Matchday 6 Brockenhurst 3 Horndean 2

5 September 2026

September already!  And matches are going to be coming thick and fast this month, with a midweek game between each of the Saturdays.  You get the sense that the squad will be important, because there are bound to be some niggling injuries over that time…  starting at home to Horndean, Champions in 2022/23 but relegated back down to the Wessex for this season.  Some more squad headaches for manager Devs, with about 15 injured defenders (OK, I exaggerate) plus the absence of others for holiday, work… So it was a pretty young team and a pretty young bench: energy, but not necessarily experience.

The last couple of games have been frustrating for the Badgers, a real sense of “what might have been” but no points.  And to be fair, they started this game superbly – 69 seconds on the clock when Elliot Wells slipped a clever pass through to Harry McGrath, in on goal with only the keeper to beat, but Harris Osman spread himself and made the block when a dink over him would have – ah, it’s easy from the stands.  Corner for Brock, not cleared, hooked goalwards by Drake, deflected just wide.  Another corner, not properly cleared, Ugwumba with a shot just over the bar from the edge of the box.  A matter of time before the deadlock was broken, surely… yes, 4 minutes, Kev Ngombi for the visitors – nonstop threat throughout the first half – won the ball in the Brock half, powered towards the byline, put in a cross – which hit a defender and went in for an own goal.  Six minutes later and worse was to follow, the Deans won a corner, free header for Jordan Sullivan, 0-2.  I think it’s fair to say that even the visitors might have been surprised by the scoreline at this stage, but the goals were in the book and the Badgers had a mountain to climb.  And to be fair, heads were not allowed to drop: driven forward as ever by captain Bailey, the hosts continued to play some decent stuff without quite finding the killer touch.  A free kick which ran through the box with no fewer than three players not quite reaching it; a super move between McGrath and the impressive Esteban Batista (superb backheel!) but the shot deflected just wide; but while there weren’t many alarms at the other end, Ngombi broke powerfully and got to the byline and pulled back to Bosworth, great save with his legs by Jordi Valero.  And finally, on 37, Brock found their lifeline – clever play from the industrious Elliot Wells, a cross clipped to the back post where it was headed home by Harry McGrath.  Brock were now pretty much dominating possession, although the high line was always risky and Millo saw his shot blocked – but into injury time the Badgers were pressing again, some clever play in tight spaces around the edge of the box leading to Ugwumba hammering the post from a tight angle.  But, not to be.  HT 1-2

Brock had been good in the first half, despite those two early goals, but perhaps lacking a bit of intensity and sometimes trying to be a bit too clever – putting the ball at risk when it really wasn’t necessary.  They started the same half in exactly the same way – losing the ball in their final third and grateful that Ngombi cleared the bar with his shot.  42 seconds on the clock!  49 minutes, another heart-in-mouth sweeper-keeper moment from Valero, just about managing to win a tackle against Ngombi 30 yards out but the ball didn’t go far and was recycled to Orepo, whose cross went behind all his teammates.  55 minutes, that man Ngombi again – a menace in most complimentary sense – won the ball on the right and put in a superb, teasing ball which Valero just managed to claw away from the far post, conceding a corner – which sailed through the box and missed everyone, keeper, defenders, attackers alike.  Not sure how!  On the hour, another chance for the Deans after another defensive mistake, this time Millo with the shot, expertly saved Valero.  Brock were having more of the ball but not creating much… and then a real chance for Brock, superb cross from Bailey, McGrath with the header 8 yards out but straight at Osman.  67 minutes, Brock corner, McGrath header – wide.  A shot over the bar from Ugwumba (“we like the cut of his jib” was the fan consensus).  And finally, when it was beginning to feel as though this might not be Brock’s day, 15 minutes to go, another attack for the Badgers, the ball reaching Sami Makhloufi 25 yards out, and he smashed a shot like a tracer bullet into the top corner for 2-2.  Magnificent strike, and no less than the hosts deserved on the balance of play.  And still plenty of time to find a winner, for either side… after all, goals on the break still count!  And a chance did fall for Kevin Bosaka for the Deans, about 20 yards out… let’s be kind and say it might have bobbled, but it sailed out of the ground and is probably still on its way to Sway.  Then with eight minutes left, the visitors didn’t help their cause when Charlie Luff was sinbinned for arguing about a throw-in (maybe it was an accumulation of complaints?)… Bradley Letheridge, strong and mobile, found space to curl a shot just wide… but two minutes into overtime, a fine pass found McGrath racing into the box and he took the ball past Osman and found the far corner from a tight angle, beating two desperate retreating defenders, and Brock had snatched the winner.  Bedlam in the stands… still five more tense minutes to see through, but the Badgers held firm and claimed the points.  FT 3-2

Phew!  At 0-2 I wasn’t full of optimism, even though Brock were playing OK… self-inflicted goals still count against you in the ledger.  But this was a really gutsy, determined performance, heads not dropping, going right to the end – and deserving it, on balance, although inevitably pressing forward and leaving some gaps for a stretched defence.  In fact, The Mango Collective had a really difficult choice for man of the match: we could have made a good case for Marce, Esteban, Elliot, Chika – and then Harry made a late bid with his second goal, but by that time we’d already settled on captain Toby for another all-round display, driving the team forward and covering almost every blade of grass.  And now, the next three games are in three different competitions: the Vase next weekend at Frimley Green, the league on Tuesday week against Sturminster Newton – but first up, Fareham Town at the Meadens in the Hampshire Senior Cup.  See you on Tuesday!