MASON DODGES BULLET IN BADGERS’ ROMP

Ben Scarrott hit a career high six goals as Broxbourne steamrollered Havering 8-1 on the road. The win meant the Badgers perfect start to the season extended to a seventh straight win, maintaining their place at the summit of Premier B.

Saturday’s match was the first meeting between the two sides since the 2007-08 season and it meant a reunion with former Broxbourne player and future Badger hall of famer Paul Dover. It was only a brief reunion though as Dover, now a creaking 49 years of age, was forced to withdraw after 20 minutes with a calf injury.

Havering, perhaps wary of facing the league leaders, started quite defensively and allowed the visitors to have most of the possession. The Badgers struggled to create any clear cut chances in the opening quarter. Right back George Blemkin was the main attacking threat and his driving runs created the first opportunities at goal with Scarrott and Chris Hopson going close.

Broxbourne were forced to wait until the 16th minute to open the scoring. Scarrott found the gap between the keepers’ legs with a flick from a short corner to make it 1-0. The striker bagged two further goals before half time with almost replica flicks to complete his hattrick and put the Badgers in a commanding 3-0 lead at the interval.

Rather than sit on their lead in the second half the Badgers smelt blood and pushed forward relentlessly in search or more goals. Scarrott got his fourth with the goal of the game. The forward took a quick free hit on the edge of the D and sent his marker into a daze with some dazzling stick skills. Given space to then move the ball into the area he unleashed a reverse stick tomahawk past the motionless keeper to make it 4-0.

Cruising with a four-goal lead there was then a worrying moment when young forward Stan Mason went down suddenly in agonising pain in what looked like a direct shot from a sniper. The game was briefly halted to allow security to quickly sweep the surrounding buildings for the gunman, but the search came up empty. After Mason was carried off there was some surprise when he revealed the injury was a little bang to the knee from Russell Gilbert’s stick, Mason later returned with no obvious lasting effects.

Broxbourne didn’t let the scare affect them and were soon 5-0 up. Scarrott this time went high to the keeper’s left with another unstoppable flick. Minutes later he thought he had completed a rare double hattrick, but Gilbert had other ideas deflecting home Scarrott’s goal bound shot from half a yard out. It continues a worrying trend of goal theft amongst the Badger ranks, famously started by Mason on the opening day of season when he stole one off Toby House in similar circumstances.

Havering heads understandably started to drop, and Broxbourne increased their misery with two more goals from Gilbert and Scarrott. There was still time for a consolation for the home side and it was one keeper Ryan Thomas will want to forget. Havering launched a long aerial through ball over the top of the Badger defense; Thomas appeared confused and rushed out of his goal in what looked like an attempt to catch the forward offside. The Havering forward was left with a simple tap in to the unguarded net to make the final score 8-1.