Hythe & Dibden 1 Brockenhurst 3

19 April 2025

Journey’s end for Brock: one final game, back at the scene of a 6-2 Vase triumph in August but also a Southampton Senior Cup semi-final defeat earlier this month against Millbrook.  Amazingly, the final day has arrived with every team having played 37, one to go – top marks to Andover New Street for hauling themselves off the floor this week and winning twice away from home to guarantee a playoff spot.  All of which means that there’s only one matter to be determined: Hamble or Baffins for the final playoff place, and the small skirmish to work out the finishing order behind Portchester and Stoneham which will determine the seedings for the final act.

None of which was of any interest to these two teams: mid-table security / obscurity, depending on your point of view.  The hosts still had an outside chance of a top-half finish; Brock knew they’d be 16th or 17th.  Not an awful lot riding on this one, then, beyond New Forest pride. 

And for all that, it wasn’t a bad game – and nobody told these two sides that it didn’t matter.  Brock had one of those afternoons where things clicked, playing some neat football and enjoying themselves in the sunshine.  Four minutes exactly: a neat pass from Bunce into Torniainen, took the ball past his marker and shot on the angle from 25 yards – top corner, blinding goal.  And the Badgers looked pretty comfortable with their lead without being able to add to it, while Hythe were only occasionally looking dangerous.  One such occasion, 13 minutes, a dangerous cross but Laptas didn’t get enough on it and the ball ran harmlessly wide.  22 minutes, a great run from Josh Batt down the right, ball pulled back but Carbayo-Borges took his time to control the ball and the shot was blocked – a first-time shot might have caused problems.  One corner, straight through the box with no touch from anyone.  Another corner, brilliant save Valero (didn’t see who got the shot away through the crowd).  Harrison Fay had clipped a shot just over the bar, and finally Brock did burst back into life – a classy ball forward from Bunce, Channell in on goal and tried to lob the keeper but didn’t get it high enough.  And three minutes from the interval, the Badgers won a free kick 30 yards out.  Too far?  Nope – Jake Adams, postage stamp, brilliant strike.  Just see it through to half-time… 50 seconds into injury time, another Hythe shot into the crowd, hit Burgess on the arm from a distance of about a yard, penalty given.  Seen’em given I suppose… and on this occasion, seen’em saved, Laptas’ shot grabbed by Valero low down to his right.  HT 0-2

OK Badgers, keep it tight for 10, 15 minutes… not a bit of it.  It took the hosts 56 seconds to pull one back.  Tom Lycett has a mighty throw, as good as a free kick, and on this occasion it wasn’t properly cleared, bounced around in the box and was thumped home by Crookes.  But the two-goal lead was restored on 52 – a sharp break, sub Romario Todd-Jackson played a 1-2 with Fay and (despite looking well offside) ran through on goal… his shot beat keeper Deacon and rolled slowly towards the far post… slowly… hit the inside of the post and rolled into the net, his first goal for the club.  That lead could have been extended midway through the half: first a clever move out on the right which created space for Adams whose shot was just tipped away at the far post by Deacon, and three minutes later a snap shot from Todd-Jackson which the keeper did well to get down and push away  – a real shame he got clattered shortly after and had to go off.  Rare defiance from the hosts, a blistering run from Carbayo-Borges to the byline, his deep cross not collected cleanly by Valero but Louie Thompson smashed the loose ball over the bar.  Not done yet – another of those amazing long throws causing panic in the Brock box, and a header crashing back off the bar – cleared – a Badgers break – Walker sent sub Aaron Batista through but Deacon got just enough on the shot to divert it onto the top of the bar.  Batista nearly redeemed himself four minutes from time when he chased down a long ball, won it off the defender close to the line and pulled it back but Walker could only poke it wide of the far post.  And then, just as the clock was about to tick over into the red zone, it all kicked off – a foul from Walker, but a dangerous and aggressive reaction from Batt which earned him a red card.  He’d been on a short fuse all afternoon, including telling the assistant ref to stop panicking, and this was the moment it blew.  In the ensuring melee Deacon obviously said something inadvisable, because he got a sinbin which led to the improbable sight of Carbayo-Borges donning the gloves for the last few moments.  Alas, Brock didn’t manage a shot in that time so we’ll never know if a positional change is a realistic option.  Wisely, the ref decided not to overly extend the game…  FT 1-3

A really enjoyable afternoon for Brock fans – two sublime goals, a first for Romario, a penalty save, three points, sunshine… there haven’t been enough of these, but that’s for the season review which will be with you in a couple of weeks.  Lots of good performances, lots of solid performances, not picking anyone out today but just enjoying the final day victory. So what does a Badgers fan do, now the season’s done?  Well, for a start, he wanders off to the first playoff semi on Tuesday…