Badgers Complete Double Over Panthers!

WCFC U13s Badgers made it 6 league wins out of 6 with a commanding victory over the Corsham Panthers at a sun-drenched Leafy Lane on Sunday. On a wide but comparatively short pitch the Badgers made the stronger start, retaining their attacking 4-3-3 formation from last week's demolition of Derry Hill. The opening goal took only 2 minutes to arrive, when Lewis, who enjoyed his best game in a white and black shirt, cut in from the right and pinged a fantastic shot into the top bins from the edge of the box, a real goal of the season contender. Jack almost made it two 4 minutes later, cutting in from the left only to find the side netting. The Panthers were making life very difficult, being very organised and hard-working, lying deep and trying to counter attack. The pace was frantic with neither side able to show much composure on the ball and the game going from end-to-end. It took a second moment of magic for the Badgers to extend their lead on 16 mins. Dead ball maestro Bailey took a free kick from wide of the left and curled it beautifully over the desperate Panthers keeper into the far top corner. The second game in a row he has scored in such a manner against the Panthers.

The 2nd quarter was much more even, with the Badger's back four being tested more but both Harvey, showing ever greater authority at right back game-on-game and Ashton, ever dependable at left back, quelled the danger down the flanks and Captain Oli showed the greatest composure on the pitch, regularly breaking up play and pinging out balls to Lewis. In midfield, despite being outnumbered, Theo added real bite and determination whilst both Jenson and Sonny showed great energy up and down and skill coming forward. Louis flicked a lovely header from another fantastic Bailey corner just wide and Jack, causing havoc up front with his trickery, had two good penalty shouts waved away by the referee. Murray came on on the right for only his second game and was immediately in the action, playing an exquisite pass through to Jack who drew a great save from the Badger's keeper. From the resultant corner, it was Theo's turn to head narrowly wide, so keeping the score at 2-0 at half-time.

The 3rd quarter saw the Badger's playing up the slope to their advantage, with through balls just holding up slightly. It was this that led to the third goal when William D, covering every blade of grass on the pitch as always, chased down a great penetrating through ball from Freddie to produce a perfect low cross from the left which Louis deftly flicked in at the near post. The goal, predicted seconds before by Coach Brendan, was met with much satisfaction on the touchline being a classic 'off-the-training-ground' move. The Badgers thought they secured the 4th a minute later when Bailey scored from a second free kick from just outside the box, only for it to be chalked off for an infringement. The Badgers overcame the disappointment in the best possible way when Louis pounced when the ball broke loose on the edge of the Panther's box to rifle in a low shot into the bottom corner of the net, making it 4-0 at the end of the quarter.

The final quarter saw Eddie, hitherto mainly a spectator in the Badger's goal, produced a excellent finger tip save, diving full length to turn a fierce Panther's drive from outside the box round the post. But it was a rare Panther's attack against a wave of Badger's pressure. The move of the game produced the 5th goal when Sonny produced a Ricky Villa-esque dribble leaving 3 Panthers in his wake before finding Lewis, who's tantalizing cross was nodded in just under the bar by Man of the Match Louis, completing his second hat-trick in consecutive games. Oli then wrapped up the scoring by pouncing from cross range from another corner, this time from William D. The Badgers were then denied their first clean sheet of the season with the very last kick of the game when from a corner with all 22 players in the box a mad rugby type scramble led to the Panther's prodding the ball home from close range. So it ended 6-1, with every player contributing fully to what was probably the Badgers best all round performance of the season against a hardworking and competitive Panther team who fought to the end and gave their coaches everything. A result which retains the Badgers second in the table in division Red, only on alphabetical order from Chippenham.