Christchurch 3 Brockenhurst 1

8 February 2025

Do you remember the first game between these two sides this season?  31 July at the Meadens, fans in shorts, hopes and dreams burning bright for all Wessex clubs as the season got under way.  Fast-forward to the return game: February, bitterly cold, and mid-table realism has set in for both these two: tenth and twelfth in the table, separated by a solitary point.  Too late now realistically for either to launch a last-minute dash for a playoff place: it’s a time to keep heads above water and put something together in the final ten games to stand in better stead for next season.

But blimey, have you seen the run that Christchurch have been on lately?  Since 21 December they’ve played six, won five and scored 26 in the process – hitting six on three of those occasions.  A proper test ahead then for the Badgers back line, with their proud new record of two clean sheets in three… and captain Wellman joining Steel on the injured list, not the ideal start.

For 45 minutes, it looked like the hosts were going to have another of those goal-scoring sprees.  They were sharper, faster, stronger, organised – for my money, simply the best half that any team has played against the Badgers this season.  Brock looked shell-shocked: not dealing with the pace, physicality and movement, lacking in confidence and too often looking languid while their opponents were intense.  A clever pass out to the left on ten minutes, Toghill with a quality cross but Joe Freak arrived just beyond the back post and could only slice his shot wide.  It mattered not; five minutes later, another break down the left, crossed to the back post and full-back Dove arriving to score.  Difficult conditions to play out from the back, but the Badgers were determined to do so, too often playing themselves into trouble… Dove, outstanding player of the first half, doing his defensive duties with authority and almost setting Sheehy through but Valero claimed just in time.  But 25 minutes, Brock in an attacking position, ball played back to Channell near halfway who lost the ball and suddenly it was two on one, a neat pass leaving Chipangura (one of the many ex-Badgers in the Wessex!) a simple tap-in.  Worse to follow within a minute: two Badgers playing colliding on halfway (leaving Taylor in a heap and having to be subbed), another break, Sheehy with the pass for Joe Freak to extend the lead to 3-0.  In the remainder of the half Webber blocked a shot on the line, Freak had a shot straight at Valero and then into injury time Freak shot over from a good position.  There were a couple of Brock forays, but to no avail; as one-sided as you can imagine.  HT 3-0

Brock made a change at the break, went to three at the back – was that the only reason the game was transformed?  Walker came on, providing pace and determination.  Burgess was as impressive as at any time the season.  Gray the metronome, setting the tempo and running the game.  It only brought a single goal – the one disappointment – but the two halves were otherwise night and day.  To be fair to Church, Toghill did hit the post from range early in the half, but Brock were largely dominant.  One super move, Walker’s shot blocked by Watkins; and then the goal, on 66, a Simpson penalty after Lewis Freak (who otherwise had a very good game) blocked a cross with his arm.  Webber then had a good effort saved by Rodwell – and the Badgers couldn’t get that second goal which might have brought some home nerves, Burgess with a powerful header into the side-netting and Adams with a cross-shot just grabbed by Rodwell.  But those efforts were in the last eight minutes, by which time Hall had shot narrowly wide for Church, and then Chipangura had been played through – well offside – and chose to fall over in the box, surprisingly not booked for simulation by the otherwise excellent referee Headington. He even booked Lewis Freak late on for kicking the ball away (an action described by someone close to me as gormless), and those bookings haven’t happened nearly often enough the season.  In injury time, with the game won, sub Meddah hit a great shot which clipped off the top of the bar with Valero beaten.  FT 3-1

Really hard to summarise this game – first half was really tough for Brock against an outstanding Christchurch team (and where was that form, for the first half of the season?!).  Second half, a completely different story, Brock were excellent and might have given the hosts a fright if they could have snatched a second.  Luke was superb, Jamie-Jay back to his best, credit to the second-half back three who were solid in an unfamiliar shape – the team as a whole slightly short of goals, and that continues to be the problem.  Even so – a tough test, ultimately not passed, but no disgrace.  And a personal disappointment, the unusual ground furnishings seem to have disappeared!  OK, that’s me done – until Andover New Street next week.