Match report: Nine-man Brockenhurst FC suffer late Wessex League Premier Division heartbreak after league leaders AFC Portchester seal late 2-1 win
WITH the match finely balanced at 1-1, Brockenhurst went down to nine players before league leaders AFC Portchester snatched a late goal to seal a narrow 2-1 victory on Saturday.
Dylan Walker had given the Badgers the lead after just 10 minutes, but a spot-kick leveller before a red card for Harry Bunce and 10 minutes in the sin-bin for Jack Torniainen turned the match and a late winner left the visitors empty-handed.
“Firstly, I was very proud of the team and their effort”, said Brockenhurst manager Danny Ackland. “We had a game plan, and although we would have liked more of the ball, we mostly executed it well. We kept the top of the league side at bay and at arm’s length.
“Jordi [Valero] didn’t have a save to make in the first half. Disappointingly, the referee influenced the game adversely, and we conceded a penalty that, on the video and in reflection, was never a spot-kick and then went down to ten men.
“We then went down to nine men and conceded late, but the players deserved so much more!”
Portchester held onto the ball for long periods, but Brockenhurst should have been one goal up after a decent effort by Bunce, so when the first goal went in, it was more than deserved. Playing up front, Ben Atiako-Hall went on an excellent dribble before pulling the goal back to Walker, who scored for a second game in a row to give his side the lead.
Manager Ackland told the referee what he thought of his performance at the half-time whistle and was shown a red card.
Jack Lee nodded into the Brockenhurst goal straight after the restart, but the flag was raised for offside. However, there was no intervention in the 49th minute when Josh Clark ran into the keeper before sprawling and winning a spot-kick. Connor Duffin slotted the penalty to level with over 40 minutes left.
After multiple missed fouls, Bunce soon found himself in the referee’s book for saying something after Duffin finally earned a yellow card. Moments later, Bunce would regret it, as a second yellow was waved in his direction following a full-bodied challenge.
With 14 minutes left, Torniainen walked to the sin-bin, leaving Brockenhurst with nine players for 10 minutes. Moments before he returned to the fray, Valero made an excellent save, but the ball fell to Pennery, who fired home to win the match and break Brockenhurst’s hearts.
The Badgers take on relegation-threatened Downton at their Meadens Skoda Arena home on Saturday at 3pm.
Brockenhurst: J. Valero, J. Torniainen, R. Drake, B. Channell, T. Wellman, S. Steel, R. Taylor, L. Gray, B. Atiako-Hall, D. Walker, H. Bunce. Subs: J. Francis, L. Simpson, J. Burgess, C. Burns.