Velocity Wessex Premier football: Stunning Mitchell Speechley-Price seals Brockenhurst win over courageous Christchurch

Velocity Wessex Premier

Brockenhurst FC 4

Christchurch FC 3

BROCKENHURST’S Mitchell Speechley-Price was inspirational in a victorious derby against a spirited Christchurch side last night (Tuesday).

The industrious striker grabbed three goals and assisted Freddie Bullard for his 81st-minute winner, finally seeing off a stubborn Church side that fought back from two goals down to lead 3-2.

The visitors trailed by two goals, but a Lyle Simpson brace and a Conrad Churchill strike temporarily put Church in the lead.

The match had been scheduled to be at Christchurch’s Hurn Bridge Sports Club, but after the recent heavy rainfall, the fixture was reversed to the Meadens Skoda Arena, which has better drainage.

It took 34 minutes for the deadlock to be broken, with former AFC Totton and Lymington Town player Speechley-Price – who has scored over 100 goals for the Badgers – scrambling the ball past keeper Will Butler after the Church defenders failed to clear the ball.

Six minutes later, a visiting defender should have cut out a hopeful ball forward, but a missed header allowed Speechley-Price to run onto the ball before finishing confidently.

With the hosts seemingly in total control, two goals in two minutes flipped the script.

Firstly, former Eastleigh player Simpson found the back of the net in the 43rd minute before Conrad Churchill beat Amad Skrzyniarz to level the scores at the break.

Christchurch have struggled for form in the league this year, but they started the second half looking to snatch the three points, and Simpson again showed his class, putting Christchurch in the lead for the first time in the 57th minute.

The lead lasted only five minutes, with Bruce Waymark pointing at the penalty spot and Speechley-Price viciously firing home from 12 yards for his hat-trick to level the match, smashing the ball past Butler, who dived the right way and got his fingertips to the ball.

Christchurch defended resolutely, but they were eventually unpicked from a delightful ball from Speechley-Price that found an unmarked Freddie Bullard, who came off the bench to nod home the winner with nine minutes left to delight the majority of the 140-strong crowd.

Brockenhurst turns their sights on the FA Vase when they face Clevedon Town away from home, while Christchurch hosts second-placed Shaftesbury – both matches occur on Saturday at 3pm.

Brockenhurst: A. Skrzyniarz, E. Pearce-Eavis, R. Drake, S. Steel, T. Wellman, A. Biss, B. Channell, M. Rossi, M. Speechley-Price, A. Grange, N. McCarthy-Gardiner. Subs: H. Bartram, L. Carbayo-Borges, J. Davis, T. Crook, F. Bullard.

Christchurch: W. Butler, R. Santos, L. Churchill, J. Barton, E. Ohameje, L. Finnigan, E. Quarchioni, S. Roushbaini, L. Simpson, S. Makhloufi, C. Churchill. Subs: R. Hamm, J. Dove, A. Zintany, O. Miller, L. Haensel.