Matchday 35 Baffins Milton Rovers 2 Brockenhurst 0

7 April 2026

You know something I forgot to mention on Saturday: Noel’s goal was the 100^th that New Milton had conceded this season.  If they’re wondering why they’re at the foot of the table, there’s a pretty big clue right there…

Moving on – that wasn’t a great afternoon for the Badgers, and an away game against direct playoff rivals was either the last thing they needed, or the perfect opportunity to get back on the horse.  I’ve always quite liked the PMC Stadium, which changes with every visit as they make improvements and upgrades; Brock haven’t done so well there lately, but then Baffins have become a very decent team and they’re making a concerted effort to get themselves into the end of season bunfight, starting the game two points ahead of the Badgers and on a fine run of form. 

This was a very watchable game between two of the better teams in the division; the hosts edged it because they were slightly better in each box, but Brock will have left thinking about what might have been.  Nearly a calamitous start for the Badgers – 34 seconds on the clock, Zack Willett finding space on the right and volleying over the bar, curiously given offside anyway – that’s two games in a row where the opposition have had a chance inside the first minute!  4 minutes, Willett again down the right with a powerful run into the box, keeper Ben Puleo down at his near post to block the cross-shot.  But Brock grew into the game and played some good stuff of their own, Dylan Walker and Freddie Beale both getting some joy down their respective flanks and forcing the home defence to stay alert.  13 minutes, a sharp break from Baffins, and boy did they break sharply all evening, this time Harrison Brook with the driving run but Willett couldn’t make a proper connection at the back post and the ball went wide.  22 minutes, the closest Brock came in the first half, a corner only cleared to the edge of the box and Henry Brooks with a shot from 25 yards which went just wide of the post.  Handbags on the half-hour mark, a challenge on Brooks not given as a foul and some Badgers were visibly upset by this, resulting in a bit of a melee.  Little scrimmages broke out several times this evening, for no obvious reason – it wasn’t an overly niggly game but it wasn’t helped by the officials making some odd decisions and never having proper control.  The odd decision on this occasion was a yellow card for Toby Bailey, who was nowhere near the incident, wrongly identified by the assistant (to be fair, it wasn’t personal, he barely got a decision right all evening and the home fans were at least as frustrated with him as the visitors!).  And then came the only goal of the first half, 37 minutes, not for the first time a long ball forward aimed towards Zack Willett, and he took it down, into the box, and finished calmly into the far corner to open the scoring.

A side-confession here.  I’ve always been a bit of a fan of Zack Willett.  I remember him playing at the Meadens for Horndean three years ago, and he was outstanding in a 5-0 away win.  Every time he picked up the ball, something looked destined to happen, usually not in a good way for Brock!  Too good for our division, I thought.  So he’s three years older, and now he’s back at this level for a few weeks; he doesn’t appear to have lost much of his pace and he still terrorises defences, for all that Brock didn’t handle him too badly.  Mostly.  Anyway, on with the game –

Two minutes after that opener, we almost saw something very special; Puleo came for a long ball forward but realised he was only going to win the ball outside his area, so headed it forward.  Willett, quick as lightning, turned and attempted a bicycle kick from about 22 yards.  It went just wide; it would have been goal of the season.  One final alarm for Brock when Rossi gave the ball to Beale, but Beale then gave it back (!); and one final chance, a clever move which saw Toby Colmer inside the box but Dylan Kramer closed the angle and made the save.  HT 1-0

The game had been tight enough, with both sides very good off the ball and chances at a premium, to suggest that a half-time lead was valuable – especially as Brock had struggled to create clear chances of their own.  A second for Baffins would surely be enough… 35 seconds, careless defending, Willett with a low shot which Puleo scrambled to save down by the post (opening minute of both halves, wake up Brock!).  But that second goal came after 52: another incisive attack from the hosts, Danny Burroughs with a turn inside the box, clumsily tripped by Drake, stonewall penalty converted by Lewis Beale.  That left the Badgers with a mountain to climb, and this particular mountain always looked like it was going to be a bit too steep.  No shortage of effort, but Baffins stayed disciplined and, with a two-goal cushion, they could afford to stay in defensive shape and try to catch Brock on the counter.  They nearly did so several times (a shout-out to Will Giles who came off the bench and put in a great defensive shift)… Brock were trying to push forward, Toby Bailey on 70 minutes, a shot out of nothing from 25 yards which hit the bar, one minute later a great run down the left from Giles, good cross cleared for a corner – but that was as close as they came, and on 73 minutes another of those quick breaks, Willett gave Drake 5 yards but got beyond him and looked to be in on goal, Drake with a desperate attempt to clear only caught the striker’s ankles, the easiest straight-red decision for ref Rayan Thomas.  What metaphor do you use when a mountain that was already too steep becomes even steeper?  (A dog with no legs trying to climb Ben Nevis?  One for the Blackadder fans amongst you.)  Even so, Brock did fashion one more decent chance, a deep cross from Bailey, headed down by Colmer but Kramer was equal to it with a low save.  A couple more instances of handbags before the close, for no obvious reason, but the game was up.  FT 2-0

Overall, I wasn’t too despondent with this performance.   Both teams were very good off the ball for most of the game, and chances were limited.  The Brock defence should take credit for how well they marshalled an impressive front-line… but in a game of fine margins, those few errors were hugely costly.  Ethan had his best game in a Badgers shirt tonight, for my money, but Brock weren’t quite sharp enough in the final third against a very solid defence.  I think the players were more disappointed than I was, and yes of course I get it – go away from home, play well, but get punished for a couple of lapses – but this was way, way better than Saturday.  Even so, looking at the league table, the playoff goose is nearly cooked.  Elsewhere: Hamble Club confirmed their place in the playoff spots, which had looked inevitable for some while, and even more inevitable, AFC Stoneham wrapped up the title with a win at Bemerton.  What a season they’re having, still in four cups including the Vase Final, and now with the ultimate prize of promotion in their pocket.  Fair play to them, best team in the league by a distance.  And for Brock – it’s off to The Dell on Saturday to see if we can puncture Lavvy’s playoff balloon.