Matchday 25 Brockenhurst 0 Andover New Street 0

17 February 2026

So, almost unbelievably, two home games in four days for the Badgers (after 48 days without one)!  Fifth against ninth, six points between the teams but the visitors holding two games in hand: this was one to look forward to.  A few missing for Brock tonight, and at least one missing for the visitors (get well soon, Heath!) but every reason to expect a decent game.   I usually think that the run-in starts with about ten games to go, and there were 14 to play before this evening, but with Street and Lavvy in the next few days, and with so many teams in and around the playoff zone, this felt like the start of it…

And yet… this was the ultimate brief candle, tale of sound and fury, signifying nothing-nothing.  The sound and fury came mostly from the visitors, resulting in no fewer than three sin-bins, two of them overlapping to leave them playing with nine men towards the end of normal time – more on that in due course.  Or I could tell a different tale, of organised defences against blunt attacks, and that would be true, too.  Either way: it was disappointing fare from two sides who promised better.

In the first half, almost nothing happened.  George Bennett headed over the bar for the Swifts within 90 seconds; Toby Colmer headed wide for the hosts on 22 minutes; Toby Bailey pulled a shot wide from the edge of the box; and Jake Rawkins hit a free kick just past the post.  However, there were no fewer than five yellow cards, one for kicking the ball away, one a sinbin for Zach Hine, one ridiculously harsh.  Other, more blatant fouls were allowed to pass; Mr Davidson did not have his most convincing game.  To be fair, nor did either team.  HT 0-0

The arm-wrestle continued in the second half.  The ball spent a lot of time in the air and there was little flowing, incisive football; maybe too much to ask on a heavy pitch.  Andover New Street did have a shot within 12 seconds of the restart (tamely at Jordi Valero) and on 54 minutes, Brock had their best moment: a clever through-ball, McCarthy-Gardiner in on goal but a tight angle, well saved by O’Brien.  From the resulting corner, a great downward header from Toby Bailey, superb reflex save from O’Brien.  Walker and Demira both found the trees behind the Street goal from decent positions; at the other end, Marcelo Rossi was outstanding in the Badgers defence, snuffing out danger before it could result in a clear shot.  75 minutes: sub Malachi Dotse with a header, a diving save from Valero, the closest the visitors came.  Then on 82 came a sinbin for Higgins (no idea what he’d said), followed on 84 by a sinbin for Dotse, who was furious that Brock were given a goal kick when he wanted a corner.  He was right, as was obvious to everyone in the ground except Mr Davidson… But even against nine, Brock never looked like they would break the deadlock: Street sat back, in two banks of four, and Brock passed the ball around 30 yards out, seemingly unsure what to do next.  They might have snatched it on 90 minutes, a sharper passing move resulting in a cross-shot from McCarthy-Gardiner which clipped the top of the bar; Andover might have nicked it in overtime when sub Roocroft was given the freedom of the Brock half, but ultimately shot tamely at Valero.  One final, looping header from Colmer, and that was that.  FT 0-0

Good marks for effort; not so many for artistic impression, tonight.  It was a pretty ugly game, chances at a premium, things not quite clicking.  Toby got man of the match for being everywhere as usual, leading the charge and putting out fires; and that was harsh on Marce who was outstanding at the back.  If we could have given a joint award, we would have (but there’s no such thing as half a mango).  One point is better than none; on to the Dell on Saturday!