PSF: Brockenhurst 0 Newport IoW 4

20 July 2024

Doesn’t seem like it’s been 24 hours since etc… so, no preamble, on with the show. 

Something of a mix-and-match starting line-up for the Badgers this afternoon, the penalty of back to back games: four who started yesterday evening, two who came on and played a bit, and five who hadn’t been involved.  Obviously I’m not the manager (!) and I have no inside information, but my guess is that three of this eleven would be in the starting line-up if everyone was fit and available, at most.  Good opportunity for others to make a case, then…

Or not, as it turned out.  The visitors started well, #10 volleying a bouncing ball which fizzed just over the bar in the 5th minute, but two minutes later they took they lead when Burns for once missed his header and the ball was squared to Nash who comfortably beat Jacques for 1-0.  The Badgers woke up and should have got back into the game, but were wasteful.  First shot on target from Callum Taylor on 11 minutes, but then the chances kept on coming: Trialist Tiago with a superb header from a Burgess cross, brilliantly saved; a blunder from the keeper allowing Trialist Rafa to get to the byline unchallenged and has cross was hooked off the line; a deflected Burgess shot just tipped over; Trialist Tiago with a shot pushed away from the near post; two more shots from Burgess pushed away.  To be honest, they were all saves you’d expect a keeper to make, but at least one of those should have gone in.  Newport had had one chance midway through the half, Nash was in on goal but didn’t connect properly.  But then the sucker punch, Grace was sent clear on the left, controlled well and passed the ball into the far corner.  It could have been worse, 15 seconds from the interval, when Port players were lining up in the box and passing instead of shooting before finally Burns blocked a goal-bound effort.  HT 0-2

It would be great to say that Brock took the game by the scruff of the neck at the start of the second half as they tried to get back into the game but, alas, it would be wildly untrue.  The visitors were largely in the ascendancy and failed to capitalise on several good opportunities through a poor touch or final ball; the Badgers made changes, in no small part to rest some very weary legs, but the bench were mostly development players or trialists, rather than likely game-changers.  The visitors came close when Bullard headed a corner powerfully over his own bar… there were occasional forays from Brock Trialist Tiago forcing another save, and one cross-shot from a Brock sub which went narrowly wide (sorry, this was one I don’t know!).  But for the last 20 minutes, Newport were almost embarrassingly comfortable: no pressure on the ball, very limited ball retention from Brock, the visitors were strolling.  To be fair, this was a Brock team which will never have played together before and will never do so again, and it did rather show.  #15 had the freedom of the box, beat his own shadow twice and then placed his shot directly at Jacques.  Port hit the post, with the rebound brilliantly cleared by Trialist Rob (whose brief cameo was the only bright spot), but then on 86 #3 went on a super run down the left, his shot was well saved by Jacques but the rebound was tucked home from three yards by Parsons; and on 88 Nash was quicker to the ball than both Blake and Jacques, and slid home a fourth.  FT 0-4

So, repeating myself, the point of pre-season friendlies is about fitness, minutes in legs, trying things out (especially for a new manager) – performance matters more than results.  Minutes in legs, achieved.  Trying things out, also achieved, although mostly in a more negative sense.  I’m sure Danny will have learned stuff.  Jamie-Jay showed some nice touches, Trialist Tiago was lively, and Trialist Rob looked like he had a defender’s instinct and a calm head.  But that was about it.  The result wasn’t great, and I’m afraid it was matched by the performance.  As a spectator, the last 20 were thoroughly dispiriting, and we left feeling rather glum.  However, there’s Tuesday to look forward to, so… onwards!