Matchday 21 Downton 7 (seven) Brockenhurst 1

24 January 2026

And so, finally, four weeks later, the Badgers get back into action.  Ironically it’s a third successive report from the Nest for me – when we came to watch a random cup tie at the end of December we had no idea that Brock would get three successive postponements and that this would in fact be the site of their return!  Before that enforced break, the Badgers had been in great form: 26 goals in their last five games, three successive clean sheets in the league.  You have to assume that there’s still be training, so recognising one another wasn’t going to be an issue, but momentum, the elusive quality sought by all successful teams, had clearly been lost and would need to be rediscovered. 

When these two sides met at Grigg Lane on Matchday 11, they served up a 3-3 draw with chances a-plenty.  This was a completely different game: Brock were missing some key players through suspension and holiday, and it really showed.  They struggled to gain any control in midfield, and rarely managed to retain the ball in the final third.  Against that, Downton were clinical, quickly closing down and moving the ball quickly on a very soft surface.  It took the Robins 19 minutes to open the scoring, but they’d already had some decent chances: an early Pitman turn and shot, well pushed away by Valero; a Moore header from a corner which flashed wide; a couple of last-ditch tackles on Pitman and Whitfield, and a last-minute interception from Torniainen ahead of the lively McGrath.  So it was no surprise when the hosts took the lead – a Brock throw in their own defensive third, ball lost, moved quickly across the pitch the right, Burbidge with a cross-shot into the far corner.  Ten minutes later… the Badgers gave the ball away again in their own third, the ball broke to Pitman near the edge of the box and his shot seemed to go through Valero’s hands for 2-0.  And within two minutes, a long ball forward, Torniainen seemed to be in control against McGrath but he slipped, McGrath pounced, simple finish.  HT 3-0

To be honest, the Brock massive – and there were quite a few in attendance, fair play to them – weren’t really expecting a dramatic second-half comeback.  Understandably, the players looked just a fraction less sharp than before the long break, through-balls not finding the mark, opportunities not being created.  The most important thing was to start the second half well and keep things tight… not to concede within two minutes when a corner was only half-cleared and was powered back in… Downton appear to have given the goal to Ronan Moore, I confess I thought it was Griggs with the shot, but from the way McGrath ran away celebrating I assumed he'd got a touch.  Fortunately, I have no official role here, so I’ll just say it was 4-0 on 48 minutes and the game was done.  The Badgers did then up their game and have some possession and some territory, and the Robins defence lived dangerously a couple of times, but there was no clear opening… and then, 69 minutes, Downton came forward down the left, cross into the box, and the next thing we knew there were three players on the floor – the ref (who was good all afternoon to be fair) gave a penalty for a foul on Pitman, not sure who was deemed the guilty party and it was very slippery… Pitman duly scored from the spot.  Brock did get one back with 15 minutes left, Dylan Walker with a brilliant run down the left and finishing with a cute lob over Casey; but then the wheels fell off.  Firstly a long ball forward, half-defended but returned with interest by Artem Mosiakin, a belting shot into the top corner; and then with five to go, a bit of a defensive calamity for the Badgers, Pitman able to play a 1-2 6 yards out before completing his hattrick.   By this time the rain had returned with a vengeance and, if the game had gone on for another half-hour, there was a real risk of it being abandoned; but in fact there were 5 to go and justice was done.  FT 7-1

It happens, I guess.  We badly missed our Tobys, for both energy and leadership; struggled to hold the ball up in the final third against a good defence; some players just a bit off it; and very obviously, the starters tired towards the end, both physically and mentally.  Nobody had a terrible game, nobody gave up, but this was a proper hammering.  It doesn’t happen to Brock very often, and it wasn’t a comfortable watch, but let’s move on.  Getting out of the overflow carpark, which was basically a mudbath, was even more fraught!  So let’s see if the rain will relent for long enough for us to get back on track at Sherborne on Wednesday.