Badgers Wallop the Wanderers!

WCFC U15s The Badgers started 2023 with convincing win over last seasons' rival Westbury Wanderers at a finger numbing rain swept Northbrook stadium today. Kicking off with a 4-4-1-1 formation towards the clubhouse end, The Badgers made the stronger start, with Sonny taking the ball down in the box and firing just wide from Bailey's free kick down the left. Eddie was finding lots of space down the Westbury right and put it to good use when his through ball found Jack whose shot brought a good save from the Wanderers' keeper. Westbury now weathered the storm and came into the game. After firing a free kick wide, they almost took the lead on 14 minutes when, after a deflection, the ball broke in the Badgers box only for the shot from the Wanderers striker to hit the post. The Badgers defence well marshalled by Jack P and Lewis were stretched and Westbury took the lead on 18 minutes. The Badgers failed to pick up from a free kick on the left, leaving the Westbury striker to plant a free header past a helpless William in the Badgers goal. The next period was even, with a number of nice passing moves between Ashton, Nathan, Sonny and Toby despite the heavy pitch just lacking the final ball to create a chance. With the rain now lashing down the equaliser came more route one. On 33 minutes, a low hard clearance from Jack P went straight through the centre of the Wanderers defence for Jack to pounce and thump it into the bottom corner of the net. Two minutes later and the Badgers were in front. Bailey took a corner which the Wanderers defence failed to clear and, finding himself on the right hand edge of the box, lashed a left shot shot into the top corner of the net despite the desperate efforts of the keeper. Still Westbury attacked and both Harvey at right back and Lewis had to make goal saving last ditch tackles to make sure The Badgers went into the break 2-1 up.

The second half saw The Badgers in the ascendancy from the start, with Teddy at left midfield and Solly at right back bringing fresh energy from the bench. Man of the Match Eddie in arguably his best display for the Badgers to date made the first of 3 assists when on 48 minutes his cross field ball from the right was beautifully 'dummied' by Jack to let in Teddy and his shot found the bottom corner of the Westbury net. Westbury never gave up but the Badgers put the game beyond doubt with a fantastic counter attacking goal. From a Westbury corner on 53 minutes, Jack P found himself on the right hand touch line and surged on and on half way down the pitch before finding Eddie who put in a cross which the keeper could only palm out for Nathan to calmly fire into the bottom corner. With the rain making note taking impossible, the Badgers were now in full flow, with Toby and Sonny controlling midfield and surging forward at every opportunity. Toby almost made it 5-1 but his far post header from a Bailey corner went just wide. The 5th did arrive on 60 minutes. The Wanderers defence stopped when Eddie's cute ball inside released Jack thinking him offside but the whistle from the excellent referee didn't come and he ran on to plant the ball into the net for his second goal of the game and his 15th of the season. Kacper then came on the left and made his physical presence felt with some neat touches. On 70 minutes, a lovely interchange between him and Ashton saw Sonny surge through the centre, body swerve the defender and thump a shot into the bottom corner to make it 6-1. Sonny almost got a second but his shot from the right hand side came back off the post. It therefore ended 6-1 to the Badgers, a convincing win that was based on a determined defensive performance in the first half followed by a free flowing attacking display in the second as Westbury, finishing the game with 10 men, tired. A win that takes The Badgers up to 6th in the table, two points off 3rd, and sets them up nicely for the rest of the season.