Hamble Club 1 Brockenhurst 0

7 December 2024

There was a mid-season friendly, wasn’t there, last Wednesday… and I’m afraid to say that neither I nor the Content Adviser made it.  Late notice, both had other commitments we couldn’t shift, really sorry to have missed it but well done to the lads for a win.  And then we were kyboshed by Darragh at the weekend (a good call by all involved), but pleasing to get the game rearranged so swiftly…

And so to the Abbey against high-flying Hamble Club, who’ve been having a sensational season.  Second in the table and only three league defeats all year, one of them back at Grigg Lane in the dog days of August.  Recent form being what it is, the small hardy band of Badger followers probably weren’t travelling with too much expectation of a repeat.

Hamble Club took all three points with a goal on the hour, but this felt like an unlikely point which got away for Brock.  The Monks, missing their captain (suspended again, Matt?), probably weren’t at their best, and for the most part the Badgers defended well, and they did create a couple of golden opportunities to score themselves – a draw wouldn’t have been undeserved on the balance of play.  But one team scored, the other did not, and ultimately that sums up the evening. 

The hosts started fast, and indeed for ten minutes were pretty much camped in the Brock half.  Honeysett volleyed wide after 32 seconds following a misunderstanding in the defence, the ever-impressive Roach was in space on the right but volleyed just wide of the near post, Douglas might have shot from the edge of the box but recycled the ball.  Brock then stirred themselves, and had a brief spell of sustained pressure, starting with a looping shot from Simpson which hit the angle of post and bar, deflected across goal and seemed to hit the other post before being hacked away… not far enough, ball back to Gray whose shot hit the bar, the rebound finally turned over by Bunce.  On those small moments… While the Monks continued to dominate possession and territory, the Badger defence, in particular Wellman and Drake, were standing firm and clear openings were few and far between.  On the half-hour, Johnson powerfully headed over from a corner when he might have hit the target; then Roach, looking well offside, broke down the inside-right channel but pulled his shot across goal.  Back up the other end, a mazy run from Bunce, a dangerous cross sliced by a defender against his own post, the action ending when Burgess lofted the ball over the bar.  On those small moments… HT 0-0

While defences had mostly been on top in the first half, there had been plenty of action and opportunity, and it only takes one mistake or one bit of quality to make the difference.  Hamble looked the more likely, and Brock often struggled to retain possession with the ball coming straight back at them every time they cleared, but you just never know do you?  It’s the hope that kills you.  51 minutes, a fine save from Valero at his near post.  And then on the hour, the decisive bit of quality: a long ball out to sub Michel, who ran at Drake, cut inside and shot across goal from the edge of the box and beyond Valero to score at the far post.  That changed the balance: now Brock had to find a goal, which was looking less likely as the game progressed.  Midway through the half Simpson broke into the box and seemed to lose control of the ball as he was challenged by two defenders but somehow he still got his shot away, bringing a sharp save from Newman, whose previous action in the second period had been restricted to three pressure-free back passes.  Hamble might feel they should have tested Valero more – Ghosh and Honeysett with long-range efforts, and Douglas with a much better one which whistled just high and wide.  Into injury time and Roach, who had a reasonably quiet game, twisted and turned his way past the central defenders, made space and hit a good low shot which Valero did well to push away.  One last free kick (a dubious award), taken by Josh Taylor, pulled wide of both wall and goal, and that was that.  FT 1-0

“On another day” doesn’t really cut it in football, does it.  It was this day, and in the end it wasn’t quite enough.  No criticism of those who were out there, but a team with Jake and Rhys in it is always going to be stronger than one without them.  Would it have made a difference?  Yes, I think so, especially because we might have been able to hold the ball up better.  Even so, Brock were generally pretty good without the ball and while Hamble did most of the pressing, they weren’t exactly peppering the goal.  The defence looked solid.  The missing ingredient, again, was a real goal threat – a couple of great chances squandered but otherwise not enough created.  Let’s hope we can put that right on Saturday against Portland United.