Matchday 17 Christchurch 1 Brockenhurst 1

8 November 2025

Did you know… Brock don’t have another midweek league game scheduled until we host East Cowes Vics in April?  There are a few cup games ahead, of course, and no doubt there will be a couple of weekend postponements as we move through the winter, but the great advantage of playing so many games early in the season is that we’re ahead of the curve.  And you certainly won’t find me complaining about fewer freezing Tuesdays (nor, indeed, about more cup games because it’ll mean we’ve kept on winning!).

A tough test for the Badgers today, away to near-neighbours Christchurch.  The MA Hart is a decent stadium, for all that Brock’s recent results there have been a bit disappointing.  Unusually, the game arrived with both teams in passable form – and with the hosts naming a couple of quite recent ex-Badgers in their line-up! 

This wasn’t quite the classic “game of two halves”, but not far short.  In the first period, the Badgers were dominant: controlling the ball and territory, but not finding their cutting edge to turn it into goals.  Possession, position and a home defence which seemed on the verge of panic on several occasions but, credit to the Church, they dug in and they cleared pretty much everything thrown at them.  There was one notable exception; 24 minutes, Walker picking up the ball on the left, cutting inside, shot blocked but straight back to him so he took the ball past another player and found the far corner from the edge of the box.  A stunning goal, the least the Badgers deserved, but there was that lingering feeling that they might be made to pay for not creating the chances to extend the lead.  Well into injury time they were given a reminder of why that mattered – one long ball forward, chased down by Joe Freak (who covered an astonishing amount of ground all afternoon), managed to get a shot away from a tight angle – saved by Valero but the rebound back to Freak and he drove it across goal but nobody had followed him in and that was half-time.  HT 0-1

The hosts made a couple of tweaks at half-time and played with a bit more intensity.  Brock survived the first five-minute onslaught and seemed to have regained their control, but Church grabbed that initiative back with some real energy, doubling up on Holmes and gradually winning the midfield battle.  Toghill shot wide from a presentable position… then on the hour, the hosts won a corner which somehow went straight through the area, flicking off a defender for another corner – this one leading to pinball in the box before Lewis Freak smashed home the equaliser.  Half an hour to go, but the defences were mostly on top for the remainder of the game, with remarkably little goalmouth action.  Brock didn’t get the rub of many decisions, especially in their attacking third, but for the second time in a week they didn’t really create enough, while mostly keeping their opponents at arm’s length.  A draw was, ultimately, probably fair enough.  FT 1-1

You know, at the start of the afternoon I said I wouldn’t be devastated with a point although of course I hoped we’d get all three. Writing now, I’m pretty disappointed, because if Brock had been 3 up at half-time it wouldn’t have flattered them on the balance of play.  But one goal was all there was to show for it (although, what a goal that was, Dylan!).  No criticism of work-rate or attitude… Henry had a great game at right-back with plenty of attacking intent to go with his defensive duties… Toby (only one of them this week) worked exceptionally hard… anyway, now we have a clear week to work out how to score a hatful against Poppies!