Match Report: AFC Totton 2 – 2 Basingstoke Town – Saturday 7th September 2024

Southern League Premier South Division – Saturday 7th September 2024
AFC Totton 2 v 2 Basingstoke Town Attendance 1,378
Where: Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton. SO40 2RW
Dan Brownlie’s line-up against the top of the table AFC Totton side was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Curtis Angell, 4. Rudy Allen, 5. Jack Ball, 6. James Clark (Capt), 6. Jack Ball, 7. Paul Hodges, 8. Robbie Gallagher, 9. Nnamdi Nwachuku, 10. Liam Ferdinand, 11. Ben Cook
On the bench: Alfie Bridgman, Dan Warre, Harry Bowden, Josh Grant & D’Andre Brown
Referee – Michael Ryan

Stoke had the first attack through Robbie Gallagher, but we lost the ball, when we made one too many passes on the edge of the penalty area.

On seven minutes Totton opened the scoring, as they broke down the right and the cross was met by Charlie Austin, who finds the net. AFC Totton 1-0 Basingstoke
Just minutes later we go two behind, as a poor pass across the middle of the pitch is intercepted and two passes later, another cross from the right, finds another Totton player who knocks the ball home. AFC Totton 2-0 Basingstoke

Within a minute off the restart and with the Totton crowd still celebrating, Stoke broke down the left wing, and the ball was slid to Nnamdi Nwachuku, who then found Liam Ferdinand on the right. Ferdinand then jinked to the left and then the right, before drilling a right-foot shot into the far corner of the net. GOAL! AFC Totton 2-1 Basingstoke Town (Ferdinand 11 mins).

Good defensive work by a Stoke’s defence prevented Totton from making it three, a minute later.
It was end-to-end football as Nwachuku finds Gallagher, but is shot flies over the bar, not helped by the fact that the Totton had hold of Gallagher’s arm at the time.

Totton attacked again, but a long clearance is met Paul Hodges who sent Ferdinand through, and he his defender, then went round the oncoming Totton keeper, and slid the ball into the open net. GOAL!! AFC Totton 2-2 Basingstoke Town (Ferdinand 18 mins)

Just past the halfway stage of the first-half, then broke again down the right, and a shot was palmed away by Simon Grant, and a Totton forward knocked it in from close range, only for the linesman to flag for offside.
Grant then made another fine save down low minutes later.

Rudy Allen then won a corner on the left, after his shot is blocked away. The kick bounced around the six-yard box, before falling to James Clark, who prodded the ball wide with the net gaping.

A good interception deep in our half and Stoke attacked again down the left through Nwachuku, who cut in and hit a curling shot that forced the Totton keeper into a finger-tip save over the bar.
Totton then forced back-to-back corners which Stoke defended.
Grant made another good save, with five minutes to go to the break, as the Totton forward is given time to tee-up his shot.
We played just three minutes of added-time before the referee blew the halftime whistle, with the game all-square.

Halftime Score: AFC Totton 2 v 2 Basingstoke Town
Stoke made no changes at halftime as the second-half got underway, and the game still hadn’t really kicked in to life in the first ten minutes, until Paul Hodges neatly combined with Ferdinand forcing a corner on the left. The kick however was headed clear by ex-Stokie Charlie Kennedy.

Totton started pushing forward utilising their right winger, who continued to find space and time, but crosses were dealt with by Jack Ball and then Clark.
Totton continued to push forward and Grant made another fine save, as a cross was met by a header at the far post.
The game continued in similar fashion, as we moved into the final fifteen minutes, but Stoke’s defence continued to stand firm.

Stoke made their first changes of the game with just ten minutes to go, as Robbie Gallagher was replaced by Josh Grant, and Ben Cook replaced by the long-awaited return of D’Andre Brown (80 mins).

Josh Grant was instantly into the game winning to key tackles as we pushed forward down the right through Hodges and Johnson-Schuster, who found Dre down the right but his cross was just out of the reach of Ferdinand.
Stoke then forced a save out of the keeper, but the shot should have been much harder.
We made our third change as Dan Waree replaced Nnamdi Nwachuku (86 mins).

Totton were still looking for that winner, as we entered added-time, as they broke down the left but a good block by Clark forced the ball out for a corner. The kick was picked out of the air by Grant.

Stoke nearly snatched the winner as we won the ball in midfield and the ball was fed to Warre, who beat one defender then hit a shot lacked power and the Totton keeper was able to make the save.
There’s still time for Grant to make one more save, before the referee blew the full-time whistle a minute later.

Full-time Score: AFC Totton 2 v 2 Basingstoke Town
Austin 7 mins, Rendell 10mins,         Ferdinand 11 & 18 mins

Match Thought’s
How this game remained at two-two, as it was end-to-end football for most of the game. The defence came under a lot of pressure throughout the game, but held firm for the main part against a potent Totton attack, but the whole team put a big effort into the game. Josh Grant’s first appearance was impressive as he added some steel down the left. Good to see D’Andre Brown back and will look to push for more playing time going forward.
Although it was the third draw in a row, this was a point won, not two dropped, as we remain unbeaten in the league.
Up Next:
We move onto the Hampshire Snr Cup, as we host Moneyfields on Tuesday evening (10th) with a 7.45pm KO. It will likely be Paul Hodges last appearance in a Stoke shirt this year.

Match Report by Martin French..

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Superb fight back and could have grabbed a lad at the break. The last 45 we struggled, but superb defensive performance kept it level. Happy with the point.

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