Match Report: Basingstoke Town 1 – 1 Bracknell Town – Monday 26th August 2024

Southern League Premier South Division – Monday 26th August 2024
Basingstoke Town 1 v 1 Bracknell Town Attendance 1,002
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
With a couple of enforced changes, from our line-up at Gosport, Manager Dan Brownlie went with a starting line-up of: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Curtis Angell, 4. Rudy Allen, 5. James Clark, 6. William Upton (Capt), 7. Robbie Gallagher, 8. Max Smith, 10. Liam Ferdinand, 11. Paul Hodges, 12. Ben Cook
On the bench: 9. Nnamdi Nwachuku, 14. Alfie Bridgman 15. Jack Ball, Aleks Kokoszka & George Reid
Referee – Jordan Mcritchie

This Bank Holiday Monday game against rivals Bracknell Town got underway with Stoke attacking the car-park end, and after a throw-in on the right, we take the lead, as a couple of passes inside allows Liam Ferdinand some space, and he planted the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 v 0 Bracknell Town (Ferdinand 2 mins).

A few minutes later James Clark goes in the book for an innocuous tackle on a Bracknell player.
Just past the fifteen minute mark, and there’s very little goalmouth action at either end.
The referee appears to have a new pen, as he books two more Stoke players.

Bracknell have a little bit of possession midway through the first-half, but cannot put anything of note on the Basingstoke goal.

Another Stoke player goes in the book, with ten minutes to go to halftime.
They game is getting really bitty, as the referee keeps blowing for free-kicks every thirty seconds.

Bracknell have a little bit of play around our penalty-area and then win a free-kick on the left. The free-kick finds a Bracknell forward who headers the ball pass Grant in goal. Basingstoke 1-1 Bracknell
The referee plays four minutes of added-time before blowing the halftime whistle, with it level at the break.

Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 1 v 1 Bracknell Town
With no changes at halftime, Stoke came out attacking the railway end in the second-half, but a cross from the right flies past the goal with no-one able to get a touch.
Stoke then make their first change with Rudy Allen being replaced by Nnamdi Nwachuku (58 mins).

A minute later a Bracknell player receives his second yellow card, followed by the red card and he’s off (Knight 59 mins).
The game gets back underway, and within two minutes, the referee shows another Bracknell player a straight red card for a nasty kick on Paul Hodges. (Ive 61 mins)

Stoke then create their best attack of the second-half, but the Bracknell keeper makes a double-save, and we win a corner on the right.
We are now pushing the ball about using the two extra players, and Hodges find some space and hits a shot but it’s an easy save for the Bracknell keeper.

The next Stoke attack is set-up by Ferdinand who slides the ball towards the penalty spot where James Clark hits a left-foot shot that their keeper gets a boot to and it flies just wide of the post for a corner. Upton wins the header but can’t direct it on goal.
Stoke then made their second change with Paul Hodges replaced by George Reid (76 mins).
Stoke win four more corners over the next few minutes, but Bracknell defend them all.
The Bracknell keeper makes another spectacular save, to keep Stoke out with seven minutes to go in normal time.
We then make our third change with Curtis Angell replaced by Alfie Bridgman (85 mins).

Then on ninety-minutes the Bracknell keeper makes another save with his boot from Nwachuku’s header.
Bracknell’s defence is holding, as we force two more corners in added-time, but it’s not going to be our day, as when a shot finally beats the keeper, a defender kicks the ball off the line, and the referee has seen enough and blows the full-time whistle.

Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Bracknell Town
Ferdinand 2 mins,                                          Esprit 44 mins

Match Thought’s
Despite the early goal, we created very little else in the first-half, not helped by numerous bookings by the referee. Second-half, we came to life once Bracknell were reduced to nine men. A mix of some bad finishing, bad luck and some last gasp saves by the Bracknell keeper, earns them a point.
We now slip down to third in the league.
Up Next:
We put the league to one side as this Saturday (31st), we host fellow Premier South league side Sholing in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.

Match Report by Martin French..