Badgers undone by resilient Parkway in FA Vase second round

FA Vase: Brockenhurst FC 3-0 Plymouth Parkway

BROCKENHURST FC had their FA Vase dreams dashed, losing 3-0 to Plymouth Parkway at the Meadens Arena.

Jordan Copp and Adam Carter put Parkway 2-0 up at half-time and substitute Teigan Rosenquest made sure of the victory with 15 minutes left to play.

After stormy conditions threatened to postpone the second-round match, Brock’s volunteer groundsmen and women got to work for the second week in a row.

After several pitch inspections, the referee was happy with playing conditions, but kick-off was pushed back 45 minutes after Parkway were delayed on their four-hour trip to the New Forest.

Minutes into the first half, the visitors came close to opening the scoring as Rob Farkins’ header cannoned off the post. Brock keeper Jon Webb was then called into action twice to stop Mikey Williams.

However, Parkway opened the scoring on 26 minutes when the Badgers switched off on a quick corner. The ball was played short to the edge of the box and was met by Copp who rifled the ball past the diving Webb.

Brock came close to an equaliser when Leon Carbayo-Borges broke the strong defensive line and squared it to striker Rafa Ramos who fluffed his strike, but his effort trickled goalwards and required sprawling save by Kyle Moore.

Farkins nearly doubled the visitors’ lead after a free-kick fell to him on the volley, but Webb was equal to the challenge as he turned it on to the post. But Parkway found their second shortly after as they found space in the Brock box and the ball rolled to Carter who tapped home into an empty net.

The Badgers started brightly in the second half as Cassius Newton’s well-struck volley nearly found the back of the net. But Parkway played their way back into the game, and once again the Badgers rode their luck.

Man-of-the-match Webb was at full-stretch to deny Shane Krac from a deflected free-kick and from the resulting corner Carter had his effort cleared off the line.

The hosts’ best chance fell to Mitchell Speechley-Price when his powerful left-footed shot was tipped past the post for a corner. But Parkway sealed the game 15 minutes from time through Rosenquest who found the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Brockenhurst manager Pat McManus was unhappy with his side’s outing but praised goalkeeper Webb. He told the A&T: “I was disappointed with our performance because we knew we had to be at our very best if we wanted to progress.

“Parkway are an excellent team filled with players of quality and pedigree, we had to follow the brief we set out to give ourselves any chance of troubling them, but unfortunately we didn’t, in fact but for Jon Webb the scoreline would certainly have been greater.”

Brockenhurst return to league action on Saturday when they host mid-table Fareham Town in the Sydenhams Premier division.