Southern League Premier South Division – Saturday 12th August 2023
Basingstoke Town 1 v 3 Hanwell Town Attendance 617
Where: Winklebury Sports, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Dan Brownlie’s line-up for today’s home game was: 1. Mark Scott, 2. Kai Hobbs, 3. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 4. Billy Upton, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Michael Atkinson, 7. Ben Cook, 8.Dan Isaiah Rowe, 9. Ashleigh Artwell, 10. Bradley Wilson, 11. Sam Argent
On the bench: D’Andre Brown, George Reid, Morrison Hashii, Scott Armsworth & Callum Winchcombe
Referee – Neil Templey
Well our first home league fixture got underway, with Stoke initially on the attack through nice work from Dan Rowe and Ashleigh Artwell, but we are unable to create anything on the Hanwell goal.
It’s still Stoke pushing forward, but Hanwell break into our half and win a corner. From the corner Hanwell take the lead after what appears a free-header allows them to beat Mark Scott in goal. Basingstoke 0 – 1 Hanwell Town.
Stoke look to get back into the game, and despite neat build-up play outside the box and crosses over the next ten minutes from either Bradley Wilson on the left, or Kai Hobbs on the right are comfortably dealt with by the visitors.
Hanwell have a couple of possessions in our half, and use their long throw-in expert to put pressure in our six-yard area, but we are able to deal with it.
Then just past the half-hour mark, the visitors break down the right and create space for one of their forwards to hit a low shot across the face of the goal, which Scott dives and gets a hand to, but can only push it to another Hanwell player who knocks it past Scott into the net. Basingstoke 0 – 2 Hanwell Town.
Hanwell’s next attack minutes later wins them a free-kick just on the edge of our penalty area. When it’s finally taken, a low left-foot shot finds the bottom of the right-hand corner of the net and we go three behind. Basingstoke 0 – 3 Hanwell Town.
We move into the last five minutes of the first-half and whatever momentum we showed at the start of the game, has disappeared.
Then on 43 mins Wilson breaks down the left, then cuts inside and hits a shot that forces a diving save out of the Hanwell keeper, who pushes it out for a corner on the right. The corner comes to nothing.
We have time to win another corner, and the referee stops play and then goes to book one of the Hanwell coaching staff. The corner when taken flies over everyone and out for a goal-kick and the referee less than a minute blows the halftime whistle.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 0 v 3 Hanwell Town
With no changes at halftime, the game gets back underway, and we look to get back into the game, but Hanwell continue to frustrate our attacks.
We then make our first change with Callum Winchcombe replacing Markus Johnson-Schuster (56 mins).
Hanwell appear content with their three-goal lead, but when they do come forward, seem able to force saves out of Scott in goal.
We make our final two changes, looking to change things up, with the return of George Reid for Ashleigh Artwell and Morrison Hashii replacing Sam Argent (63 mins).
The game continues with lots of possession for Stoke, and a shot is saved by the Hanwell keeper down low, but Hanwell seem in control of the key areas on the pitch.
A Morrison Hashii shot minutes later is then defended on the line.
We move into the last ten minutes of the game, and George Reid is still trying to get us back in the game, but Hanwell still seem determined to keep us at bay.
Now deep into added-time, Ben Cook then sends over a curling cross into the heart of the goalmouth, and Dan Rowe beats his defender and heads home past the keeper into the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 3 Hanwell Town (Rowe 96 mins)
The game restarts and the referee takes a few seconds before blowing the final whistle and we lose our home opener.
Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 1 v 3 Hanwell Town
Rowe 96 mins, Duncan 8 mins, Evans 33 mins, Tanner 37 mins
Match Thought’s
We never really got going against a Hanwell side who had a gameplan to stifle our play. We seemed short of ideas at times, on how to break them down. Not the greatest of defending today, which cost us the points. Will the absence of Paul Hodges affect how we set-up and create chances?
Still early in the season, but Gosport is already a big game to get our first win of the season.
Up Next:
Is our midweek trip to old foes Gosport Borough, this coming Wednesday evening 7.45pm KO
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 
Thought we were poor, admittedly against a strong Hanwell side. Lots or room for improvement.