In the end this was a routine victory for Highgate and one in which, certainly for the first half, they did not need to be any where near the sort of form which must have taken them 12 points clear at the top of the division before this game. Brocton were doing the early probing and had chances on goal, which the home side seemed simply to ignore, such is their evident confidence. The best of the chances came down the left flank and a Steve Bennett cross eluded the Highgate keeper before also passing over both Andy Harrison’s and Gary Fife’s heads and safely clear.

That was the culmination of 10 minutes pressure, but Highgate broke out and moved the ball quickly up field to the right flank, from where a speculative cross caught Mike Shelper a little out of position, but still looking favourite to simply touch it over the bar. He got a hand to it, but the ball fell invitingly almost onto his goal line and was touched home by Tom Thacker.

The game continued in the same vein with Brocton probing and Highgate seemingly content to watch them do so. Andy Hume found Ben Harrison and Ben moved the ball on to the feet of brother Andy, who took on the shot, hitting it just wide. Then Steve Bennett looked to have jinked into the clear only to be caught by a stray foot and James Dyke found an unmarked Dave Langston beyond the far post. Langston low half volley found a well positioned keeper. Bennett repeated the dose, dribbling even nearer before being tripped and this time Gary Fife went directly for goal, but hit over.

Langston was then in action deep in his own half, winning the ball at the back before setting Gary Fife off on the right. Fife found Bennett and Bennett shot again over the bar.

Then a long clearance from Highgate and high bounce took the ball into Brocton’s area. A moments indecision between Shelper and Langston and this time it was Neil Kitching of the home side who gratefully accepted the gift. There was almost a repeat on 35 minutes as once again a lob into the box threatened to cause problems, but although an advancing Shelper was pipped to the ball, he managed to reach high and tip it over the bar for a corner. The corner though took a deflection as it reached the box and it flew all across the goal and the touch at the far post could only put it wide of the net.

The bets move of the game came from the home side just as half time approached and a sweeping move culminated in a fine strike from the right edge of the box by Liam O’Shea, putting the home side out of sight.

Strangely Highgate only really began to show their evident quality in the second half, already three goals to the good and it took some good defending and all round team work by Brocton to keep the score to that level. But on the hour mark, just as Brocton seemed to have weathered that period, a corner went once again high into the box and under pressure, Mike Shelper’s attempted punch could once again only drop the ball in the box where this time Adam Rogers was on hand to tap it home.

Brocton never capitulated, but Highgate always appeared to get plenty of bodies around any attempt at an attack, until finally almost on full time Richard Miller kept excellent composure in the box, beat the Highgate keeper’s attempted dive at his feet and gave the visitors a consolation.

Highgate United 4 v 1 Brocton

With a low sun directly behind one goal, it looked as though Continental Star’s fortune with a toss of a coin could be crucial as they chose to start with the sun at their backs. They began the better of the two sides and a free kick taken quickly on just 7 minutes was allowed to go across goal where Wesley Gray collected the ball and picked his spot.

Lee Scott manufactured an overhead kick in Star’s box minutes later when a corner was allowed to bounce in the box, but the effort found the well positioned Chris Sparrow in Star’s goal. Long throws by Richard Reece caused some concern at the heart of the visitor’s defence, but two in quick succession were scrambled away and Star struck back with a huge kick from their keeper. The sun played its part as Kirk Maragh got enough on the ball from an Andy Chandler attempted clearance to guide into the net for Continental Star’s second on 23 minutes.

The visitors had to defend deep at times, but did so in numbers and looked to have seen off Brocton’s pressure until another long throw found Andy Harrison in the box. Shielding the ball well, he was pulled down and the referee signalled for a penalty. Sparrow did his best to unnerve Lee Scott, but Scott put the ball low to his left and in for Brocton’s first on 37 minutes.

Scott was on hand again almost on the half time whistle as this time Dave Langston headed on a long throw and Scott turned it in to send the home side in on level terms.

By the beginning of the second half the sun was lower and perhaps even more difficult as no cap could keep out the glare. Brocton started with great purpose and firstly a fine passing move had James Dyke sweep the ball out to Lee Scott on the right edge of the box and his swift low cross was met and converted by Gary Fife. That was quickly followed with a similar move started this time by Steve Bennett. He found Dyke and this time Dyke’s pass to Scott was lofted over an advancing keeper and in off the far post to give Brocton a cushion.

Gary Fife made the last goal with a surging run from the half way line evading attempted tackles before slipping the ball right to Scott, who once again hit the ball across the keeper and in off the far post.

Continental star rallied in the last quarter of the match, but the Badgers defended in numbers and kept their three goal cushion to the end of an entertaining match.

Brocton 5 v 2 Continental Star

Loughborough were well worth their eventual victory in this game, but the manner in which the goals came could hardly have been more bizarre. As early as the second minute of the game Loughborough’s Moulds was shepherded apparently harmlessly across the field from right flank to middle seemingly simply with no one to pass to ahead of himself.

He decided to take on the shot and from that distance there appeared little threat, but it bobbled all along the ground and into the bottom right hand corner of the net to give the home side an early lead and belated Christmas present.

On 7 minutes Andy Chandler collected the ball at the heart of Brocton’s defence and slid it right into Richard Jones’ path. Jones lifted the ball over the advancing Loughborough back line and Andre Campbell was first to the ball, shooting quickly across the keeper, who was relieved to see it drift wide of his far post. Andy Harrison repeated the move on the quarter hour, but this time the keeper was alive to it and well positioned to field the shot.

The enforced substitution of Matt Skinner, having been caught on the ankle in a tackle, upset Brocton’s plans at the back and I that department Brocton never quite recovered, with the pace and movement of Loughborough causing problems for the remainder of the match.

By the half hour the second goal felt as though it was due, but it came via the softest gift of a penalty. Dave Langston had won his tackle and the ball was away from the danger area before an almost apologetic piece of acrobatics found his leg to tumble over. The referee hesitated before astounding everyone by pointing to the spot. Mesampa stepped up and took the gift. Langston and keeper Mike Shelper were still apoplectic an hour later at the finish of the game.

A further reshuffle brought on Ben Harrison for Kirk Lowe, pushing Richard Reeves back into the centre of the defence and Harrison’s chip into the box for brother Andy nearly brought rewards just before the close of the half, but his lunge into the box could only push the ball wide of the post.

It took a Gary Fife free kick and a typical Andy Harrison header to give Brocton a lift and an early second half goal and with a better period of passing and movement of their own, Brocton at least made a game of the second period. The best of their chances fell to Richard Reeves who crashed a shot from the edge of the box into the side netting.

But still in that period, Loughborough produced goal threats of their own amidst the assured passing and managed to scrape Brocton’s bar twice before the end.

Loughborough 2 v 1 Brocton

Brocton began this game like a whirlwind. Inside 2 minutes full back Matt Skinner had advanced almost to his opponents’ bye line and put in a perfect cross for Andy Harrison to meet with a glancing header across the keeper, but just wide of the far post. Gary Fife then found Harrison on the right and his cross was met by Steve Bennett, collecting, shifting and lobbing the keeper in one fluid movement. The keeper produced a fine finger tip save at full stretch. Richard Jones, full back on the right side, set off the next move with a ball all along the touch line for Steve Bennett, who had drifted right. Bennett crossed for Gary Fife to meet the ball and slot home at the near post after 9 exhilarating minutes.

James Dyke, on 12 minutes, lifted the ball over the Pilkington back four and Fife nipped through to meet the ball at full stretch on the volley. He got a touch, but no power on this occasion.

Pilkington at last got themselves into the game and a combination of a disciplined back four, catching most of Brocton’s attempts to get past them off side and good movement, particularly on their flanks, it was the visitors who were forced deep and had to defend well to maintain their lead.

As half time approached and the home side began to believe that they could draw level, Steve Bennett beat the off side line by taking the ball through it himself. He had to ride a strong tackle as he reached the penalty box, but got in a powerful shot which the keeper did well to parry. Bennett went left to retrieve the ball and turned to put in a second shot, which the keeper and covering defence managed to block again. Andy Harrison it was who met this rebound, but still it would not cross the line until, at the third attempt, Harrison by this time prone in the box, forced the ball over.

The second period saw both teams with chances and Mike Shelper in Brocton’s goal twice had to spread himself bravely to block attempts in the six yard area, before pulling off a great full length save to his right.

Gary Fife then got beyond Pilkington’s high back line with Steve Bennett in support to his right. The keeper closed down the angle and Fife unselfishly slipped the ball right for Bennett to slot the ball home only to be harshly given off side.

Andre Campbell then replaced Bennett and after a dart through on the right, his first touch was a shot at goal, on target but straight at the keeper. The clearance led to another attempt for Pilkington, which Shelper needed to save at full stretch and he threw the ball for Campbell to set off on another run.

With the surface becoming ever more slippery, both sides continued to attack and defences struggled to turn, but no more real chances came.

Pilkington XXX 0 v 2 Brocton

Wednesday 12th December Brocton v Barnt Green Spartak

It was enormous credit to both sides that his game both went ahead and was played at pace and with good technique, because the conditions could easily have mad the game treacherous. On ground which had absorbed a recent deluge and at zero degrees, the surface was slick to say the least.

Steve Bennett showed his excellent balance and quick feet in the 12th minute when jinking past the Barnt Green back four but being caught on the ankle as he set himself to shoot at goal. The free kick rebounded away from the defensive wall and immediately the visitors were able to show skill of their own in very similar manner as a two footed dribble into Brocton’s penalty area left only Mike Shelper to beat only for the expected shot to be a weak one.

Dave Langston then won the ball almost on the half way line and drove on with it before finding Lee Scott to his right. Scott slipped the ball into Gary Fife’s stride and his shot whistled just wide of the far post.

Barnt Green were then grateful to their alert keeper, who acted as sweeper in almost the whole of his own half, when Mike Shelper cleared their back line for Lee Scott to run on Green’s keeper was quick and just beat Scott to the ball, but the tackle sent the ball wide rather than clear. Scott raced to his right and hit an early lob, whilst the keeper dashed back to his goal. He did not quite make it in time, but the ball drifted just wide of the far post.

The visitors seemed untroubled by the occasional breach of their back line and posed plenty of threat of their own. Once more on the half hour they passed their way through the Brocton rearguard only for the final shot to be directly at a grateful Mike Shelper.

As the half closed and both teams looked forward to an upbeat half time talk with scores and exchanges evenly poised, Andy Harrison almost pinched the lead for the home side. A Richard Reeves throw fell at his feet and he was able to hold off his marker and then turn and shoot from the edge of the box. The ball rebounded from the bar in what was the final action of the half.

It was Barnt Green who came out of the traps the quicker and more determined after the break and for twenty minutes Brocton could do little but hold on. The visitors had their own shot rattle the bar just 5 minutes into the half and then produced an overlap on the left and wicked cross. The volleyed shot was miss hit, but that almost proved to be fortunate as a reaction header, with Shelper still set to save the original shot, whistled wide.

They got their just reward for this period when Campbell finished off the move of the match to date, hitting a smart shot across Shelper to end a five man passing move which Brocton were powerless to prevent.

That was on 68 minutes, but this Brocton side do not lie down and a Gary Fife corner found Steve Bennett’s head minutes later and whilst the effort went just wide, it seemed to lift the whole team.

Another corner soon followed and this time Andy Harrison brought Brocton back into the game. Harrison looked certain to score again in the very next move when he was in on goal following good work from Richard Reeves and Bennett, but an alert keeper arrived just in time to prevent the score.

Harrison did flick on a throw moments before full time, though and James Dyke put the ball into Tom Kent’s path for Kent to bag the winner.

Brocton 2 v 1 Barnt Green Spartak