Isthmian South Central Division – Saturday 13th August 2022
Basingstoke Town 0 v 0 Bedfont Sports Attendance 334
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke held to goal-less draw on opening day of the season.
Dan Brownlie with a huge squad to select from went with a starting line-up of : 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Dan Williamson, 3.James Haworth, 4. Michael Atkinson, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Simon Dunn (Capt) 9. James Clark, 10. Ashleigh Artwell, 11. D’Andre Brown
On the bench: Luis Le Paih, George Reid, Marcio Neves, Aiden Lewis & Sam Argent
With the intense warm sunny day, the game got underway with Stoke defending the car-park end and there was little to note until the fourth minute, when Williamson created an attack when he broke down the right wing, but his cross was met by a defender who puts the ball out for a corner. The corner is over-hit and runs out for a throw-in on the far side.
Bedfont win their first corner on the 7th minute, which is headed wide of the far post.
Still very little to note by either side, but Stoke is the team pushing forward and in the 14th minute we win another corner. This time it is played to the near post, where Clark misses the ball and it bounces off the tall No.19 defender and bounces a foot wide of the post. The second corner is again overhit.
Bedfont have the next attack of note, but their shot flies just wide of the far post.
We move into our first drinks break with very little to note.
A Stoke free-kick, is met by Upton who heads it back across the face of the goal, and is headed to the penalty spot, where two Stoke players get in each other’s way and the shot is rebounds away from a Stoke leg.
A neat move by Dunn and Haworth looks to break through the Bedfont defence, but Haworth’s touch allows the ball to run to the keeper.
On 36 mins, it is Bedfont who win a corner after a shot from the left hand side of the goal, is pushed away by Strudley in goal. The corner is headed harmlessly over the bar.
Two more crosses by Williamson are easily defended by Bedfont. A shot from Wilson flies comfortably wide of the far post.
We are forced into our first change just before the break as Artwell has to be replaced by Sam Argent. A minute later the ball is pushed through to Argent whose shot from 12 yards is saved by the keeper and they scramble the ball away.
We play four minutes of injury-time, before the halftime whistle is blown.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 0 v 0 Bedfont Sports
The game gets back underway and on 50 minutes we win a free-kick as Wilson is pulled down about 30 yds out and the Bedfont defender goes in the book. The kick is headed over the bar by Upton. The referee evens up the yellow cards when Michael Atkinson goes in the book.
A shot by Clark, from 30yds is hit well over the bar.
We make our second change when George Reid replaces D’Andre Brown.
A well-struck shot from a Bedfont player 30yds out, flies two-yards wide.
Still very little to note and we make our final change on 70 mins, when Clarke is replaced by Marcio Neves.
With just ten minutes remaining neither team look like breaking the deadlock.
Then on 82 mins, a Bedfont forward breaks into the penalty area, but Studley races out and is able to push the ball away from the forwards feet.
On 89 mins, a Bedfont forward goes in the book for diving in our penalty area.
We are now two minutes into an unknown amount of injury-time, and it’s Marcio who turns and hits a shot against the near post and the ball rebounds away.
Bedfont have a little bit of possession just outside our penalty area, but we are able to clear.
Five, six seven minutes of added time and the referee plays on, which allows a shot from Marcio, but it is straight at the keeper. The referee finally calls time in the eight minutes of added time and Stoke earn their first point of the season.
Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 0 v 0 Bedfont Sports
Match Thought’s
The extreme heat affected both sides, but neither side created vary little clear cut chances. Marcio looked bright when he came on and was unfortunate with his shot that hit the post, but not much other than that.
Up Next:
We head up the M3 to Woking to take on the joint league leaders Westfield in a Tuesday night battle.
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