Match Preview: Hartley Wintney v Basingstoke Town Saturday 5th January 2019

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Match Preview: Evo Stick South Premier Division South
Hartley Wintney v Basingstoke Town
When: Saturday 5th January 2019 Kick-off 3.00pm
Where: Memorial Playing Fields, Green Lane, Hartley Wintney. RG27 8DX

Well following our Christmas & New Year matches we now sit in 19th place, as we meet Hartley Wintney twice in 5 days. This first match-up is the reverse league fixture where back on November 27th, we were pretty dreadful on that night, going down 1-3 at the Camrose. We did turn it around the following month winning at Hartley Wintney in the Hampshire Snr Cup by the same 1-3 scoreline.

This Saturday’s opponents currently sit in 11th spot and after a poor run, have now been able to turn it around and are holding onto their decent league position.

Hartley Wintney’s record sits at Played 23 Won 7 Drawn 9 and Lost 7 with 30pts.

Their last five games have netted 2 home wins (against Taunton Town and Poole Town), 2 draws (at Farnborough and last Saturday’s home game against Swindon Supermarine) and just one defeat 1-0 at Gosport Borough.

They have had 9 draws more than any team in the league, but that has included late equalisers, which proves they play for 90 + minutes each game.

For a small village team that they consistently promote, they have been able to strengthen their squad in the past 6 weeks. These players have all started well for the club, as players such as Daniel Stewart (2 goals in the Poole Town home win) and even Mitchell Parker who joined them via Basingstoke scored within two weeks of joining them.

We now sit in 19th place, by goal-difference from our opponents in 10 day’s time Chesham United, who sit in the relegation zone.

Martin Kuhl, seemed to go with a 3-5-2 line-up Tuesday, but could clearly have a different plan in place for the visit to Hartley on Saturday.

It is clear that Kuhly is trying to find replacements at the back, but so are a lot of teams at this time of the season, either to bolster their promotion run or like us trying to stave off relegation.

We are creating enough crosses, but with a lack of true forward power in the box, we are struggling to turn these chances into goals.

The possible return of Ben Wright could help in that area, but as stated on the forum numerous times, we need to give 100% going forwards and tracking back for the whole game.

We know this is going to be a tough match-up, but I’m hoping Sam Smart tears them apart like he did on the Memorial Grounds pitch he did a month ago.

Let’s get our first win of the season and start a move away from the relegation zone.

Odds please Ian, when you get a chance.

Match Preview by Martin French..