WLC3 Christchurch 2 Brockenhurst 4

13 December 2025

Well glory be, a Saturday afternoon and finally, a game for the Badgers!  Three successive league postponements, but back into cup action for the next couple of matches, starting at Hurn Bridge for a Wessex League Cup tie against Christchurch.  The league game was a closely-fought 1-1 draw a few weeks back, so what would each have learned about the other to change the dynamic this afternoon?  Whatever happened, we knew this one couldn’t even level – someone was going to go home happy.

The classic game of two halves, this.  In the first period, Brock looked decidedly rusty – as though it were four weeks since they’d played on a Saturday, and nearly three weeks since any kind of competitive action.  Funny, that.  Passes were misplaced, the distances weren’t quite right – and credit to Church, who were positive and much the better side.  An early shot onto the roof of the net from the angle with keeper Valero beaten… but the Badgers, even with limited possession, did have a couple of penalty claims, firstly when a defender clearly grabbed the ball with both hands when on the floor, and shortly after Torniainen appeared to be fouled – the referee ignored both, to the visitors’ evident dismay.  Even so it was no surprise when the hosts took the lead – a break down the left, pulled back to Luke Sheehy on the edge of the box and his shot appeared to deflect off Bailey and wrongfoot Valero on 22 minutes.  33 minutes, a glimpse of Brock at their best, superb run from Walker, the cross cleared to the edge of the box but hooked over the bar by Colmer, who couldn’t quite get his leg over (as Aggers might have said).  Given their dominance, Church might have expected to extend their lead before the break, but clear chances were few – one good run from Richardson, who cut inside and brought a diving save from Valero; then a cross cleared over his own bar by Speechley-Price.  Both of those chances came after Rossi had been sinbinned on 41 minutes for berating referee Chinnock over his failure to award a foul throw; yes, it was a very obvious foul throw, should have been spotted, but equally – well, I wasn’t surprised at the sinbin.  And then into overtime, Beale won a tackle high up the pitch and was clean through, shot saved by Dinnivan, which pretty much summed up Brock’s first half.  HT 1-0

Time for manager Devs to earn his corn, then – especially as Speechley-Price came off at the break.  He’d been clattered in the first half and was obviously in some discomfort throughout the first half, so a change of shape… and earn his corn the manager did, because playing down the hill, Brock were transformed.  Suddenly there was energy, understanding and threat.  Things could have got worse before they got better – Joe Freak got beyond the last man, Colmer’s tackle was mistimed, yellow card.  Slightly fortunate, perhaps… 51 minutes, a superb long pass from Toby Bailey, Walker got beyond James Rogers who brought him down, stonewall penalty converted by Freddie Beale, and the scores were level.  63 minutes, turnaround complete, a nice move involving Walker and Beale, Connor Bent arriving to get the final touch and put the Badgers ahead.  This went down very badly with the hosts, who started arguing amongst themselves and also with the ref and linesman, demanding an offside flag which never came – resulting in a sinbin for Brad Gale.  And within four minutes, Brock made the extra man count: Dylan Walker out on the left with a terrific shot out of nothing from 25 yards into the far corner for 3-1.  Vital moments, just after you’ve scored: maybe some slight complacency led to the defensive lapse three minutes later which gave Chipangura the chance to shoot from distance, it might have been heading wide but Valero wasn’t to know and he made the save.  And then the Badgers made it safe with 15 to go – Bent chased down a ball over the top, got the wrong side of Watkins who brought him down – last man, red card.  The foul was just outside the box, but Henry Brooks took the free kick and found the far corner, which suggests the wall wasn’t quite lined up right.  A fifth might have followed, but Kinnivan scrambled a header away… Church seemed to have accepted the result but not everyone had got that memo, and shortly into overtime James Storey burst into the box, brought down by Rossi, and Storey himself converted the penalty.  That led to a flurry of late activity, with almost 8 minutes of overtime for no obvious reason (which gave manager Devlin the chance to make his playing debut), but despite a couple of hairy moments the defence held firm, and Brock were through.  FT 2-4

Football, finally, on a Saturday for Brock!  And a victory – which looked very unlikely at half-time, although other Badgers fans were more pessimistic than I was that we could turn it round.  Top marks to Devs for the half-time change of – everything, really, complete transformation.  Second best in the first half, much the better side after the break… very tough to pick an away man of the match today because this was a team effort, with contributions from everyone.  Through to the quarter-final… and another quarter-final to look forward to on Tuesday against Ringwood in the Southampton Senior Cup… so let’s keep this momentum going…