Matchday 13 Brockenhurst 5 Bemerton Heath Harlequins 0
20 October 2026
So, after the chaos of Saturday, a chance for Brock to get straight back on the horse with a home game against the Harlequins – who have had a couple of decent away results recently, not least at the weekend with a surprise point at Ham Rec. Actual rain, and quite a lot of it, never threatened the postponement of the match but it did make the pitch heavier than it’s been so far this season, so that was an unexpected thing for both teams to contend with!
This was a thoroughly professional performance by the Badgers, resulting in a comfortable home win and a very welcome clean sheet. Bemerton worked hard and showed the occasional glimpse, but for most of the game Brock were in the ascendency and the scoreline didn’t flatter them. Their first shot came as early as the second minute, a corner only cleared to the edge of the box from where Dylan Andrews narrowly cleared the bar; closer still on six minutes when a classy interchange of passes between Palmier and Walker led to a deep cross, headed back in by Colmer and Speechley-Price hit the bar with an overhead kick. One minute on and Harry McGrath picked up a pass from Mubiru, floated in a perfect cross, keeper Gunstone-Grey just managed to get a desperate palm to the ball and paw it away from Colmer’s head. No matter, on eleven minutes the energetic Walker, full of running this evening, won a free kick 25 yards out… and while the defenders were distracted by the melee of players gathering near the far post, Ashton Palmier lifted the ball over the wall and in at the near post, yet another sensational direct free kick! 17 minutes: Palmier with a ball into the box, McGrath beat two men and was clearly fouled before getting his shot away – shot well blocked by Gunstone-Grey but the Badgers – and their fans – were adamant that it should have been a penalty. Roll forward three minutes, Palmier taken out in midfield, ref played a dubious advantage, McGrath with a clipped ball into the box and Toby Colmer arriving at the back post to send a low volley past the keeper for 2-0. Excellent finish and perhaps some credit due to the ref! To this point it had been quite one-sided, but now the Harlequins did stir themselves and create a couple of opportunities, first Ethan Trigwell flashed a cross through the box which Capend couldn’t quite get a toe onto, and then on 28 minutes a cross hit Rossi and went behind for a corner. It seemed to hit his arm and the visitors wanted their own spot-kick, and on another day it might have been awarded; but that was not this day. Valero made a couple of sharp takes, Trigwell with another cross this time just too high for Capend, and right on half-time a short corner caught the Badgers out, Tyler Sheath with the cross and Drake just managed to get the ball up and over his own bar. HT 2-0
The inevitable fast start to the second half for Bemmy, winning a very early corner and Matthews with a header which was goalbound until Valero managed to get his fingertips to it and palm it away, but Brock rode out the storm and started to create for themselves again: a great pass out to Speechley-Price on the left, he cut inside but in making room for the shot he delayed too long and eventually the ball cannoned off a defender and away. But on the hour, the game looked done – McGrath with all the hard work this time, out on the left, his shot beating the keeper and turned in almost on the line by Dylan Walker. That looked a mountain too far for the Harlequins, although three minutes later Brock almost gave them a route back into the game when Valero left his box and was unable to clear the ball properly, it broke kindly for Mossakin who had a clear shot, albeit from about 25 yards and on an angle, but it was off target and cleared. More near things for the Badgers, Walker’s shot cleared off the line by Matthews, and then with a cross when he might have shot, and then McGrath found space in the box but was forced wide and his cross was blocked by a defender… 73 minutes, Speechley-Price out on the left again, this time with a powerful shot, Gunstone-Grey got a firm hand on the ball but couldn’t get any distance and Ashton Palmier was following in to head into an empty net. There was one more melee in the Brock box, Burke had a shot blocked and the follow-up was tame, but in the 90th minute Brock completed the nap-hand, McGrath with a shot from 22 yards which Gunstone-Grey looked to have covered, but the power on the shot meant he could only deflect it into the corner. FT 5-0
All round, a very satisfactory night’s work. Strong in defence and – and I’m going to stop right there because I was going to list pretty much everyone, and they all deserved it. Ash with two more goals, Harry with a goal and two assists, but it takes a full team, and each of them, in their own way, contributed to a very solid performance. The only disappointment was the attendance: maybe a few more results like this will bring a few of them back. Delighted to see the attitude from the second half on Saturday carried forward, and we’ll need more of that at the weekend away to Laverstock & Ford, always a tough place to go. But for now, let’s enjoy this one! Up the Badgers!
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