Brockenhurst Badgers claim narrow victory over rivals Lymington Town

OVER 200 spectators witnessed a highly entertaining end-to-end New Forest derby at Brockenhurst on Saturday.

The Badgers eventually beat Lymington in a match that saw the lead change hands three times, produce one red card and a winning Brockenhurst goal that came from a contentious penalty kick.

After a bright start from both sides, the Badgers scored with just four minutes played. A free-kick from the left was headed back across the goal and turned in from six yards out by Will Tickle.

Brock looked more dangerous and had been on top, but the balance of play shifted when Badgers defender Matt Burt, who had won most things in the air, limped off injured.

Lymington started to break through and Jake King was thwarted by the quick reactions of Badgers keeper Matt Taylor, who was quickly down at King’s feet with the ball rebounding to safety.

With three minutes of the first half remaining, Lymington equalised when a Lewis Ross shot rebounded off the crossbar and Mike Gosney threw himself at the loose ball and headed in to the empty net.

A minute after the restart Lymington turned the game on its head. A free-kick from the left was not cleared and Ashley Jarvis swept the ball past Taylor to put his side in front.

Brock were rattled. Ross shot wide after being handed a gilt-edged chance then King had a shot saved at full stretch as Lymington looked to extend their lead with a spell of possession.

A raft of substitutions occurred before Brockenhurst bounced back. Replacement Christos Papakonstantinou picked the ball up on the corner of the area and showed clever control and footwork before firing across Lymington keeper Nick Jones and inside the far post.

The controversial winning goal came in the 83rd minute. The Badgers broke down the right and Jude Nwachukwu’s cross struck Luke Ansell on the arm from a distance of some five yards. Many spectators thought it was ball to arm rather than arm to ball, but the referee awarded a penalty and Nwachukwu coolly stroked the spot-kick home.

In the melee and arguments, Brock’s Ronan Moore received a second yellow card and went off for an early shower.

The final minutes were like the Alamo as Lymington threw everything at ten-man Brock in search of an equaliser. Keeper Taylor produced several fine saves and a header from veteran Carlo Tate grazed the bar, but the equaliser would not come, and it was the home side who celebrated at the final whistle.

An enjoyable afternoon and with Brockenhurst having also won the season’s earlier encounter, it was definitely Game, Set(t) and Match to the Badgers.

Brock boss Pat McManus told the A&T: “I thought we were very comfortable for the first 30 minutes, but lost our way when we lost Matt Burt to injury.

“The bizarre dismissal of Ronan Moore could have derailed our afternoon completely but good work from Christos Papakonstantinou resulted in a contentious penalty which was coolly dispatched by Jude.

“A fantastic defensive display for the remaining 10 minutes ensured we kept the points.”

He earlier tweeted: “Derby day that had a bit of everything! Personally thought a draw would’ve been a fair result but more than happy to take all three points.

Good luck to @lymingtontownfc for the rest of the season.”

Brock: Taylor, Rose, Moore, Chamberlain, Burt (Barnes), Falodi, Tickle, Casey, McCarthy-Gardiner, Sheedy, Nwachukwu. Subs: Papakonstantinou, Deacon, Amoah.

Lymington Town: Jones, Fuller, Manuel, Hennen, Tate, Ansell, Jarvis, Ritchie, King, Ross, Gosney. Subs: Man, Duffy, Watts, Fields, Walbanke.