Match Preview: Evo Stick South Premier Division South
Farnborough V Basingstoke Town
When: Monday 22nd April 2019 Kick-off 3.00pm
Where: Cherrywood Park, Cherrywood Road, Farnborough. GU14 8UD
Following Saturday’s comprehensive win at home to Frome, we now head to North Hants to take on local rivals Farnborough without too much pressure on the team to produce.
Our record at Farnborough isn’t a great won losing 4-3 their last season and their season’s performances have been way, way better than ours this season.
We played them at the Camrose back in September in the Hants Snr Cup winning 2-1 with goals from Smart & Bunting. Only five players from that starting line-up remain in the current Squad, those being Stow, Orvis, Deadfield, Smart & Wright. We then played them on January 1st at home in the league and after leading one nil through a Dean Stow screamer, a McAdden error allowed Perry Coles to equalise two minutes into injury-time at the end of the game and two points fall down the drain.
Farnborough, known for their numerous squad changes every year are Managed by the well known Spencer Day.
Farnborough’s sit in 8th place in the league with a record of PLD 40 WON 17 DRAWN 8 LOST 15 with 59pts and their last six league games have brought 4 wins a draw and a loss. The loss 1-2 to Poole was one of six games they have lost at home, which shows that they are beatable at Cherrywood Park.
Despite their league position their goal difference is just +2 having scored 70 goals and conceded 68 and in fact they are one of a few teams who score more goals on the road than at home.
Their leading goal-scorers are forwards Connor Cullen & Kurtis Cumberbatch both with 11 league goals each. Forward Perry Coles out on dual registration has five goals, as does Michael Elias-Fernandes. Then there are a whole host of players some here, some gone with one or two goals.
They do have one ex-Stoke player playing for them Tom Leggett, unless he has moved on recently!
Our last away game of the season, will see us under less pressure and with the Hampshire Snr Cup Final due 48hrs later, it will allow Martin Kuhl to choose who he wants to play or rest for this match.
We sit in a reasonably safe 16th place for now with a record of PLD 40 WON 14 DRAWN 7 LOST 19 with 49pts, with our away record is Won 5 Drawn 3 Lost 12
The line-up Martin chose in our victory against Frome, more than did the job, but with the fact that he rested Smart for the whole game and Pearse for over an hour, means both could be in contention for a bigger role tomorrow. Also, Ben Wright may also be wondering if he will get some more significant game-time against the Boro.
Rusher has now impressed in the two games he’s played and looks like a Sam Smart in the making. Yvan Jourdan after a couple of quiet games, terrorised the Frome defence and coolly slotted home his goal and could and possibly should have had a couple more on the day.
The midfield looked strong behind the returning Charlie Kennedy and Michael Atkinson who now seems to have nailed down his name on a starting shirt recently. This allowed Deadfield to simply be Sam Deadfield and on the day seemed to have all the answers that the Frome midfielders threw at him.
Sam Argent up front was what we have been waiting for “He scores goals, goals, goals”. He now has 16 league goals on the season and looks to have run away with Golden Boot Trophy won last year by Callum Bunting.
As per my match report Tom McGill had one of the quietest afternoons, he has had all-season and the defence apart from that 35 yard screamer, never honestly looked troubled for 90 minutes.
Farnborough will present a much tougher opponent tomorrow and with it being a derby, there is still a lot to play for. One of the better grounds in our league and with the weather again expected to be warm and sunny and just 18 miles up the road, it should be your first option of things to do on Easter Monday.
Odds please Ian, when you get a chance.
Match Preview by Martin French..
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