Tuesday 22nd January 2025
Midland Floodlit League Youth Cup Semi Final
Brocton v Bilston Town
It was a physical and well-fought contest between the two sides in challenging cold conditions, Brocton took advantage of their early domination with a goal after fifteen minutes after a ball across the face of goal wasn’t cleared properly, allowing an unmarked Rafa Torchalla to tap away and give the Badgers the lead in this semi-final. Jude King was brought down in a dangerous area, and an early yellow was shown to Peck for the foul, but the freekick cleared. Another yellow would be shown not long later, Henry Smith bringing his man down from behind, forcing the referee to act. Just before the thirty-minute mark, a Brocton counter was ended abruptly when King was brought down on the edge of the box, with another yellow issued, this time to Gettings, but fortunately for the visitors the freekick deflected out for a corner. A fantastic switch of play from left to right, found Millington running at goal, but the Wright does fantastically well to smother the shot. Brocton would finally get their second, after Torchalla flicks one over the Bilston backline to meet the run of King, who knocks it around the goalkeeper and into an open net to double the lead; but the two goal lead wouldn’t last for long, as a Bilston corner is punched by Hough and into one of his own players, allowing Sale to slot away the rebounding ball to make it 2-1just five minutes later. Just before the break, Brocton would restore their two-goal advantage, after Reid’s corner is headed in at the near post by one of the Bilston defenders to make it 3-1, and that’s how the score would stay going into the break.
HT: Brocton 3-1 Bilston Town
The young badgers began the second half similarly to how they’d gone about their business in the first, another Reid corner is headed in at the front post, but this time by one of his own players, Dylan Millington rising the highest to power one into the Bilston net and make it 4-1 after 50 minutes. Substitute Darragh O’Connor slipped a world-class ball through the lines to feed Millington, who was taken out by the on-rushing goalkeeper, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot – Saunders stepped up and places it into the top left corner to score the badger’s fifth of the game, 5-1. Brocton were brought back down the earth quickly though, as just two minutes later a silly foul allows a free kick to be whipped to the back post and be headed by the Bilston player to make the score 5-2. Fortunately, the Badgers got back to their best, dominating much of the ball in this strongly contested game, with around fifteen minutes remaining another line-breaking pass finds Millington on the right and he calmly slots it past Wright to score his second and Brocton’s sixth, 6-2. A ball into the Brocton box was punched away calmly by Hough, and the full-time whistle blew not long after.
The Badgers fought hard and put out a strong performance against a physical Bilston side, and will meet Rushall Olympic in the final, who beat Newcastle Town on penalties in the other semi-final.
FT: Brocton 6-2 Bilston Town
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