BET Victor Division One South 21st September 2019
AFC Totton 8 – 0 Basingstoke Town Attendance 320
Where: The Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton, Hants SO40 4RW
Caretaker Manager Dan Brownlie secures first away point of the season
Dan Brownlie’s first game in charge with missing players due to suspensions gave him a starting line-up of : 1.Chris Rackley, 2. Alfie Saunders 3. Adam Everiss, 4. Ben Cook, 5. Ryan Suckling, 6. Scott Armsworth, 7. Claudio Herbert, 8. Harrison Cliff 9. Ben Wright (Capt), 10. Zach Robinson, 11. Reece Rusher,
On the bench; Aiden Harris, Mikey Davis, Lloyd Snell, Andrew Charsley and Riccardo Andrady
Another warm sunny day greeted Caretaker Manager Dan Brownlie’s first match in charge with the BTG in full voice and the first action of the game involves us giving away a penalty for a poor challenge just inside the box.
RACKLEY PENALTY SAVE as he dives down to his left and pushes the ball away, and Stoke are able to clear the rebound.
On 8 mins Stoke appear to take the lead after Rusher’s shot is pushed straight to Herbert who knocks it home, but the linesman’s flag is up and the game remains goal-less.
On 10 mins and Stoke are back on the attack following good work down the left wing with Everiss, who sends in a good low cross, that runs past the face of the goal.
On 17 mins and another Stoke attack allows Herbert to get a shot away but it’s straight at the keeper. We are straight back on the attack
and Rusher finds himself in space and let’s go a 25yd shot, but it’s an easy save for the keeper.
On 20 mins and Stoke lose the ball in midfield, but as Totton break they overplay it and Armsworth intercepts the pass and clears the ball to Herbert.
The next few minutes sees very little goal-mouth action by either team, but then on 27 mins Stoke waste another good chance following another cross by Everiss, that falls to Herbert who should have done better than that, but his shot flies over the bar.
On 30 mins, it’s Totton who attack again, but the shot from just outside the box is comfortably dealt with by Rackley.
On 32 mins and Robinson has a shot from the edge of the box, but it’s just wide of the far post. A minute later and it’s Harrison Cliff’s turn for a shot, but again it’s wide of the far post.
On 37 mins and another long delay as the home-side seem to have made more substitutions, but from the restart, we break with Cliff who feeds Wright who touches it to Hebert, but his shot yet again flies two feet wide of the far post.
On 40 mins it’s Rusher who creates the next attack as he cuts in from the right and sends a shot that the keeper diving down to his left pushes the ball out for a corner.
The last couple of minutes of the first half sees two attacks by Totton, the first a shot saved easily by Rackley, then following a good block for a corner, the kick is met by a Totton head and it flies off the bar with Rackley beaten.
The first half comes to a close with Stoke probably having the better possession and chances except for Rackley’s penalty save.
The game is back underway and it’s Totton who have the first attack, as they win a free-kick on the touchline down the right. The kick is met by Wright who heads it clear for a throw-in down the left.
The next ten minutes sees the game go into a lull as neither team create anything of note.
On 61 mins and it’s Totton back on it and a shot from 22yds is blocked but falls to another Totton player who hits it, but Rackley’s their again as he pushes it out for a corner. Nothing results from the corner.
It’s still the home-side on top and they win another free-kick, this time about 35yds out, but as before our makeshift defence deals with it comfortably.
Stoke make their first change of the day with Riccardo Andrady replacing Reece Rusher on 65 mins.
It’s out turn to create an attack after good work from Wright and Herbert, who slide the ball to Andrady, who cuts in from the left wing and sends a cross over to the back post where we force the Totton defender to put it out for a corner. The corner is poor, and the ball is cleared.
On 74 mins further good work by Wright, sees him go down inside the box, but all he gets is a yellow card for his troubles.
Then on 76 mins and following a good tackle by Cook on the halfway line it’s Stoke and Ben Wright again, as a slide-rule pass finds Wright, who takes two touches and as passes his defender he let’s go a shot that is wide of the left-hand post.
The next few minutes sees Stoke still on the offensive winning three corners, but Totton deal with all three.
With four minutes to go, neither team looks like they can break the stalemate, then the referee who has had a good game today, gives the home-team a free-kick for a perfectly good tackle, about 23yds out and directly in front of goal. The set-piece is however wasted as a Stoke defender blocks the shot for a corner.
We are in added time and it’s Totton finishing the stronger, but they aren’t going to ruin Chris Rackley’s return from suspension as he make another fine save for a corner. Stoke stay strong and clear from the corner.
The ref calls time to the game and it’s Stoke’s first clean sheet of the season, and a superb hard-working performance earns Stoke’s first point on the road.
Final Score: AFC Totton 0 – 0 Basingstoke Town
Match Report by Martin French..
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