Matchday 24 Brockenhurst 2 Hythe & Dibden 1

14 February 2026

Am I the only one who’s starting to think that the season won’t be finished before about July?  Yet another postponement in midweek, leading to a hastily-arranged friendly on the artificial surface at Shaftesbury – a foggy start, which brought back some pretty unhappy memories of a previous visit, but it cleared and a good workout ensued.  The hosts won 3-0, but Brock were missing a few and didn’t do too badly.  Useful minutes under the belt, couple of fresh faces, very decent performance from Jamie, Devs on the pitch for half an hour…

Back to competitive action at last and a first home game since December.  The visitors hadn’t played since going out of the Vase on penalties in the middle of last month – and they hadn’t won in the league since 18 November, three months ago!  Against that, before today they’d still only played 18 of the scheduled 38 games … so while the visitors came into the game languishing in 18^th, they had plenty of power to add if they could get it right. 

Ultimately the Badgers secured all three points, but this was a game of few chances, played on a heavy winter pitch – playable and safe, but not really suited to flowing football.  The visitors had come to defend, and to grab what they could get – and they very nearly got something.  Disciplined, organised and determined, they were largely playing on the break and relying on the energy of their front three, but that wasn’t a bad tactic.  Rossi made an excellent interception ahead of Sexton-Chadwick early on, and for all Brock’s possession they were struggling to create a clear opening.  Freddie Beale had a free kick which deflected off the wall and wide… then on 27 minutes a great run from Ollie Davies down the left, superb cross just too high for Sexton-Chadwick – and obviously something had upset Jordan Rose because he found himself in the sinbin.  Could Brock take advantage of the extra man?  No: keeper Oakley Parnum made an excellent save when McCarthy-Gardiner was slipped through, and then a very deep cross from Beale, outstanding diving header from Walker near the edge of the box which flew just over the bar.  And then came the sucker punch, on 40 minutes: Torniainen made an excellent challenge but the ball broke to Davies near the penalty spot and he made no mistake, giving the visitors a precious lead.  It might have got better still, Fay and Davies combining on the break but debutant Lewis Toms got back to make the challenge.   And two minutes into overtime, the Badgers levelled: a powerful, curling free kick from Demira, well saved at full-length from Parnum but Toby Colmer, following up, bundled the ball home.  HT 1-1

The second half followed a similar pattern: Brock with more of the ball but struggling to find the right pass, bogged down in the heavy conditions, while the visitors were always dangerous on the break.  Hythe were gifted a chance on 51 minutes when Valero and Rossi tackled each other on the edge of the box, but Davies could only find the side-netting from the angle.  Shortly after, Rossi’s clearance went straight to Davies 25 yards out, but his shot was tame.  Colmer cleared the trees behind the goal from a decent position for the Badgers, and Toms hit the top of the bar with a curling shot from the touchline… was it intended as a shot?  Only he knows… Brock had gone to a back three and it led to some defensive uncertainty, the biggest chance for the visitors came on 63 when Rose was found in acres of space on the right, made headway towards the edge of the box but declined the shot, passed to Davies who tried to pass back and Toms, again, got back to snuff out the chance.  That should really have been 1-2; a minute later it could have been 2-1, Colmer with a powerful run through the centre, out to Beale who fizzed in a cross and there was pinball in the six-yard box, I think Parnum made a couple of good saves but impossible to be sure through the crowd.  In the last 15 minutes, Brock did look the more likely – a volley just wide from McCarthy-Gardiner, and then a powerful shot from Beale, tipped over… and finally, on 88 minutes, Beale found Walker down the left, a fine cross and Jamie-Jay Burgess arrived to glance a perfect header into the corner of the net. Brilliant finish, out of context with much of what had gone before, and it proved to be enough.  5 minutes into overtime, a long throw for Hythe reached Fay in the box, but his good turn only saw him shoot wide, and the game was done.  FT 2-1

Fair to say that Brock made pretty heavy weather of it today, but take the points and move on.  Absolutely blinding header from Jamie to win it; some really solid defending from Marce and Liam; but new boy Lewis was man of the match for the number of fires he put out all over the pitch.  (He also won the award for muddiest player, which is what Bailey-style workrate will do for you…)  The next green team to visit Brock will be Andover New Street on Tuesday, and better will be required, but a win’s a win.  And elsewhere – huge congratulations to Stoneham, through the quarter-finals of the Vase after a win on penalties at Haywards Heath- who are currently top of the Step 5 PPG table.  Keep flying the flag, Purps!