Mens 1st Team
Matches
Sat 28 Sep 2019  ·  Premier B
Broxbourne Hockey Club
Mens 1st Team
3
0
Cambridge University 2
STUDENTS SCHOOLED BY BADGERS

STUDENTS SCHOOLED BY BADGERS

Will Fradley29 Sep 2019 - 11:34
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Broxbourne 3 Cambridge Uni 2's 0

Broxbourne made it two wins from two after they ground out a hard fought 3-0 win over Cambridge University 2's at Badger Field. The Badgers could have been forgiven for having some feelings of trepidation going into the fixture. The squad strength was given an early test with Will Fradley (hamstring/buttock), Ben Scarrott (back) and Louis Scarrott (work) all missing. Also they had the memory of the last meeting between the two sides at the end of last season; a chastening 5-1 defeat, in the back of their minds.

With only two subs the home side were content to let the visitors have the lion's share of possession. The students were allowed to transfer the ball round the back and the Badgers waited for an opportunity to press hard when the ball came into midfield. The tactic worked perfectly and the Badgers opened the scoring after 10 minutes on the back of such a move. The tireless Chris Hopson forced the Cambridge centre back into an error and then finished from a tight to make the score 1-0.

The rest of the half was a cagey affair. The students continued to dominate possession but as a result of the Badgers tight and disciplined marking and the relentless defensive work from the forward line, they created relatively little in terms of clear cut chances. The home side actually looked the more likely to score the next goal, winning several short corners on the counter attack. With the Scarrott brothers missing though the play call sheet was quite limited and score remained 1-0 going into the half.

The visitors opened the second half with a more aggressive and higher press in an effort to get back into the game. The Badgers' experienced back line remained calm under pressure and manoeuvred the ball easily through the press creating several opportunities on the counter attack. The lead was doubled after 50 minutes from one such counter attack, Stan Mason found Hopson unmarked one yard out and the midfielder showed great composure to bury the ball into the empty net.

With a two goal lead the home side were beginning to get a stranglehold on the game and enjoy some possession of their own. The students were then thrown a lifeline when a flurry of cards saw the home side down to ten and even nine men over the next ten minutes. First fiery right back George Blemkin saw green for an aggressive tackle. As soon as the Badgers were back to eleven left back Dan Ellis then saw yellow for a cynical challenge. Ellis, playing against players who were almost half his age, was finally done for pace and his wild swing was rightfully punished by the umpire. To compound matters Mason was then awarded a green card forcing the home side to manage two minutes with a two man disadvantage.

The Students, who had been toothless in attack all day, were unable to take advantage and once the Badgers were back to their full complement of players they soon made the game safe with a third goal. Mitch Chapman capped an excellent personal display with a trademark flick from a short corner making the final score 3-0.

There is no rest for these Badgers who complete the second leg of doubleheader weekend when they welcome Shefford & Sandy to Badger Field on Sunday.

Match details

Match date

Sat 28 Sep 2019

Kickoff

10:00

Competition

Premier B

League position

4
Broxbourne 1
12
Cambridge University 2
Team overview
Further reading