Bet Victor Division One South – 23rd November 2019
Basingstoke Town 1 v 3 Bristol Manor Farm Attendance 262
Where: The SimplyHealth Stadium, Hillier Way, Winchester. S023 7SR
Stoke despite chances sink to another league defeat.
With the understanding that goalkeeper Chris Rackley would miss the game due a one-game league suspension, Freddie Gee got his first start since the opening game of the season as well as new signing Bradley Wilson in Dan Brownlie’s line-up of; 1. Freddie Gee, 12. Ryan Suckling 3. Adam Everiss, 4. Ben Cook 5. Dean Stow (Capt) 6. Scott Armsworth, 7. Claudio Herbert, 8. Jordan Edwards, 9. Ben Wright, 10. Bradley Wilson, 11. Riccardo Andrady.
On the bench: Mikey Davis, Aiden Harris, Harrison Cliff, Reece Rusher and Lloyd Snell
With the drizzling rain the game got underway with Stoke attacking the clubhouse end in the first half and it’s Stoke who have the first attack on 2 mins when we a free-kick 40yds out. The kick by Dean Stow is hit towards the far post and the ball is initially headed away, but Adam Everiss clips the ball back in with his right foot and it falls to Ben Wright, who swivels and hits a volley that has the keeper beaten but just loops over the bar.
Two minutes later Manor Farm win their first corner, but a shot from the low cross goes wide of the goal. However, a minute later from their next attack the ball is pushed over to the right, where their player somehow is able to force his way through three Stoke players and hits a cross that is tapped home at the near past. Stoke 0-1 Bristol Manor Farm.
Neither team creates anything of note for the next 10 mins, as the wet conditions is taking affect against some of the passing and control of both teams.
On 16 mins the visitors break from our attack and have a two-on-one down the left and a Farm forward cuts inside and sends a shot across the face of the goal and wide of the far post.
Five minutes later Stoke have their next attack of note as we break deep down the right, and it’s Wright who slips the ball in for new boy Bradley Wilson, who runs onto the ball and fires a shot from the right-hand side of the penalty area past the keeper and out for a goal-kick.
It’s Manor Farm who have the next attack, as they seem to pass the ball around the box, until their No.9 is able to turn and find space for a shot, that Freddie Gee saves low down at the near post.
On 28 mins we create another attack as Cook surges forward with the ball, he passes the ball to Claudio Herbert about 25yds out central from the goal, but then rather taking a shot he slides the ball to Riccardo Andrady that forces him slightly away from but goal, and his shot flies way over the bar.
Manor Farm then break down the right, and Ryan Suckling takes out their player with a sliding tackle and is fortunate not to go in the book. Nothing comes from the free-kick.
Stoke then have another half-chance, when we win a free-kick 35yds out. We take a quick short pass and the ball is then crossed, which is won by Stow at the far post who sends it into the heart of the goalmouth, but it’s half-cleared just outside the box, where a Stoke player hits a shot that is half-blocked then bounces up comfortably for the keeper.
It’s Stoke pushing hard to get the equaliser and a from a cross that is again headed clear, Cook fires a shot that takes a deflection out for a corner. The ball from the corner-kick is headed clear, but we are back on it and the ball finds Wright whose shot again takes a block and the balls falls comfortably in front of the keeper.
We are in the last five mins of the first half and we win another corner, but again the ball is cleared, but as we regain the ball ten yards in from the touchline our player is brought down and we win the free-kick. Stow’s free-kick into the box is not challenged by a Stoke player and the visitors head it clear, as the ref blows for the halftime whistle.
No changes at halftime and we are back underway with the rain still falling and Manor Farm earn a corner in the 47th minute. The ball is half cleared to a Manor Farm player who slides it to his forward who is able to turn his defender and his shot beats Gee, but hits the bottom of the post and bounces upto another forward who volleys it back into the goal, despite an unlucky diving half-stop from Gee. Stoke 0-2 Bristol Manor Farm.
We create another chance within 30 seconds of the restart, as the ball finds Wright in the box whose shot rebounds back to him and he slips it to Wilson whose shot is blocked.
We make our first change on 52 mins, as Andrady is replaced by Harrison Cliff.
Stoke then win a corner after good work down the right. The corner finds Edwards open at the back, but his header has no real power and floats back across the goal and is cleared away.
However, we break again and the ball finds Wilson around 25yds out and hits a shot that the keeper dives and pushes out to his right, where Everiss is first on it and as the ball bounces up to him his shot flies back into the goalmouth area, and somehow we can’t get a touch on it and they scramble it clear.
On 59mins Herbert retrieves the ball just inside his own half and then slides it past his marker and races 50yds down the touchline with it outpacing two Farm players, however, as he tries to cut inside, it takes a deflection off a defender out for a corner. The corner is easily cleared.
Then I believe Herbert goes in the book after a tackle on the halfway line as he shoves a Manor Farm player after initially being fouled himself. The referee ignores the original push and gives them the free-kick.
On 65 mins we win another free-kick around 35yds out directly in front of the goal. Wright steps up and his shot although beats the wall is comfortably saved by the keeper.
It’s still Stoke on the offensive with 20 minutes to go, but the visitors break down the right, the ball falls to the overlapping right back who shot flies way over the bar.
Manor Farm then have another half-chance as they again break down the right, a hard low cross is dangerously cleared back across our own goal to a Manor Farm player who fortunately drags his shot wide of the far post.
We then win a throw-in down the left. After it initials is headed clear, we work the ball down the left and then Everiss sends in a cross to Stow at the far post 10yds out, he looks to shoot but turns inside but again his marker has him covered, so he turns back onto his left and smashes a curling shot and that flies past the keeper. WHAT A GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 2 Bristol Manor Farm
We then win a corner 3 minutes later on the left. The kick by Herbert, is met by a Wright header from 4yds out, but it somehow hits the keeper in the stomach and he drops on the ball on the floor.
Then on 89 mins after what looks like an innocuous tackle, Jordan Edwards is shown a second yellow card and we are down to ten men.
We then have another half-chance as we win a corner on the right hand side. The kick is initially blocked back out to a Stoke player whose shot looks to be going in only for a Manor Farm player to head it away just in front of the goal line.
The game is finally settled on 92 mins as they break down our left, and Manor Farm calmly take two passes and then slide the ball across to the right hand side of the penalty area where another player is wide open and he smashes it low past Gee in the goal. Stoke 1-3 Bristol Manor Farm.
The game gets restarted but a minute later, the referee blows the final whistle and Stoke have lost their third straight league game.
Final Score: Basingstoke Town 1 – 3 Bristol Manor Farm
Post-match news, it was announced that keeper Chris Rackley had also accepted an offer from Bracknell Town.
Up next is next Saturday’s away trip to League Leaders Frome Town. Although our record in the last couple of years is good, this will be a completely different adventure.
Match Report by Martin French..
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