HSC R1 Brockenhurst 1 Hythe and Dibden 1 (3-2 pens)

19 August 2025

Badgers back in action this evening with the first of three successive cup matches, starting by opening their Hampshire Senior Cup campaign against a Hythe & Dibden side who have started the season pretty well – not only coming through the Preliminary Round of this competition, but reaching the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, and with a home game against Lavvy to come which must give them real hope of progressing.  All this while Brock have been beset by issues, some self-inflicted and some just unlucky (injuries!): momentum for tonight definitely with the visitors.  Couple of changes for Brock, as you’d expect for this kind of game, but both sides putting out quite strong teams on paper…

And I’ll open by saying that this was, by a distance, Brock’s best performance so far this season.  Although it ultimately went to a shootout (on which more below), the Badgers should have wrapped it up inside the 90.  More to the point, there was a structure, organisation, the players all knew the plan and believed in it and showed real energy and commitment – and it’s not like the opposition turned up to roll over and have their tummies tickled.  What a difference three days can make.  Right, the detail:

A surprisingly open and watchable game, both teams trying to play football and the ball in the air much less than at Wincanton at the weekend.  Early chances were at a premium with the respective defences keeping the opposition at arm’s length, promising positions foundering on the final (or sometimes penultimate) ball.  Brock were more direct than of late, but in a positive way: not just hoofing it forward, but looking for the forward pass more than the safe pass, and they looked much more threatening because of it.  Even so the first chance of note fell to the visitors, halfway through the opening period, when ex-Badger Carbayo-Borges was able to get free on the right of the box, but the angle narrowed and he only found the side-netting.  And within a minute, Brock were ahead: a neat move, ball recycled to the excellent Keegan Kelly and his shot from 22 yards found the bottom corner.  It did not, in all honestly, look powerful enough to beat the keeper from that distance, but I guess the accuracy did the trick.  After that, Brock could and possibly should have extended their advantage: Steve Walker with a header cleared off the line, Brooks twice getting clear of the defence down the right but crosses blocked for corners, Ollie Davies flicking a header over his own bar… but still only the single goal, and just before the break they were grateful to Liam Macfarlane, not for the first time this season, for not allowing Laptas a clear sight at goal and ultimately deflecting his shot behind.  HT 1-0

Something of a wild start to the second half: within the first 45 seconds, Brock had put in a dangerous cross, lost the ball, and then Hythe broke quickly and forced Valero into a sharp low catch to cut out a cross.  But it settled down and Brock again looked the more likely, although without quite having the cutting edge to put it to bed.  Brooks hit a powerful shot from the edge of the box but straight at (another ex-Badger) Deacon; Channell headed over after a neat move involving Kelly and Dylan Walker; another neat move, this time on the right, involving Burgess and Holmes but a sharp save.  A dangerous Hythe attack, Carbayo-Borges breaking down the right but his cross was beyond Davies, the only player in red in sight.  70 minutes, a perfect cross from Holmes, header from Omarion Mason superbly saved by Deacon… The visitors weren’t offering much by way of attacking threat, but a second goal would have provided that extra breathing space and it simply didn’t happen, opportunities were squandered… possibly the best came two minutes from time when a long pass forward found Ethan Speechley-Price, surely miles offside but flagged on, but his shot was – well, it was high.  Very high. Still rising.  Into injury time, then, the Badgers just needing to see it out – the visitors with the ball near the corner-flag, seemingly well marshalled but enough space to pull the ball back to the edge of the box where Batt missed his kick but Rhys Crooks didn’t, and shot through the bodies to equalise.  FT 1-1

Penalties then – anyone watch the Euros?  This lot had – first five saved (yes, five).  Then Jack Torniainen and Toby Colmer scored for Brock; Charlie Hewson and Marcel Laptas scored for Hythe; leaving Steve Walker with a kick to win it – saved.  But Flooks blazed over the bar, Sam Woodward converted calmly, and Brock were through.

Does a win on penalties count?  Hell yeah!  Even more than the result, though, this was about the performance.  Brock showed that there’s a way to be positive and progressive without always having to look for one more pass; and they showed a real energy and determination, intercepting passes and looking forward, not giving up the whole of the midfield and just focusing on defensive shape.  It was a huge improvement on anything so far this season, and it was a glimpse of what this group can do.  Keegan Kelly was the best player on the pitch, but so many players had good games (I’ve hardly mentioned Jamie-Jay or Jack, but they both deserve a nod).  This squad showed what it can do – I’m not going to pretend it was perfect, the lack of the killer second goal shows that – but it was good, and it can get better.  And let’s hope that starts at Beatrice Avenue on Saturday, because another decent run in the Vase would be magic…