Saturday 19th October
Home fixtures
Ladies 5s vs Saffron Walden 5 - 3-1 loss
Goal scorer: Milly
Assist: Daniela
Player: Iris
Donkey: Sharon
After the very disappointing game last week we had a very constructive training session with Em on Wednesday to focus on accuracy and weight of passing/ hitting the ball, as well as positions and movement of the ball round the pitch.
What a difference a week makes! Now, you may be looking at the score and thinking that I may have gone slightly mad… but bear with me.
The movement of the ball round the pitch, the communication between the players and the passing was like night and day compared with last weekend.
Defence and midfield worked hard to shift the ball from side to side and up the pitch to the forward line – all was looking very positive! However, Saffron Walden managed to slot the ball past Hannah after 15 minutes to take it to 0-1. But heads didn’t go down. We kept on battling and managed to secure 3 consecutive short corners after 30 minutes – unfortunately, not managing to get any over the line.
The second half continued on a similar vein with the girls working really hard. There was some great connecting play and runs from defence and midfield sending the ball into the D. But the Saffron Walden defence and keeper wouldn’t let us score!
There was another goal for Saffron Walden early in the second half when their forward line worked the ball round our defensive line.
We managed to get one across the line with Milly ‘the machine’ Shand (in her 50th year representing the badgers) adding another to her tally at 58 minutes with Dan slotting the ball across to Shannon who passed to Milly.
Saffron Walden snuck another shortly before the final whistle to take the score to 1-3. I don’t think the score line reflected the effort from the team.
Couple of things to work on with marking and the 3 lines working more cohesively as a unit. Well done to everyone – we all certainly put in a good shift! Player went to Iris for a quite frankly stellar performance. Donkey was a tricky one as everyone did a marvellous job with no dramas. However, went to Sharon for falling over (although technically pushed over by a reversing Saffron Walden player…. Just saying).
Onwards and upwards – well done girls.
Ladies 3s vs Cheshunt 1 - 5-2 win
Goal scorers: Yas, Isla, Laura, Cerys x2
Assists: Yas, Laura x2, Hannah x2
Player: Isla
Donkey: Brawny
On a rainy Saturday morning, Broxbourne Ladies 3s hosted one of their toughest local rivals, hoping to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
In what turned out to be a good omen for Broxbourne, the rain cleared and made way for a double rainbow, just in time for the start of the match.
Broxbourne made a strong start to the game, with good movement off the ball and taking full advantage of having a very attacking team. At 18 minutes in, newly returned Yasmin crossed the ball into the top of the ‘D’, finding Laura who scored a superb goal, opening the flood gates for another high-scoring match for the Ladies 3s.
Rachel’s defensive prowess and deft distribution allowed the team to attack and earn her joint Player of the match this week. Cerys scored goal number 2 from an excellently executed short-corner just before half-time taking us to 2-0.
With a stern team talk from Tara, a revived Broxbourne went out ready for an energetic second half. That is with the exception of goalie Hannah who was feeling so confident in the team that she that she thought she’d leave her gloves on the sideline!
The second half provided lots more goals and an equal amount of entertainment. Tara’s language would have made a Sunday League Football team blush after getting a nasty whack on the chest, Isla took a tumble in the middle and Brawny was so blown away by the astounding Broxbourne performance that she fell off her chair. Thank you Brawny for your Donkey earning performance as a spectator.
The defence and midfield provided an incredibly solid performance, allowing us to attack. Tara, Sharon and Rachel distributed the ball beautifully and made easy work of the Cheshunt forwards. Kirsty, Laura, Freya, Olivia and Alice ran tirelessly, exhausting the 11 Cheshunt players and Fixy continuously caused havoc on the wing.
At 36 minutes, Cerys scored a fabulous goal from another short corner, with an assist by Laura; Yasmin scored the scrappiest goal of the century following an assist by Hannah and Captain Hannah assisted yet again to expertly slot the ball into Isla for a beautifully composed goal that gave her Player of the Match.
With a final score of 5-2, the Ladies 3s go from strength to strength and are sitting well deserved at the top of the table.
Joint Players : Isla (Excellent work rate and passing), Rachel (Great defensive work and distribution)
Donkey : Brawny (Falling off the spectators chairs)
Mens 1s vs Upminster 1 - 3-2 win
Goal scorers: Matt x2, Sam
Assist: Josh x2
Player: Matt
Donkey: Matt & Henry
On Saturday the Badgers looked to back up their first win of the season last week with a 6 pointer back at Badgerfield against a familiar foe in Upminster. Some may say it would be too early to call games potentially season defining but with both teams on 3 points from 4 games and having come up from the same division last year, it had all the ingredients for a spicy encounter.
With the dart board looming large over the Broxbourne dressing room (literally and metaphorically) the majority of the team arrived sharp before the 12:00 meet time. When the roll count started at 1 second past 12, 15/16 were in the dressing room…Toby the man missing and learning a tough lesson. The dartboard will feature again in this Saturday tale.
With the team revved up and focused on the job in hand, they started the game well with energy levels and intensity high given the large squad size and regular Tuesday night fitness paying dividends. Despite controlling the first 15 mins, the Badgers let the intensity get the better of them and lacked accuracy with their basic skills, struggling to connect and create clear openings. This allowed Upminster to grow into the game and after managing to rob the Badgers in the D, they were able to take full advantage slotting the ball into the Badgers goal. This should have sparked the Badgers into gear however it was Upminster who continued to create the better chances, counter-attacking at speed and firing multiple passes across the front of the goalmouth.
The Badgers received a dressing down at half time with the team recognising that they had to improve their performance if they expected to get anything from the game. They duly responded and scored an early equaliser through a Matt Meaner flick. Broxbourne continued to pile on the pressure and were awarded a penalty stroke after Toby House made a mazy run into the D evading the Upminster defenders only to be clumsily bundled over by the goalkeeper, leaving the umpires with no option. The Upminster keeper made amends for the error though, saving Mitch Chapmans flick. Despite the disappointment, Chapman continued to attack with intent with Upminster defenders struggling to contain him throughout the afternoon. Despite looking the stronger team, it was Upminster who the next goal after pouncing on a pass out the back and calmly slotting a reverse stock shot from the left edge of the D into the bottom right corner of the Broxbourne goal. Broxbourne were forced to dig deep but yet again responded as a well worked move dropped to our very own fox in the box Sam Groves who controlled the ball around the penalty spot and lifted it into the roof of the net. As the game came towards the close, frustration boiled over with Upminster picking up a green card. Both teams pushed for a winner and as the game ticked into the 66th minute, Broxbourne won a short corner. The moment was made for Meaner as he stepped up to flick the ball hard into the Upminster backboard. With a few minutes to see out, a moment of frustration from Reggie Hopson led to a yellow card but it didn’t stop the Badgers from seeing out the closing stages to take the points.
A great win for the team and celebrated in style with lederhosen out in force for the Oktoberfest social. It was the dartboard though which would have the final word of the night for George Blemkin who unfortunately hit an expensive bullseye in the one game you wish you didn’t! The Badgers have a slip week next weekend, returning to action away to Pelicans on the 9th November looking to continue their winning streak.
Ladies 1s vs Bishop's Stortford 1 - 5-4 win
Goal scorers: Ellie x2, Em, Hannah & Nads
Assists: Alice, Martha, Meg S & Hannah
Player: Meg S
Donkey: Ellie
*HALLOWEEN EDITION - The Badgers Conjure a Spooktacular Comeback*
The Badgers arrived at Badgerfield early, gathering to support the men’s 1st team, fresh off their spine-chilling 3-2 victory last weekend. The hauntingly good energy lingered as the ladies headed into the changing rooms, determined to channel the men’s success into their own game. This weekend marked the boo-ming return of Meg and Florrie, making their first appearances of the season.—Just in time for a ghoulish clash with local rivals Bishops Stortford.
As the whistle blew, Stortford played with the intensity of a team possessed, haunting Badgers’ defenders Tor, Skipp, Finch & Meg T, quickly creeping to 2-0 lead. The Badgers looked ghostly after the rough start, But Hannah Baker, refusing to be buried, grabbed her broomstick and flew up the pitch, carving through the defense like a jack-o’-lantern before smashing the ball into the back of the net, bringing us to 2-1 just before halftime.
After a frightfully good team talk from coach Matt Menear, the Badgers returned to the pitch with renewed energy, determined to take control of the second half. It didn’t take long. At the 39-minute mark, Nads ghosted into the D and tapped a boo-tiful shot into the bottom right corner, leveling the score at 2-2.
But Stortford wasn’t ready to rest in peace. They surged forward again, sinking another goal to take a 3-2 lead. Yet the Badgers, undeterred by the grave, came storming back. Meg S charged up the pitch, unleashing a reverse hit towards the goal, and Ellie, with vampiric precision, deflected the ball into the top corner. Though some wonder whether the ball needed the deflection, the score was now 3-3, and the match was anyone’s for the taking.
Stortford, refusing to stay buried, clawed their way back into the lead, making it 4-3.
The Badgers however had a few tricks up their sleeves. With our defence tightly guarding the pitch and just 2 minutes left (or so we thought), Martha flew up the wing, delivering a fang-tastic pass to Ellie, who summoned a short corner. Martha and Em, with some wicked teamwork, showed Pip that her nips still successfully convert goalsss! Back at 4-4!
With two minutes left (or seven, depending on who you ask), the Badgers won another short corner. This time, Alice Brown, drawing on her spellbinding skills, slapped the ball across the D. A Stortford defender, perhaps startled by a ghost, deflected it into the air, and Ellie, like a bat out of the night, smashed it into the net, sealing the win with a final fang-tastic score of 5-4!
After a bone-chilling battle, the Badgers secured a ghoulish victory over second-place Stortford (now knocked to fourth) and clawed their way out of negative points!
Player of the Match was awarded to Meg S for her magical performance, while Donkey went to Ellie for stealing other witches powers!
Away fixtures
Ladies 2s vs Blueharts 2 - 4-0 win
Goal scorers: Gemma, Becky & Charlotte x2
Assist: Lydia, Becky & Vic
Player: Lydia
Donkey: Charlie
In a commanding display of skill and teamwork, Broxbourne secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Blueharts in an action-packed match.
The game got off to a thrilling start when Bench managed to assist her own goal (definitely allowed!) within the first minute, propelling Broxbourne into an early lead. This unexpected yet effective play set the tone for the match, energizing both players and supporters alike.
Shortly after, Broxbourne struck again. In a display of persistence, Vic executed a beautiful reverse hit that narrowly missed the goal but found Charlotte perfectly positioned at the post. Charlotte’s sharp instincts allowed her to push the ball past the keeper, doubling Broxbourne’s lead to 2-0 just minutes into the game.
With a two-goal advantage, the bench called for substitutions, eager to get more players involved in the exciting action on the pitch. This shift in personnel did little to disrupt the flow of the game, as Broxbourne continued to apply pressure.
Before the halftime whistle, Lydia made a fantastic run down the field, unleashing a powerful shot that was expertly picked up by Charlotte off the keeper’s pads, allowing her to slot the ball away for a 3-0 lead. The momentum was clearly in Broxbourne's favor.
The second half saw Broxbourne dominating possession, forcing Blueharts into a defensive stance. Despite a few breakaways from the opposition, which ensured that Lily felt included in the game and was not left out at the back.
Vic came close to extending the lead with a couple of back post attempts, but was thwarted first by an excellent save and then by an interesting interpretation of the rules, much to her disappointment as she left the pitch without the well-deserved fantasy points this week.
Gem provided another highlight by giving Bench an assist, skillfully placing the ball past the keeper from a well-placed penetration into the D.
At the end of the match, Lydia was named Player of the Match for her outstanding work rate and pivotal assist. In contrast, the “Donkey of the Day” award went to returning player Charlie for her unique ability to aerial a ball directly upwards and off the pitch, along with her amusing struggle with the English language.
The match concluded with a resounding 4-0 victory for Broxbourne, showcasing their determination and teamwork.
Ladies 4s vs Harpenden 3 - 2-1 loss
Goal scorer: Frankie
Assist: Ella
Player: Evie
Following our first win of the season last week, the Ladies 4s were hopeful of another good result away at Harpenden. Captain Lisa gave an extended pre-match team talk, nothing to do with avoiding the downpour!! With a squad of 13, everyone was expected to put in 100% effort and from the first whistle, that happened. Despite some great attacking play from Broxbourne in the first half, we were unable to get the ball over the line. Harpenden had several breaks and we conceded 1 goal in the first half, despite some good defending.
Following a very positive half time team talk, we started the second half keen to score a couple of goals. Broxbourne again showed great determination and their attacking play continued but we still could not score. Harpenden continued their advances on the D and Broxbourne continued to close down their play. Unfortunately, Harpenden scored and it was 2-0. Could Broxbourne turn this around? With about 15 minutes to the full-time whistle, Broxbourne's attacking play increased and was rewarded when new to club Ella fired a shot towards the keeper and Frankie converted the deflection into a goal.
Despite Broxbourne’s pressure on the Harpenden defence, an equalising goal could not be achieved. A great team performance this week and a disappointing 2-1 defeat which was not reflective of Broxbourne’s domination & possession in the game. Player went to Evie for lots of hard work, determination and great runs. Other mentions for Lisa, Jess, Jo, Ella and especially for Tors for being our GK this week and missing her own game. No donkey this week.
Mens 3s vs Royston 2 - 5-2 loss
Goal scorers: Rhys (Geezer) & Matt
Assist: Fresh & Rhys (Geezer)
Player: Rhys (Geezer)
Donkey: Andy
The Men’s 3s had an away fixture against Royston, naturally meaning that the boys had to trek to the depths of Cambridge for the game, with some resultant late attendees. Andy C also decided to claim DotD before a ball had been hit by forgetting part of his away kit so the whole team had to change back to our home kit, thanks Andy x
The game started relatively end to end with some good progression in each direction from both teams, before a counter attack from Royston put the hosts 1-0 up. This lasted all of about 3 minutes before a nice build up from the left-hand side leading to mullet receiving the ball with his back to goal before spinning round the keeper and slotting it home to equalise. Royston then proceeded to get one back into the lead following a few interesting decisions from the umpires including not blowing their whistle for a free hit to the hosts outside the Badgers’ D and just hoping telepathy would provide the teams with their decision. Some of these decisions didn’t please a few of the team, of which Russ and Fresh both receiving talking to’s for chat, surely this won’t come into play later in the game? Anyway, the boys responded positively with some silky play up the pitch before Fresh feeds in Geezer to slot it home and leave the scores level at half time.
The second half is where things don’t go as well for the Badgers, a few quick goals for Royston followed by Russ and Fresh receiving green cards during the half meant the boys finished the game with a 5-2 loss, but not before Andy C could solidify his DotD claims in the dying moments of the game during a Royston attack with shouting “don’t give a foul” before a crunching stick tackle in the D to give away a short, incredible stuff really. Anyway we go again in two weeks’ time, see you at the Den.
Mens 4s vs Saffron Walden 7 - 3-0 loss
Player: Luke
Broxbourne 4s took on Saffron Walden 7s at Joyce Frankland Academy on a sunny Saturday afternoon, both teams grateful for avoiding heavy rain earlier in the day. A bit of confusion about which pitch we were on led to a slightly truncated warm up, but this didn't seem to cause any problems as Brox successfully defended an initial flurry of attacks by SW 7 with ease. As we became more accustomed to the pace of the game we began to put some attacking moves together and threatened the SW 7 goal on several occasions but without being able to finish them off. Closest we came was what appeared to be a good shout for a flick after a shot was blocked near the line by a SW 7 defender's foot, but was adjudged to be going wide by the umpire; the resulting short corner came to nothing. Shortly before half-time SW7 took the lead after a clean strike into the corner of the goal from the top of the D that Ryan could do little about.
At half-time we talked about how we'd actually played pretty well and given a good account of ourselves, but would need to be a bit sharper on retaining possession with more accurate passing, greater pace on the ball, and not allowing SW players to get to the ball first which had been a bit of a feature of the first half. This did improve to some extent in the second half although the general pattern of the game was similar, with SW7 attacking more but creating few real chances and Brox creating a few chances ourselves, including a couple of short corners that we didn't convert. Unfortunately SW7 managed to score another couple of goals, both with an element of luck about them, that resulted in a 3-0 scoreline that didn't really reflect the balance of the game.
Plenty of positives to take from the game then, with everyone putting in a great effort and excellent team spirit. It's always a bit disappointing to lose but the focus is really on how our younger players are developing, and it's really pleasing to see their fantastic attitude and how rapidly their skills and knowledge of gameplay is improving week by week.
Mens 2s vs Bishop's Stortford 3 - 6-1 win
Goal scorers: Jack, Kav Jnr, Baller & Bobby x3
Assists: Baller, Cranners, Riggers x3 & Bobby
Player: Bobby
Donkey: Joe
**Bobby Dazzles and Scores Thrice as Badgers Dominate**
The Mighty Men’s 2s arrived at Bishop's Stortford on Saturday with confidence flowing through their veins after winning at home against Shefford and Sandy a week prior, putting more points on the board and consolidating their place in the table in the early stages of the season. It was, unfortunately, another week where the squad was beset with unavailability; both Keegan and Lance were still nursing their injuries, Captain Kav thought it would be a good idea to go on holiday midway through the first half of the season, and fun-running Will decided that he had enough running around to play on Saturday. Due to their impressive debuts, both Bobby and Jakey were given the call up by stand-in gaffer, Jack. Fortunately for the vast majority of the squad, their ears weren’t bleeding before the pre-match warm up as Ruddy decided to rock up slightly late as he tore a page out of GK Joe’s book and went out into Hertford on Friday night; safe to say, Ruddy was feeling a bit fragile when he arrived into the changing room, despite the fact that the meet time was at an extremely early half past three in the afternoon. Nonetheless, the warm up was carried out by Sully and, after waiting around for the previous game to finish, we were underway.
The start of the game was a slightly tentative one to say the least - both teams were trying to get a hold of things and settle into the game to create a few chances to open the scoring. Fair to say, Stortford came out on top in the opening stages of the game, with the Badgers giving the ball away cheaply both in midfield and at the back. Luckily, with the ever-present Stu holding the fort, these chances were snuffed out. Ten or so minutes into the game, in true 2’s fashion, the Badgers managed to find their groove and played some nice hockey (its amazing what happens when you pass to people in space and on their open stick!) Ruddy, who now felt as fresh as a daisy, was marauding the right flank and managed to find himself in some dangerous positions (believe it or not). However, the first goal came down the left flank when the ball was crashed into the D from the left byline where Bobby opened his account for the day when he smartly and deftly deflected it into the back of the net, leaving the Stortford goalkeeper stranded - 1-0 Badgers. The second came not long before the half time whistle, where from Riggers put a Mesut Ozil-esque through ball into the path of Bobby which left him one-on-one with the keeper. Water is wet, grass is green, Bobby scores again. 2-0 up to the Badgers going into the half time break.
At the half time break, the Badgers talked about keeping possession and making simple passes as it seemed like they were trying to over complicate things at times, which was leading to them losing possession in dangerous areas. Clearly, they actually took the teammates’ advice and started the second half very positively, creating chances all over the pitch and, in somewhat convincing fashion, scoring three goals in a fifteen minute period. One from Bobby to complete his sensational hat-trick, one from 5-star-not-so-skillful Baller, and one from Kav Jr (through the skill of the Rock of Rudd, I have to add) to open his scoring account for the season (although you might have to work on your first touch in training pal). These all came in a fairly similar fashion; the ball was crashed into the D from the 25, someone was on the top of the D to deflect it to someone who was waiting at the back stick for a tap in. Simple, effective, wollop. The highlight of the second half however was near the end of the game where, as ever, the Badgers decided to make the game difficult for themselves and concede a few short corners. Joe was clearly getting bored in goal and wanted to make the game about himself, by doing this, he came out of his goal to try and reach for the ball from a Stortford short corner, only to get stick first and a fair bit of the man as well. The old-boy who may as well have had a full blown chinwag with GK Joe in the first half since he was that far up the pitch all the time, took the P flick. Funnily enough, the Stortford veteran was going on about how he’s scored 80+ P flicks in a row, so was looking to further this tally with getting a goal back. He did score the eventual flick, but not with the help of GK Joe; the ball was flicked up into his chest, then he thought he’d be a really kind young man and parry the ball with his hand into the back of the net, leaving GK Joe slightly dumbfounded as to what had just happened. Thankfully, Jack scored with a few minutes remaining to put the game out of reach for the home team - final score, Bishop Stortford 3s 1 - 6 Broxbourne 2s.
Man of the Match - Bobby Dazzler with his very impressive hat-trick. DoD, Joe for his usual antics in goal.
After the game, the Badgers celebrated the win back at the Badger Bar with an Oktoberfest-themed evening, where you could find a plethora of lederhosen’s being brandished all over the gaff, with music being provided by DJ Ruddymental aka Fatboy Fat aka Everybody Loves Ruddmond.
This coming Saturday, the mighty 2’s enjoy some time off from a slip-date, but then head back to the Badger Den the week after to face Welwyn Garden City 1s, which promises to be an extremely entertaining game indeed.
Oktoberfest at the club
On Saturday night we enjoyed a night at the club to celebrate Oktoberfest. A great effort from everyone who dressed up!
Coming up next weekend... Round 1 of cup tournaments!
Saturday 26th October
Home @ 11.30am - Ladies 2s vs Winchmore Hill & Enfield
Sunday 27th October
Away @ [time TBC] - Ladies O35 vs St Albans O35
Away @ 3pm - Mens O35 vs Bishop's Stortford O35