on nineteen minutes to fire Oli Winter’s
cross low into the left hand corner for his first goal of the season
- and Brockham's second of the game. At this point, the U10As seemed
to have a firm grip on the match, but Coulsdon showed great determination
to pull a goal back just before half time.
The second half was
more even. The Badgers were the more fluent and pacy, especially Coffey
who, once again, showed his ability to hold the ball up in attack; Coulsdon
were stronger in the tackle, their captain trying everything
to orchestrate an equaliser. Unfortunately for them, Matthew Higgins
was having another of his ‘no way past’ matches, snuffing out danger
whenever Colts seemed to find a way through and earning his second
Lad-of-the-match award in the process. His defensive partner Alex
Nicholson also put in some strong challenges and Michael Ellis was
assured in goal.
Badgers almost scored a spectacular third when
Harry Morland thundered a volley just wide of the post from a superb
Edwards-Hedges cross, but the two goals proved enough for the win
which keeps them in third place in Division 1.
After fielding a depleted team and losing their unbeaten record in their last outing, the U10Cs were in no mood to take prisoners this week as they ran seven goals past Carshalton Saints.
Brockham took control from the start and Jamie Hanwell opened the scoring midway through the first-half, with Axel Davies adding a second before the break.
In the second-half, Brockham played some good, cohesive football and Andrew Watson marked his debut scoring from close range within a few minutes of coming onto the field. Tim Hines added a couple more goals and Axel Davies went on to complete his first hat-trick of the season, flicking in the seventh.
A good return to winning ways, which keeps the Badgers in third position in Division 5, with crunch matches coming up against the top two clubs during November.
Lad-of-the-match: Thomas Nokes - most improved performance.
