Brockenhurst 0 Laverstock & Ford 4

5 October 2024

Bit of an aside before we start today – last night I had the great pleasure of watching the U-18s take on Eastleigh in the FA Youth Cup.  Ultimately, the Spitfires came out on top by the odd goal in five, and to be honest they were the more composed on the ball, dominated possession and should probably have been out of sight before Brock got a late goal to make the closing stages interesting.  But there was some impressive stuff from the young Badgers, especially in the first 20 minutes of the second half when they played with real aggression and put the visitors under real pressure – scoring once, and threatening to take the lead!  And this against a defence marshalled by Coby Killick, who the Content Adviser and I made man of the match in the Division One play-off final for Millbrook in May.  Another of the starters has featured against us this season as a sub for Downton: Eastleigh have some fine players, and going toe-to-toe for so long was hugely impressive.  I’ve never seen the team before so it’s hard to pick players out, but that’s never stopped me before: Elliot Wells grew into the game, scored the first goal and was really lively until injured; Aaron Batista led the line on his own and ran himself into the ground; Will Giles improved throughout; and Marcus Clark had a really solid game at the back.  But the whole team can hold their heads high.  Magnificent crowd of 242, too!

Right, today’s action, home to Laverstock & Ford who have been something of a thorn in the side lately.  Brock badly needed to get back to winning ways in the league, too, having gone through the whole of September picking up only a solitary point.   Some tough games in there, to be sure, but some others which slipped away…

But this was another really disappointing day for Brock.  They might have taken a first-minute lead: super free kick from Adams which ran through the box and would have been a tap-in at the back post if anyone had made the run… nobody had.  Then Torniainen whistled a shot just wide of the post on 8 minutes: home hopes still high.  But 11 minutes: a long ball, not cleared, Jones was standing unmarked and didn’t connect with his cross-shot the way he’d have liked – but it hit the far post and went in.  Suddenly the visitors started to look much more dangerous: a free kick taken deep to the back post, and Lovegrove just unable to get enough on it; ten minutes later, another deep free kick, this time beyond the back post but Lovegrove standing in splendid isolation to head across and in for the second.  In the meantime, Lavvy might have scored a comedy own goal with a rather hurried pass back to the keeper who standing outside his box and he only just prevented it from going over his head… Adams was by far the most likely for Brock – once denied by excellent defending from Fletcher, and then swerving a shot wide.  And then, right as the clock ticked round to 45 minutes, Adams and Fay won the ball high, Fay burst through two challenges, chipped the keeper beautiful to the near post – and the ball bounced back off the bar.   When Lady Luck has left the building… HT 0-2

The next goal was going to be crucial… 53 minutes, another set piece – this time a corner – to the back post, headed in by Lovegrove, again unchallenged.  Heads might have dropped a little at this point, but actually the Badgers had their best period of the game.  They put a couple of neat moves together which were crowded out, and then on 62 a quality move which resulted in Moreno skying the ball over from the edge of the box.  But that was a close as Brock came.  With 13 minutes to go they won a free kick which wasn’t dealt with, the ball broke loose but nobody could capitalise… however, Lavvy hadn’t given up, firstly a strong run from Campbell-Smith, past three or four half-challenges, before firing a shot which Butler did well to tip round the post; but then 82 minutes, a corner, a header, a goal – Matthews this time, Pearce-Eavis desperately tried to clear, and also nodded the rebound away, but finally the assistant raised his flag to indicate that the initial header was over the line.  Still time for McKenley-Burke to loft a backpass just wide of the far post from about 30 yards – Butler was helpless – and even for Moreno to go on a mazy run, beating four players before shooting straight at the keeper (first shot on target, 87 minutes).  Lovegrove wanted his hat-trick and shot narrowly wide right on 90, but not to be.  FT 0-4

I’m not going to spend a long time dwelling on this one.  I could give some credit to Tyler for another huge number of defensive headers and interceptions; and also to Jake for his industry and for being the most creative player on the pitch.  But anyone who watched the first month of the season, and especially those two successive six-goal away performances, will wonder where the magic’s gone.  Yes, the luck has occasionally gone against us.  Yes, there are 11 players out injured by my reckoning.  But are they all a massive improvement on the starting XI?  Most of this group were involved in the August campaign too: they’re good enough.  But right now, something’s not working, or at least not often enough.  And it needs to start working soon.