MSF Brockenhurst 1 New Milton Town 4

19 February 2025

Not so much a mid-season friendly, this: a charity game between two friendly neighbours to raise money for Jordan Chiedozie.  His tragic story has been well documented (if you need a reminder, go to https://bashley-fc.com/latest-news-1/f/club-statement---events-of-1st-february-2025) and this was a great gesture.  Credit to both clubs for that.  Tonight wasn’t ever going to be about results or goals or… or wasn’t it?  Sure, fundraising is the purpose, but the Linnets are top of Division One and – well let’s stop right there, because no, tonight wasn’t about results or goals.

My “deal”, my “promise to self” is that I write a report on all the games I’ve been to, even if those reports are sometimes quite short.  Hey I’ve even written reports on games I haven’t been to; and once on a game that didn’t take place at all!  So I feel an obligation to write something about this, for what it’s worth, but I won’t overly detain you.   Neither side was at “full strength”, whatever that means in this context: Brock made an injury-enforced change in the first half, five more changes at half-time and at least another two subs in the second half, not including Jamie-Jay coming back on when Jesse was injured.  (I know, where did all that lot come from, when we only have three on the bench most Saturdays?! New Milton also made changes but the absence of teamsheets and sub boards mean that I have no idea how many.  They also brought four ex-Badgers, not including the most recent two departures – Jack, Toby, Toby and Snells – good to see them again, whatever the circumstances. 

So, the game: a frantic start before the game settled down into Brock having more of the possession and territory, but the visitors sharp and incisive on the break – and they’d already taken the lead in four minutes when Hector Rayner raced down the right, cut inside and curled his shot in at the far post.  Brock got into some good positions but squandered them; New Milton looked dangerous on their forays forward.  Atiako-Hall hammered a shot against the post on 7 minutes when he didn’t appear to have room to get a shot away, but the final ball was consistently poor until just before half-time, Bunce seemingly lost patience with his teammates, beat two players and smashed a terrific shot against the far post.  And then, right on half-time, finally Brock got the final pass right, Walker had a tap-in, and it was all square.  HT 1-1

If the first half had lacked intensity, the second lacked – rhythm, shape, pattern… the changes for both sides were completely understandable and it was great to see some youngsters on the pitch, but it was a really poor half of football.  The Linnets scored three – Bailey following a defensive mix-up, and two for Lane who twice simply ran past his defender and slotted home calmly.  That was all done by 64 minutes, and the game rather petered out – Brock never looked like they would mount a serious comeback.  More goals might have followed: Thornton in particular for New Milton, super pacy, should have had at least one, and Adams hit a tracer bullet of a shot just wide.  But it was a relief to all concerned when the ref blew for time. FT 1-4

Worth doing?  For charity, 100%.  To get some minutes into legs returning from injury?  Definitely.  To give a few youngsters a run-out with the first team?  Why not.  Congratulations to New Milton Town – we’ll see you next season!