Romsey Town 1 New Milton Town 2 (played at New Milton)

1 September 2026

A story of families and floodlights.  I always knew I would be missing the Bashley game on Saturday; just my luck that the two scheduled Tuesday night games for the Badgers which fell either side of that weekend had to be moved because of the installation of the new floodlights.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely thrilled that this has been completed, it’s the one question I was asking the Chairman throughout last season.  But no football… and the Premier Division games weren’t the most attractive tonight (or were a long way away!!) so we agreed to go to Romsey.  Never been to the ground before, New Milton flying high, why not?  Answer – because they also have floodlight issues, so the game was switched to Fawcetts Field, now rejoicing in the name of the GD Print Stadium.  This still counted at a home fixture for Romsey but that’s too confusing so for this report, I’m going to treat them as the visitors…

The Brickies started as clear favourites: 5 wins from 5 in the league, while Romsey had only taken four points from their first four games, although they made Bashley work hard for their League Cup win last week.  Alas for Town, the story repeated itself: they played well, created plenty of chances but couldn’t convert, allowing the “visitors” to claim all three points.  A lively game, enjoyable for the neutral, plenty of goalmouth action, starting as early as the 5^th minute when McHale sent Lane through on goal, well saved by the legs of Miles Bartram in the Romsey goal.  But a minute later and the visitors were in front: a clever pass set James Martin clear on goal, still 30 yards out, but he never looked like missing and finished superbly.  Fair to say that Martin – referred to as Jim by his teammates – was a class apart on the pitch tonight – a former Saints scholar, only 19 but talented on the ball, excellent game intelligence, a pleasure to watch him play.  On with the game: Romsey with another sweet intricate move which gave Ryan Yeates a chance but his shot cleared the bar.  But the Brickies now grew into the game and started making good chances of their own… Callum Clarke blazing down the left, cut in along the byline but saw his cross blocked by the keeper and smuggled away… Dixon with a free header over the bar from a corner… but on 16 minutes, McHale with the cross, Niall Dixon with the header and it was 1-1.  And on 27 the turnaround was complete: Dixon was central, about 22 yards out, drove a shot through the crowd in front of him and in at the far post for 2-1.  Clarke again with another great run down the left which was blocked and bounced behind, surely for a corner – goal kick given – not the only curious decision from the officials this evening on which more shortly.  30 minutes, a dangerous cross, Alex Wilson sliced his clearance across his own goal and just wide… back up the other end, Romsey with a deep corner, headed back across goal, fell to Rafferty but he couldn’t get enough on his shot.  And then, into overtime, a moment of controversy, another fine Romsey move, Martin found in space and his powerful, goalbound shot struck Pearce-Eavis on the elbow.  Waved away immediately; for me it was a stonewall pen (and I wasn’t alone in thinking that).  HT 2-1

The action was just as fast and furious in the second half, with neither team really gaining much control.  Early chance for the Brickies to extend their lead, a powerful shot from the impressive Dixon spilled by Bartram but Luca Lane could only put the rebound across goal and wide.  But Romsey were giving as good as they got, superb cross from Martin, Callum Zikmund almost stumbled over the ball 8 yards out and it went wide.  56 minutes, Brickies again, Rayner only finding the side netting when a loose ball fell his way… 62 minutes, the next moment of controversy, Clarke breaking into the box, ankles clearly clipped by George Pomeroy, stonewall pen, nothing given.  I think they call it “evening things up”… 69 minutes, another scramble in the Romsey box, Tom Rafferty cleared the ball off the line… but now Romsey started to create, with Pomeroy increasingly influential down the right especially in combination with Martin.  Bicknell headed over the bar from a corner… Zikmud played in by Martin but tried to cross (to nobody) rather than taking on the shot… a corner flicked on and deflecting just wide off defender Coat… in between times, a super move from the Brickies which ended with a bullet of a shot from the edge of the box from Oli Lowes, just over the bar.  But still the visitors pressed, some more magic feet from Martin, a great cross from sub Harry Prisk – missed by everyone in the box.  And then into overtime, Harry Edmondson tried his luck from outside the box and his shot cannoned back off the bar.  That would have been the equaliser which Romsey just about deserved, but they didn’t get another chance because the ref added only 90 seconds, despite all the subs, and the Brickies had their sixth win in six.  FT 2-1

So – I really enjoyed this.  Great to see some familiar faces (you all know who you are!) but it was also a highly entertaining game, partly because neither team could get any control of the game.  Far too many chances, really!  James Martin was a delight to watch but – as a neutral who’s watched one game – Town do look short of a striker.   So many chances went begging… and in my opinion, New Milton got away with one, nowhere near their best and with players missing but another three points.  Both sides should have had a penalty, but to be honest the decision-making got more erratic as time ticked by and some of the calls later in the game were a mystery.  Hard to believe that Dixon’ s second goal ended the scoring for the evening, but it was a fine way to spend a couple of hours.  And now, on Saturday, it’s back to serious business: Badgers v Horndean.  See you there!