Brockenhurst 2 Baffins Milton Rovers 1

9 November 2024

Home comforts for Brock today, then, after a couple of tricky away games.  In fact the last home game in the league was in early October… and recent results meant that there were more than a few things to put right.  Brock’s last league win was back in August at Cowes… Recent performances have shown improvement as some of the many injured squad members become available again, and there have been a couple of cup wins, but Baffins came into the game as clear favourites.  Some random facts in passing: this was Brock’s first reverse fixture of the season, having lost at the PMC Stadium at the start of October; and secondly, this was Brock’s sixth game against Brett Pitman since his arrival in the league, with one draw and no wins to date.  And welcome back to Grigg Lane for James Mayo – always welcome, even if he’s playing for the opposition!

The game had barely begun when the pendulum swung even more firmly towards the visitors.   65 seconds, Bunce went to bring down a high ball, the defender came from behind him and was caught on his lowering head.  Free kick, for sure.  With a stickler of a referee, possibly a very early yellow card.  On this occasion, a straight red (which took another minute to issue) – extraordinary, exceptionally harsh, but Badgers down to ten and facing a pretty stiff challenge for 87 minutes. 

To say that they rose to this challenge is something of an understatement.  Brock were magnificent: organisation, discipline and above all work-rate were outstanding, and the points were deserved.  At no point did it look like 10 v 11; at no point was it simple one-way traffic.  Indeed, in the first half Brock were clearly the better team, although chances were at a premium for both; Drake made an excellent block at one end, Bell repeated the action at the other.  Gray and Torniainen combined to play a cute pass into the box which Walker couldn’t quite reach; a deep cross for Baffins over everyone, ball recycled, good cross excellently claimed by the faultless Valero.  On the half-hour, Baffins stole the ball high up and Pitman tried to lob Valero, but hit it straight into his arms.  Another brock chance – excellent feet from Simpson, bursting into the box on the left but hitting a shot which is probably still rising now, three hours later.  But then, three minutes from the break, quality pass forward from the outstanding Adams, intelligent run from Walker to get in front of his defender, ankles clipped – penalty, calmly converted by the nerveless Simpson.  HT 1-0

The locals had been commenting during the interval that surely Baffins would step it up in the second half: play quicker, exploit the space and seek to tire the hosts.  And they did, a bit; but not as much as I expected, not least because they weren’t allowed to.  Excellent move from the kick-off, cross from the right, flick-header just wide from Parish.  But Gray kept Pitman pretty quiet all afternoon (in a playing sense, anyway), and Brock kept up the effort, won a corner on 55: Wellman’s goalbound header just deflecting wide off a defender.  Second corner – no mistake this time, Wellman heading home for 2-0.  Suddenly, some of us up in the stands were pinching ourselves – and five minutes later a brilliant pass from Adams sent Simpson free in space down the left.  He had plenty to do… and his shot crashed back off the bar.   That would surely have been curtains, but Baffins still believed they had a chance of winning the game: a clever move, ball headed back to Pitman 14 yards out, his firm shot well held low down by Valero.  Torniainen attempted a long shot which deflected off a defender, wrongfooted Mayo and slipped just wide.  The final ten: starting to believe… Valero made three good, solid catches (Parish should have tested him more)… Brock were mostly pushed back but they were still breaking forward when they could, and Mayo made one final point-blank save from Adams.  And then 45+6, a scrappy Baffins attack, whistle blew, penalty to the visitors.  I honestly didn’t see what this was for: the ref was much closer, he was sure, he showed someone a yellow in the melee – and Pitman scored.  Just time for Brock to kick off, launch the ball into touch, and the final whistle to blow.  FT 2-1

Well, that was a coupon-buster!  Absolutely magnificent performance: I’d need a whole crate of mangoes.  Tyler was given man of the match, and quite right – but I’d have agreed if they’d picked any one of about nine!  There will be some very tired Badgers this evening, but I guess some very happy ones too.  I have rarely felt so proud of a Brock team walking off the pitch.  I have to add: Rhys was brilliant, Jake was brilliant, Dylan was tireless, Luke shut Pitman down (and a first win against him!), Tyler was simply awesome, Jack will need a replacement Duracell… and that’s not fair on anyone I haven’t’ mentioned.  Congratulations to everyone, and sleep well!