FAV1 New Milton Town 2 Brockenhurst 2 (4-2 pens)
10 October 2026
Amazingly, no midweek game for Brock – the most dedicated of you will know that we took ourselves off to Stoneham Lane to watch a Step 4 game. And it was fun but it was also quite sobering – they’re good, Step 4 teams, little warning for Premier Division teams who aspire to promotion (and let’s face it, Fareham are doing OK this season and they struggled badly last year).
Anyway that’s all for another day – today was the big Forest Derby game that these two teams have been looking forward to ever since the draw was made. “Form goes out the window” and other cliches, although both teams are in pretty good shape at this point – Brickies flying at the top of League One (despite a disappointing midweek cup defeat), Brock top of the Prem form table. So, a classic in store…? Brock had a new face at left-back (welcome to Sam Bradford) but most significantly, they were missing the injured Toby Bailey – who now to drive them forward, in body and soul, cajoling and offering his observations?
Well, maybe this wasn’t a classic – more energy than quality, not helped by a strong wind, but definitely plenty of tension, right up to a penalty shootout to decide it. In all honesty you wouldn’t have known these were teams from different divisions, and New Milton probably felt slightly aggrieved not to have wrapped things up within the 90… they started fast, the Brickies, Callum Clarke finding space on the right but smashing the ball across, no chance of controlling that! 3rd minute, a shot from Broad, saved by Valero… a minute later, some neat play from Palmier for the Badgers, McGrath turning his shot just over the bar. All a bit frantic… but on 12 minutes some football broke out, a shot from Clarke bringing a superb diving save from Valero, ball recycled and played to Elliott Pearce-Eavis who had made a clever run into the box and completed a classy finish over the keeper to give the hosts the lead. Brock tried to press, Ugwumba saw a cross headed out from almost under the bar, corner to Brock – misplaced, Brickies on the break, Pearce-Eavis suddenly finding himself through… good shot to the near post, excellently saved. Brock continued to press, McGrath slid Colmer through, fine save Lloyd Thomas… another goal seemed certain – Palmier brought another excellent save from Thomas, and then finally on 27 the Badgers levelled, Harry McGrath (inevitably) finding that yard of space in the box and coolly beating the keeper. Back came the hosts, Walker just managing to get a touch on a McCarthy-Gardiner shot which spun across the goal and wide. There were half-chances, Valero intercepting 40 yards from his goal, Ugwumba shooting out of nowhere – and suddenly a golden opportunity for the hosts, Clarke getting the benefit of a lucky bounce, powerful shot – surely going in, hit Dylan Walker on the arm almost on the line… yellow card only (someone will know why this is) but a stonewall penalty… McCarthy-Gardiner… Valero flinging himself to his right to push the ball away. HT 1-1
So, level at half-time, and both keepers had made some very good saves (most notably Jordi)… New Milton made a couple of changes, which perhaps showed the strength and versatility of their squad. Early skirmishes brought no clear openings, but on 54 a Brock clearance was blocked and Lowes had a sight of goal, 25 yards out, but shot wildly. He had a better chance two minutes later from an angle after the ball had ricocheted around, and this time Valero had to tip over the bar... But 58 minutes and the Badgers grabbed the lead, smashing run from Chika Ugwumba down the right, perfect cross, headed home by Harry McGrath. Four minutes later, that lead almost evaporated when Dan Bradford mistimed a pass back to Valero, hit it too high and much too strong, keeper called into a flying save to tip the ball round the post (incurring a yellow card for handling the back pass!) – the shot from the free kick was blocked, the rebound from Husher went through the ruck and bounced off the inside of the post and away. Sometimes, it’s not your day, and maybe it wouldn’t be theirs... four minutes later, that theory was put to bed – superb from the right from Dixon, Jake Carswell stole in for a free header at the back post to level things up. OK, quarter of the game to go, who would find a winner? In the end, neither of them, although the Brickies were in the ascendency for most of that period. Valero with yet another fine save from a cross-shot, then some more pinball and a chance for Pearce-Eavis blazed well over the bar… but Brock did finish more strongly and they might have grabbed the victory with two minutes to go, a kind deflection off a defender left Harry McGrath in on goal, ten yards out – very good low save from Thomas, but that was the chance, and no more were to follow. FT 2-2
So, penalties. McGrath and Gatera for Brock, Lowes and Carswell for New Milton. But then Andrews saw his kick saved low by Thomas; McCarthy-Gardiner scored (three great pens for the Brickies), and then Palmier, the Badgers’ most reliable penalty taker, cleared the bar, leaving Niall Dixon to roll in the fourth and win the tie. (4-2 pens)
Tough to take, this. If anyone ever wonders why I say how important Toby Bailey is, just watch the game today. Not faulting the effort, but he makes this team play. Jordi was magnificent, man of the match for Brock. Sam Bradford had a good debut, Henry Mubiru came on and looked tidy, but… well, to reprise a conversation with another fan the other night, if you aspire to win the Vase you should be happy enough with a tie against a team from Step 6, even if they are your local rivals and even if they are top of the league. But overall, New Milton deserved to win the game, good luck to them in the next round. And the games come thick and fast – Hedge End Rangers in the Southampton Senior Cup on Tuesday!
Comments