HOUSE SPARES CHAPMAN’S BLUSHES: BADGERS PROMOTED TO PREM B

Broxbourne ground out a hard fought win on the road against Cambridge City 3’s to move back to the summit of Division One. It was the ideal response after last weeks chastening defeat to Cambridge Uni 2’s and the result officially clinched the Badgers promotion to Premier B. The team were overjoyed at the final whistle with Chairman and CEO Adam Kitching rumoured to have promised before the season a promotion bonus to each member of the squad.

The Badgers made a confident start with Mitch Chapman pulling the strings from deep midfield. The home side deployed a high and aggressive press but Broxbourne’s patient and composed passing game allowed them to break through the press and they took the lead in the 10th minute from a short corner. Chapman beat the first runner with ease and slipped the ball left to Ben Scarrott who slammed the ball home.

The Badgers grew in confidence and had a series of golden opportunities to double the lead. Henry House made several trademark gliding runs but couldn’t find the finish to match his superb approach play. Stan Mason then did the hard work of rounding the keeper but couldn’t hit the target from a tight angle and the score remained 1-0.

Broxbourne were made to pay for their profligacy when the hosts equalised in the 25th minute in controversial circumstances. Josh Chapman was harshly adjudged to have deliberately played the ball off the back line in the act of making a tackle and the umpire awarded a short corner. A well worked move involving a perfectly timed deflection levelled the scores and it stayed that way until the interval.

The Badgers made the ideal start to the second half and regained the lead in the 40th minute. Scarrott turned provider with a wind assisted sixty hard aerial that picked out a streaking Toby House in stride. The youngster then volleyed home past the keeper to make it 2-1.
In a bizarre two-minute spell the game, and perhaps the Badgers season, seemed to take a fatal turn for the worse. The visitors won a short corner and a rebound from a Scarrott flick fell to injector Will Fradley. The panic in Fradley’s eyes was there for all to see but amazingly the veteran unleashed a reverse stick tomahawk that flew centimetres past the far post. The home side quickly countered and won a short corner of their own which was saved by keeper Ryan Thomas and the danger had seemingly gone. Then, in a moment of madness, Josh Chapman’s mis hit 16 yard hit went straight to a Cambridge forward who’s shot deflected in off Chapman for the equaliser.

The Badgers shrugged off the shock and re-took the lead with five minutes to go from another short corner. Man of the match Scarrott fired a flick towards the far post and Toby House somehow reacted quick enough to tap home the rebound from the keeper’s save.

Broxbourne then had to survive a nervy two minutes when Fradley was sin binned after wisely obstructing an onrushing forward who would have been through one on one. The danger passed and when the home side were reduced to nine men the Badgers were seemingly home and dry. There was still time for one last scare when Cambridge thought they had won a short corner with the last hit of the game but the umpire correctly ruled the ball had been lifted and the Badgers had escaped with all three points.

Next week the Badgers play their season finale at home to Old Southendian, this one is for all the marbles: the Division One Title. A capacity crowd is expected at Badger Field so leave early to avoid the expected heavy traffic on the A10.