Matchday 7 Brockenhurst 1 Baffins Milton Rovers 1

13 September 2025

Now, first up, I need to complete that story I started two weeks ago huh?  That weekend ten years ago, Laura and I heading to a random game in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round, Brockenhurst v Mangotsfield United.   Found the ground – yeah, quite impressed with this, better than expected for this level.  Wandered up into the stand and picked a place to sit – yes, the same two seats we still sit in now.  Creatures of habit!  Brock may have been at home, but they were the underdogs; the Mangoes were from the league above, but the Badgers were comfortable 3-0 winners in front of, from memory, 117, and the legend of the mango was born.  (That team included some bloke called Matt Casey, whatever happened to him?)  Anyway, having won that, we had to go to the Second Qualifying Round, a 1-0 win against some team called AFC Portchester; and then the Third, against Wealdstone of National League South.  The visitors were a class above and won 5-1, but the cacophony when Brock equalised just before half-time was great – and Wealdstone’s fourth, late on, was from inside their own half, beyond a despairing Callum Maher, and featured on the opening montage for FA Cup Match of the Day.  And that might have been that, but later in the season Laura persuaded me to go to a home league game against Follands, bottom of the table.  It was freezing, Brock were terrible and lost 1-4; and that really could have been that, but we went to the final home game of the season against Cowes Sports, which was a 5-2 win (and the Cowes keeper became Laura’s favourite opposition player for a while).  A few games the year after, started to get to know a few people and – well, as Laura puts it so perfectly: we made the mistake of starting to care.  First it was home games, then we added away games and – well, here we still are.  Ten years and counting!

Underwhelming start to the season for the Badgers, even if Tuesday night’s result was a harsh reflection of quite a decent performance.  Back to business today in the Wessex, home to Baffins… Liam still absent after turning his ankle in the warm-up at Horndean but new signing Connor Dunesby-Bent straight into the starting eleven. 

The game almost started in the worst possible fashion for the Badgers when Sam Steel miskicked a clearance and allowed Lewis Beale a clean run on goal – Steel got back to pressurise him but he should have done better than shooting well wide.  The visitors looked stronger in the early stages as Brock didn’t come out of the blocks, but they weren’t really creating clear chances.  The Badgers had the occasional break, one excellent run from Freddie Beale ending with a shot which hit the outside of the post with the keeper scrambling.  Jason Parish put a free header over for the visitors; Beale with a cross-shot which keeper Jordi Valero did brilliantly to get down and push away, and 7 minutes from half-time he did better still – yet another chance for Baffins, blocked at the near post but the rebound was sent goalwards and Valero’s lighting reactions saw a hand shoot up and save.  Lewis Beale might also have done better right on the interval, but his first touch was heavy which left a very tight angle for the shot.  Brock had created one chance when Torniainen won the ball high up the pitch and played forward to Freddie Beale, but his shot was wayward when a pass might have been the better option.  HT 0-0

The first half nearly started badly for Brock; the second started worse, 4 minutes in when Beale was allowed the freedom of the box, his initial shot blocked but the ball came back to him and he calmly finished at the near post to give Baffins the lead.  And it could have got worse: corner for the visitors, not dealt with and the ball ricocheted to a Baffins player eight yards out – miraculous save from Valero to bundle it wide.  And then on 56: Beale will still be asking himself how his shot, in space, ten yards out, came back off the bar (the net shook enough for the crowd to think it had gone in!).  And then out of nowhere on 59 minutes, the Badgers were level, a clever pass from Gray to half-time sub Henry Brooks down the right and his powerful shot on the angle seemed to go through Kramer and found the net. 

Easy to see, to be honest, why these two sides are in the lower reaches of the table at this early stage with only one win apiece: generally the defending was quite solid but neither showed the necessary urgency or incisiveness in front of goal.  Having gone behind, Brock had improved and they had a brief period of ascendency.  First Brooks and Dunesby-Bent combined but the final cross was delayed and blocked; and then a typical run from Dylan Walker down the left, leaving his defender for dead, excellent cross but Omarion Mason, on for father Barry, put the finish wide and injured himself in doing so, meaning he was replaced within five minutes of coming on.

Right, would either side find a winner in the final ten?  They should have: first a corner for Baffins, Vucaj with a header five yards out, blinding save from Valero.  And within 90 seconds a long ball forward for Brock, Kramer came out but Brooks beat him to the ball, took it past him – and placed his shot calmly wide of the near post from 20 yards.  That was the chance… and that was that.  FT 1-1

So: a point apiece.  Probably about right, although I reckon Baffins will be rueing quite a few of those chances which went begging and no doubt cursing Jordi for his outstanding man of the match performance.  You always hope, as a sponsor, that you have a really hard choice for the mango, but today’s was ridiculously easy.  The introduction of Henry definitely made a difference, but even so Brock did look quite blunt up top.  Pleased to see a fine late cameo from Harley… and OK, I wouldn’t have taken a draw with half an hour to go, but I would have 5 minutes earlier when we were behind.  Not quite the glorious triumph we were hoping for, but it’s a point.  As for the ten years – well no, we had absolutely no idea, when we crossed the cattle-grid for the first time, that we were signing up for a lifetime commitment!  But we’ve been made welcome, and it’s been a blast.  So let’s start the next ten by starting our winning run on Tuesday against Yateley.