HSC2 Horndean 5 Brockenhurst 0

9 September 2025

Couple of years since the Badgers visited Fiveheads (now rebranded as the Kingsmere Group Stadium), and this was a tough ask against a team from a higher league, even though the Deans have had a tricky start to the season.  To make matters more difficult for Brock, this was something of a scratch team – lots of absences through injury, holiday or other unavailability (including new manager Devlin!) which left a group of decent players but not all in their preferred positions and unlikely that they’ll ever start together again.  And then Liam Macfarlane had to pull out in the warm-up: bad times.  Rossi to centre-half, then!

The final score suggests that this was a very one-sided game, and in one sense it was – Horndean were the better team, as befits a group from Step Four, and they were never in any danger of losing the game.  The other side of that story is that Brock worked exceptionally hard and, for much of the 90 minutes, the hosts certainly knew they were in a game.  They had that little bit more quality, took (some of) their chances, snuffed out (most of) the counter-attacks, but it was a lot more competitive than the result would imply.

Brock struggled to gain a foothold in the early stages of the game, and they fell behind as early as the 4^th minute when keeper Puleo misjudged a long ball out to the left – thought he could get there, beaten to the ball by Ollie Godziemski who finished accurately from 20 yards despite the best efforts of the Badgers defence to get back.  A minute later and Godziemski with another opportunity after some slack defending, this time straight at Puleo, but it looked like Brock were in for a long evening.  they were struggling to gain any meaningful possession in the opposition half and duly fell 2-0 down on 14 minutes when Godziemski (that man again) arrived at the back post to meet a long, deep cross and made a difficult finish look very simple.  But now the Badgers did start to grow into the game, Steel with a long pass out to Walker whose shot was blocked behind, and there were other moments where good positions foundered on the final ball.  The Deans were maybe happy with their advantage, a little less urgency, although Anelay should probably have done better on a couple of occasions.  The closest they came to extending their lead was just before half-time when a shot deflected off Rossi and somehow span wide of the post.  HT 2-0

Second half, playing downhill – and anyone who’s been to Fiveheads knows that it really is a hill!  No doubt that came as a relief because the workrate had been exceptional in the first period.  Fast start needed for the Badgers, but the hosts dominated the ball in the early stages and didn’t really allow Brock a sniff.  Meanwhile, the Content Adviser was busy fixing boots for the subs… Ten minutes in, and a free-kick for Horndean about 30 yards out – hits the post with the keeper beaten!  I didn’t spot who this was because I was expecting a cross!  Then Anelay went on a great run, leaving two defenders trailing in his wake, but blasted wide… made amends four minutes later when he reacted best to a bouncing ball into the box and hammered a shot in at the near post to end any slight flicker of an upset.  No heads dropped: 66 minutes a great move, Burgess and Torniainen combining, Walker arriving to scor- no, keeper Myles Bowman managed to deflect the ball just wide.  As the game wore on, the Badgers did start to look a bit ragged, perhaps unsurprisingly, and Godziemski completed his hat-trick on 71 minutes: best goal of the three, a fine cross and a brilliant header into the top corner.  Another chance for Brock, Walker again, this time sent clear on the left and his pace, even at this stage of the game, taking him clear and into the box but Bowman saved with his legs.  And then four minutes from time, Brandon Chebby scored the fifth with a flick-header at the near post which somehow found its way over the line.  FT 5-0

To be honest, I wasn’t too hopeful for this evening (sorry guys!), away games against teams from Step 4 are always going to be tough.  But this really wasn’t a bad performance, everyone worked exceptionally hard and against a lesser team that could well have been enough.  Credit to Marce for not looking out of place in an unaccustomed position, but overall credit to everyone for sticking at it, not letting heads drop and making sure the hosts had to work for it.  Fine margins, and all the margins tonight were in the hosts’ favour.  They deserved it, no doubt, and good luck to them for the rest of the season.  And for Brock: back home on Saturday for Baffins.  It’s a big day for me and the Content Adviser, as you’ll know if you’ve been paying attention, because it’s our ten-year anniversary game – no pressure then, guys!