Brockenhurst 2 Sherborne Town 1

16 November 2024

Do you realise that, next week, we’ll be halfway through the season?  Which explains why we’re now starting to play reverse fixtures: last week Baffins, this week Sherborne.  Still not played Portchester (apart from twice in the cups, both away); Blackfield & Langley (apart from twice in the cups, both at home); and Portland, not a squeak.  These joys still lie ahead. 

But first, the Zebras.  They were on a great run through October, knocked out of a couple of cups so far in November – and I am going to say nothing about the away game back in September because it was not a happy experience for Badgers fans.  Let’s concentrate on today…

This wasn’t the best game played in the Wessex Premier today, and I’m confident in saying that.  Brock weren’t at their best, and neither side really hit any heights.  It was mostly pretty scrappy and disjointed, each side mustered a total of three attempts on target: but the win’s worth three points, whether it’s pretty or not, and the Badgers will definitely take this. 

The visitors started the game OK, without looking particularly dangerous.  14 minutes, they won a free kick 25 yards out, pretty central – Cornish’s shot hit the top of the crossbar.  But it was generally quite even, with both sides pretty good off the ball while being inaccurate with it – and then, occasionally, some real quality would break out.  And that happened on 21, with a lovely Brock move getting the ball to Adams on the right wing, and his clever feet made space for the perfect cross, turned home at the near post by Simpson.  The Zebras were generally finding space down both flanks, while Brock tried to play a runner in behind the back line.  On the half hour, a perfect example of each: a Sherborne attack down the left, Hebberd shooting powerfully into the side-netting, followed immediately by Gray winning the ball in his own box and finding Adams in space, whose perfect pass put Simpson through but his shot went just wide of the near post from the angle.  And then, five minutes from half-time, the first of a couple of “controversial” decisions.  A Sherborne break, Wood racing down the touchline, Rhys Taylor blocked his run: obvious yellow card.  Referee Baines was the only person in the ground who saw this as an elbow to the face and a straight red.  No further comment from me, except to add that the manager was also shown a red card, presumably for his reaction (obviously impossible to hear from a distance).  Perhaps it was fortunate that there were only a few minutes to go to the break – a chance to reorganise ahead of another half with ten men.  HT 1-0

Change made at half-time, Moreno sacrificed and Francis on – a welcome return from injury – to shore up the defensive line, with Torniainen moving forward into midfield.  Brock were sitting quite deep and looking to play on the counter, which meant they were coming under pressure but mostly handling it reasonably well – and then on 54 minutes, the second “controversial” decision, Walker taken out on the halfway line by Williams.  He still had, as they say, a lot to do, and there was a covering defender; the referee was possibly the only person in the ground who saw this as serious foul play and issued a second straight red.  A cynic might suggest he was evening things up.  So now, 10 v 10, but the pattern of the game didn’t change, and indeed the visitors started to create better openings.  Cornish saw his header caught by Valero; but 63 minutes, a long free kick was headed back across goal and turned home by Murphy with his first touch since coming on.  Inspired substitution, as they say.   And it could have got even better for Sherborne, because within 45 seconds Murphy was at it again, reaching the byline and seeing his near-post strike just turned wide by Valero.  Three efforts on target all game, and all inside those four minutes!  The Badgers now stirred themselves – first a barnstorming run from Drake, finding Adams whose piledriver was excellently saved by Attwood and the rebound turned behind.  Adams again, finding space on the left, but tried to pass to Simpson when he might have taken it on himself – the cross was blocked, and gratefully grabbed by Attwood.  Time ticking by, a winner gradually seemed unlikely, especially when Gray poked his shot just wide from the edge of the box after beating his defender with ten minutes left.  And finally, when it seemed like the match was petering out, 87 minutes: Adams was fouled out on the left, level with the penalty area; and his free kick was met by the brilliant darting run of Walker to head in at the near post, possibly deflecting off a defender on the way, and the effort, and patience, were rewarded.  FT 2-1

It wasn’t the best performance; Brock have played better this season and lost.  But they showed character and kept going, and that’s a second straight league win.  Tyler is always in the argument for man of the match but the sponsor went for Jake, and I agree: two assists, and responsible for most of the best things Brock did going forward, as usual.   In the end, though, it’s about the team, and how they pulled together and dragged themselves over the line for three points.  Here’s hoping for more of the same next week at Christchurch…