Badgers Back to Winning Ways!

WCFC U15s The Badgers secured a well needed victory over Chippenham Town (not Barca) in a tense and competitive match at a sunny Northbrook stadium today thanks to an excellent attacking first half performance and resolute defending in the second. In their first game for 3 weeks, the Badger's welcomed back Jack P and Jack S from injury with new signing Aiden making his debut in midfield in a 3-4-1-2 formation. With the sun behind them but against the wind, the Badger's showed their attacking intent from the outset. In what was to be a feature of the first half, captain Jack S, Eddie and Nathan linked effectively down the right to force a corner in the opening seconds. That strong start was rewarded with a goal after 5 minutes, with Jack S cutting in from the left to slot the ball past the Chippenham keeper from close range. Jack P was surging forward to great effective from centre half and both Lewis on the left and Eddie on the right were causing Chippenham trouble. Long cross-field passes were working particularly well. The Badgers deservedly doubled their lead on 12 minutes when a neat flick through ball from Eddie found Nathan who helped it on to strike partner Jack S to fire the ball across goal into the far corner to make it 2-0. Chippenham were still posing a threat on the break through their pacey striker and they produced their best move of the game to reduce the arrears on 18 minutes. A move down the left led to a chip over the Badger's defence and the unmarked striker fired past the helpless William into the roof of the Badger's net to make it 2-1. The Badger's restored their 2 goal advantage 10 minutes later when Bailey won the ball with a typically strong challenge and his measured through ball hung up in the wind for man of the match Jack S to race through to chip over the advancing keeper to complete his 3rd hat trick of the season. The Badgers were now playing some attractive football, epitomised by a flowing move starting on the right touch line with Eddie ,moved across the pitch from the whole midfield of Nathan, Aiden, Sonny and Toby to release Lewis on the left whose his rasping left foot shot just fizzed over the bar, to leave it 3-1 to the Badgers at half time.

The second half opened with a long range Chippenham free kick flying over the bar. From a Bailey corner, Toby had a header at the far post kicked off the line and Jack S cutting in from the left almost got a 4th, foiled only by a smothering save from the Chippenham keeper. Concerted pressure down the right hand side forced 3 corners in a row for the Badger's, ending with Aiden's shooting over the bar from the edge of the box. Enjoying a really promising debut in the attaching no 10 position, Aiden then showed his dribbling skills to force a corner. It seemed only a matter of time before the Badger's got a 4th. Sonny almost capped another non-stop midfield performance with a goal when his volley flashed over and Solly then beat his man on the right to flash a dangerous ball across the 6 yard box just evading Nathan. Theo was now on the left hand side of midfield, bringing bite and tough tackling to boost midfield. It was therefore slightly against the run of play when Chippenham pulled another goal back from a cute free kick on 70 minutes. With everyone expecting a long ball in, the ball was chipped into the box instead and the Chippenham striker won the race to the ball to flick past the on-rushing William. Kacper, now introduced to add physicality up front, almost put the game to bed when he was played through only for the Chippenham keeper to save with his feet and Toby to chip the rebound narrowly wide from long range. Chippenham then through caution to the wind in pursuit of an equaliser making for a tense, nail biting last 10 minutes for the Badgers. Only some excellent last ditching defending and goal keeping kept them out. First Harvey, brought on for his strength at right back, outmuscled the Chippenham winger to snuff out a dangerous move down the right. Toby then hooked a dangerous corner out from near the goal line, William made a excellent stop with his feet when one-on-one with the striker and Jack P, Lewis and, most notably Bailey, all made goal saving tackles. Which left the Badgers celebrating a deserved but hard-fought 3-2 win at the final whistle, one which boosts team confidence and morale and leaves then 8th in Mid Wilts Youth Division Blue but with games in hand on teams above them.