Matchday 6 Portland United 2 Brockenhurst 0

6 September 2025

This week, for something a bit different, I took in the FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round tie between the Brock U-18s and Fareham Town.  Smashing attendance of 134 (not sure where most of them were hiding, it felt quite sparse!) and a great 2-0 for the young Badgers.  Both goals came from corners, one a header on 55 seconds (yes you read that right) from Ryan O’Mara and then the second on the hour from Zack Green after a proper ruck in the 6-yard box.  A watchable game between two decent teams, lit up by the excellence of Elliott Wells, best player on the pitch by a distance, quicker in thought and deed than everyone else.  He was playing the lone striker role and he chased down so many lost causes – turning some of them into great chances too – I was amazed he lasted the game because he must have been exhausted!  Brock were brave on the ball, too, which was a real positive for me.  Congratulations to them, and I hope I can get to the First Qualifying Round game against Dorchester Town. 

So, back to the first team and the annual trip across Dorset to the Isle of Portland.  Let’s be honest, it’s a good ground – if only it weren’t so far away!  I hardly need to say that there was a stiff breeze because, well, it’s Portland!  First match in charge for new manager Steve Devlin, what would he have up his sleeve?   And a first outing for the new away kit – really like it, looks great!

A quietly watchable game, teams quite evenly matched – and I say “quietly” because, on reflection, there was remarkably little goalmouth action over the course of the 90 minutes.  The excellence of the pitch (top marks to the Portland groundsman!) nullified by that stiff breeze which made accuracy particularly difficult.  The Badgers did have an effort after 90 seconds, Torniainen from the best part of 30 yards just clearing the bar, and Beale and Burgess were combining well down the right without quite finding the right final cross.  At the other end, a nervous moment on 23 minutes when a back-pass fell short of Valero, and Steel had to cover urgently.  It was at this point that the home manager berated his team for “overcomplicating the transition”, which isn’t something you hear in the Wessex every week!  A couple more crosses from Beale, a couple more interceptions ahead of Walker – Brock were looking light up front, and they were punished on 35 minutes when Patrick Jenkins, dangerous on the left all afternoon, beat Burgess on the byline, his shot was blocked back to him and his second, blocked again, fell to Greg Borthwick and he scored from close range.  A second might have followed shortly after when Brock’s defence was confused by the swirling wind, Borthwick nodded down and Nixon shot from the edge of the box, drawing a diving save from Valero.  Still time for another mazy run from Beale but he pulled his shot wide from the edge of the box.  HT 2-0

Brock started the second half with their best move of the game, another Beale-Burgess combination with a low cross to the near post, Toby Colmer arriving but putting his shot just wide.  For the hosts, Josh Camp hooked a shot wide from 20 yards (a great strike); Jenkins stormed down the left and put in a great cross which Borthwick couldn’t quite reach… but the two defences were on top, and while there were some nice combinations and some decent ideas from both sides, neither really looked close to troubling the respective keepers.  Until finally, with 4 minutes left, a powerful shot was blocked by Valero, rebounding to Jenkins but he could only loop his attempt back to the keeper.  And then two minutes from time, Dugdale lost the ball in his own half, Torniainen made a challenge, Coombs played the proverbial sack of spuds and the ref awarded a penalty.  Maybe I’m being unkind; it did look soft, but the ref was good all afternoon and I didn’t hear many Brockers complaining when we got a soft one last week.  Either way, Nixon scored; it changed the scoreline but not the result, which by that stage was always going to be a home win.  FT 2-0

So what did Steve Devlin have up his sleeve?  Unfortunately, a few players missing, which didn’t help… some good patterns, positive signs – but today was a day for a big target man up front.  That’s said with absolutely no disrespect to Dylan who runs all day and is a great asset, but in those conditions Brock really needed someone who could hold the ball up and be physical with the defenders, rather than trying to run in behind.  We just looked light and a bit toothless, for all the effort and the neat patterns; the home keeps didn’t have a save to make.  Personal view: Jack had another decent game, Freddie was a livewire when he got the chance (especially first half), but the Badgers standout for me was again Liam, commanding at the back and barely putting a foot wrong.  The tests don’t get any easier this week, either, with a very tough Hampshire Senior Cup tie away at Horndean.  Big challenge, or free hit?  Come on you Badgers!