SSC R2 Brockenhurst 3 Hedge End Rangers 1

13 October 2026

So, no rest for the Badgers – or their weary fans – straight back into action in the Southampton Senior Cup.  Have Brock and Hedge End Rangers ever met before?  In a pre-season friendly, certainly, the very first game of last season, played on a pitch behind a school which resulted in all in attendance being awarded their boy scout orienteering badge.  Brock won that game 2-0 but you know, preseason friendlies… as for competitive action, I don’t pretend to be a historian and I have absolutely no idea.  Even if they have, it was unlikely to have any bearing on this one, because Hedge End have subsequently been promoted to Wessex Division One and currently sit in a comfortable mid-table position.  They’ve had some good wins too, including thumping Bemerton 3-0 in the League Cup, so an easy ride for the Badgers was not expected.

A few changes for Brock, as expected – not just injuries and suspensions, but the chance to rest a couple and to give starts to a few including Henry Mubiru, who impressed off the bench at the weekend.  Even so, it was obviously a group which hadn’t played together before…  No matter, a fast start for the Badgers, 4 minutes gone and already in front after a fine move sent Harry McGrath down the right, and he set up Dylan Andrews to score calmly from about ten yards.  Rangers tried for an instant response, Tom Nichols in space 20 yards out and Valero with a blocking save, but Brock might have doubled their advantage when Dylan Walker intercepted the ball in midfield, made progress and put in a dangerous cross which McGrath headed just wide of the near post.  The game then became quite scrappy, Brock seemed unable to keep hold of the ball and had to do a lot of defending – Nichols should probably have equalised but Valero made a fine save with his feet, then midway through the half the visitors put together a lovely move, I lost count of the number of passes but in the end they found space for Joe Courtney to shoot powerfully – tipped over by Valero.  From the corner, a glancing header was going wide but Braggington arrived beyond the back post, unable to keep his shot down. 36 minutes, finally some class from the Badgers – superb pass out of defence from Mubiru, Walker in space down the left, Elliot Wells with the header… onto the bar.  Five minutes later, another great chance for the Rangers, Jack Moteane heading down inside the box to Ross Lamb who seemed certain to score but scuffed his shot and Valero scrambled across the goalline to grab the ball.  HT 1-0

Not plain sailing for the Badgers, then – in fact, for about an hour in this game they were quite disjointed, with the midfield two often being overrun and with too many careless passes.  Even so Brock might have extended their lead on 51 minutes when Wells surged down the left and into the box before the chance was crowded out.  But another careless moment, loss of possession in midfield, Owen Hurst sent clear by a Brock pass, another Valero save with his feet, Dan Bradford blocking the shot on the rebound… Hedge End definitely fancied their chances and got their reward on 56 minutes when a deep cross reached the back post and the ball went into the net after some pinball.  Hedge End have given it to Nichols but it definitely went in off a Badger for an own goal, impossible to tell who from my angle.  The visitors deserved to be level: who would have the quality to go on and win it?  The next period of the game was pretty poor, described by someone near me as a “shapeless mess” and that was about right.  Toby Colmer came on for Brock and almost immediately, the Badgers took more of a grip of the match.  Their second goal, a quarter of an hour from time, was out of all keeping with what had gone before – a free kick, 22 yards out, sub Ashton Palmier with almost his first kick, in off the far post, super strike.  Brock were still capable of carelessness and Nathan Rodgers was given the freedom of the penalty area – definitely onside – but he took far too long about getting his shot away and finally cleared the bar from the angle.  And then with two minutes to go, Harry McGrath wrapped things up, beating the keeper to a bouncing ball, lofting it over him and passing the ball into an empty net.  And there was still time for sub Marcus Clark to try his luck from 40 yards, his shot bouncing over the keeper but, alas, also up and over the bar.  FT 3-1

It wasn’t terribly pretty but it was a win, into the Third Round and – as I always say in cup competitions – if you win them, nobody remembers the route you took.  Henry Mubiru was named man of the match by the sponsors for a calm and assured performance at the back, but Jordi and Harry were both in the argument.  Hedge End worked incredibly hard and certainly didn’t die wondering, good luck to them for the rest of the season.  For Brock, it’s back to league action at the weekend against Hamble Club… up the Badgers!