Isthmian South Central Division – Saturday 17th December 2022
Basingstoke Town 0 v 1 Walton & Hersham Attendance 560
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke Lose To Playoff Rivals In Last Home Game Before Christmas
Today’s Line-up was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4, Michael Atkinson, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Ben Cook, 10. Simon Dunn (Capt), 19. Sam Argent, 11. George Reid
On the bench: Brody Peart, Marcio Neves, James Haworth, James Clark & Joel Halliday
Referee – Martin Bloor
Stoke kicked off attacking the railway end in the first half and there was very little to note in the first ten minutes, as both teams seemed unable to put an attack on either goal.
Still nothing to note with fifteen minutes gone.
On twenty minutes a Walton corner is collected by Paul Strudley.
We win the first of many corners in the game on the left, but the kick is comfortably headed clear by a Walton defender.
Then on the 23rd minute a good bit of play from George Reid & Simon Dunn, as the ball finds Bradley Wilson, who turns onto his left and hits a left foot shot, that the keeper dives to his left and palms it away, and a defender is able to kick the ball clear.
On 26 minutes we attack again and Argent on the edge of the penalty , who slides the ball to Wilson, who gets away a first-time shot, but it flies a yard over the bar.
Walton then have a shot on 29 minutes, as a forward is given too much time, but his shot from 30 yards is easily held by Strudley.
We then have another attack down the right, and shot from Wilson is straight at the keeper. Walton break from this attack down the right and then slide the ball across to the left wing, where their winger takes two touches and then hits a right foot curling shot that flies over Strudley in goal, hits the far post and goes in, and Stoke are behind. Stoke 0 – 1 Walton & Hersham.
Minutes later another Stoke corner from the left, another simple headed clearance.
We move into the last five minutes of the half, and Walton continue to keep us quiet.
We play two minutes of added time, before the referee blows the halftime whistle, with Walton having the lead.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 0 v 1 Walton & Hersham
The game gets back underway with us attacking the seated end, and Stoke are on the front foot in the first few minutes.
On 53 minutes, a nasty tackle on Sam Argent goes unpunished.
On 56 minutes we make our first change with Sam Argent being replaced by James Clark.
Stoke continue to push forward and win a corner, which is again headed clear.
Clark’s first action is to go in the book for leaving his foot in on the keeper as he clears the ball.
Stoke make their second substitution on 67 minutes with Ben Cook being replaced by Marcio Neves.
Still more possession from Stoke, and on 75 minutes, Dunn finds Clark who turns and hits a shot, but it’s straight at the keeper.
Walton have produced very little moving forwards, but they break forward into our half and a shot from all of 30 yards, curls away from a diving Strudley and hits the bottom of the right-hand post and fortunately flies away from the goal, and we are able to clear (79 mins).
Stoke attack again and win a free-kick just outside the penalty area. It’s Wilson who takes it, but it flies over the bar.
Walton have another attack but Nathan Smart puts an end to it, with a timely tackle.
A cross from Wilson on the left, flies straight to the keeper.
We make our final change with Brody Peart replacing George Reid (87 mins)
Another cross from Wilson to the near post is gobbled up by the keeper.
We are now in added-time, and Walton look comfortable at the back, then Billy Upton goes in the book for a challenge on a Walton player.
In the 93rd minute we win a free-kick around 28 yards out on the left. Brody Peart takes the kick, but it flies straight to the keeper.
The keeper kicks the ball downfield, as the referee has seen enough and blows the fulltime whistle.
Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 0 v 1 Walton & Hersham
Roberts 33mins
Match Thought’s
Lots of possession throughout the game, but Walton’s gameplan was well set and we struggled to break them down. Numerous corner kicks were simply wasted and where was the short quick corners that were effective against South Park. Rarely troubled the Walton keeper in the second-half, and Walton looked comfortable at the back most of the game.
Three games against teams at the top, three losses, does not bode well for the playoffs.
Up Next:
We have our second Friday night match of the season, as we travel to Binfield in our third match-up of the season, with a 7.45pm kick-off, with plenty to prove.
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 
Always a good read.