Matchday x Laverstock & Ford 2(A) Brockenhurst 2(A)

24 October 2026

So the thing I didn’t mention on Tuesday was that Brockenhurst were presented with their first ever 360 Player Wessex Premier Division Club of the Month award at half-time.  With thanks to others who did all the research, it looks like the only other current Prem club who haven’t won it are Sherborne, and they only moved over a couple of years ago, so let’s say this was overdue!  Unfortunately it was quite a low-key presentation, conducted at half-time, which is why it didn’t register for the report of the game, but even so – good times.

On the pitch, and a tough away game for the Badgers.  A fellow blogger (if you haven’t read Dmitri Old, you should, he’s superb, https://lordcanislupus778part3.wordpress.com/2026/) – anyway, he recently compared Lavvy to the Crazy Gang of yore, which you probably need to be nearly my age to understand, and that they’re “a ferocious team who love punching bigger teams on the nose”.  Dmitri, do you really think this lot are the Bash Street Kids?  Other comparisons may be available… actually they’re a really good side, resilient for sure but not only resilient – there’s quality in this team.  They reached the playoff final last season and only lost on penalties, and they seem to be a pretty settled group. 

I spent a few hours this morning wondering whether this game would go ahead, seeing various Wessex games postponed and looking at the shocking forecast for the afternoon.  But no, the hosts were adamant that the pitch looked great and – well, you have to try, right?  And try the two teams did, to no avail.  A bit of a scratch side for Brock, with some new injuries to add to old, and Speechley-Price taking up his occasional role as centre half (where he’s generally pretty effective).  Vile afternoon from the off… and Brock in front on 3 minutes, a pass overhit, comfortably to the feet of keeper Zac Roberts, who took a step, slipped, lost control and saw Toby Colmer seize on the loose ball and calmly find the net.  “Not one for the purists” – every goal kick taken by Roberts saw him lose his footing and take a huge divot out of his penalty area!  To be fair to Lavvy, they were passing it around reasonably well – TJ Moseley with a shot superbly saved by Valero – but Brock could easily have increased their lead, first with a sweet pass through to Palmier, superbly tackled 8 yards out, and then McGrath, busting a gut to keep the ball in play down the left, perfect cross beyond the keeper and Palmier arriving at the back post to the put the ball…. wide.  But the Bulldogs found their feet and levelled on the half hour, a corner headed in off the underside of the bar by – possibly a Badger head. Four minutes later they were in front, Brock lost the ball tamely in midfield, a remote man in muddy green and white flew down the right and hit a powerful shot, well saved but the rebound converted by another remote man in muddy green and white (possibly Moseley).  Harsh on the Badgers but turnaround complete, and nearly worse two minutes later when Moseley picked the ball up and powered a shot which came back off the face of the bar and into play.  But heads didn’t drop, and right before the interval Ashton Palmier beat the defence to a long ball forward, controlled the ball and shot past the keeper into the… just about into the net, the ball almost stopped in the water but just had enough to creep over the line.  HT 2-2

And from that, you’ll realise that an abandonment was the only possible outcome.  There was standing water gathering all over the place and it was becoming both a farce and a risk.  So, all that – the goals, the rain, everything – apparently that didn’t happen.  What did happen was a very obvious injury to Jordi, clear the moment he did it, looked like a quad: all my best wishes to him for a speedy recovery.  We go again next week!