Match Report: Basingstoke Town 1 – 3 Poole Town – Saturday 9th November 2024

Southern League Premier South – Saturday 9th November 2024
Remembrance Day Game
Basingstoke Town 1 vs 3 Poole Town Attendance 805
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this match-up against the league leaders was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Curtis Angell, 4. Rudy Allen, 5. James Clark, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Brody Peart, 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Liam Ferdinand, 10. Sam Deadfield, 11. Aleks Kokoszka
On the bench: 12. Charlie Barlow, 14. Simon Dunn, 16. Jonny Efedje & 17. Jack Ball
Referee – Lawrence Torz-Brown

Following a superbly observed Remembrance ceremony and two-minute silence, the game got underway with Basingstoke attacking the car-park end in the first-half and after two minutes of pressure by the visitors, a long clearance sends Liam Ferdinand away, and despite two defenders fending him away, he is able to turn and shoot on his right, but the shot was dragged wide of the left-hand post.

Poole continued to be the team looking for an opening goal, but failed to trouble Simon Grant in goal, and it was D’Andre Brown who dragged a left-foot shot wide of the goal, after neatly being set-up by Ferdinand.

Poole then took the lead in the fourteenth error, as we failed three times to fully clear the ball from a corner, with the third a miss-kick from Markus Johnson-Schuster and a Poole player slid the ball across the face of the goal, where ex-Stokie Ezio Touray put the ball away. Basingstoke 0-1 Poole

Poole then doubled their lead from a free-kick on their left, which was allowed to travel across the goal, where an unmarked Poole player tapped it home from four yards. Basingstoke 0-2 Poole
With ten minutes to the break, Grant was forced to push a shot over the bar, as Poole found another hole in our defence.
Still little from Basingstoke and with two minutes to the break, it was no surprise, when a Poole forward found space in our penalty area, and he buried his shot. Basingstoke 0-3 Poole
We played four minutes of added-time, before the referee blew the halftime whistle, with Stoke having a lot to do in the second-half.

Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 0 vs 3 Poole Town
Ten minutes in and Stoke had still produced very little, but had at least stemmed the Poole attacks.

Then on the hour mark, we made a triple change as D’Andre Brown was replaced by Charlie Barlow, Brody Peart was replaced by Simon Dunn, and Aleks Kokoszka was replaced by Max Smith.

The three changes at least sparked some life into the game, as we looked to get back into the game, and the Poole Town was finally breached as academy star Charlie Barlow was first to the ball from a cross to the far post GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 3 Poole Town (Barlow 67 mins)

Despite all our increased possession we were struggling to open up Poole’s dogged defence and it was Barlow who came close to getting a second, but his half-volley was pushed over the bar.

Grant then pulled out a fine save, stopping Poole from adding a fourth.

Stoke continued to look for that second goal, and it nearly came from an attack on the right, but James Clark’s well-timed shot on the edge of the penalty area, flew inches over the bar.
With five minutes to go, calls for a handball by the keeper outside the penalty area were waived away.
Poole’s keeper then made a save from Simon Dunn’s shot.

We make our final two changes in the last minute of normal time, as Curtis Angell was replaced by Jonny Efedje, and Markus Johnson-Schuster replaced by Jack Ball (90 mins).

Poole were able to play out seven minutes of added-time and Stoke had lost it’s second game on the bounce at home.

Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 1 vs 3 Poole Town
Barlow 67 mins,                                        Touray 14 mins, Staunton 26 mins,
Holmes 43 mins,

Match Thought’s
A triple-change in the second-half brought some life into our side, but honestly we were poor for the first hour of the game. A lack of attacking threat continues and it was good to see young Charlie Barlow grab his chance with a goal and a decent thirty minute performance on his league debut.
Now without a win in five games, we have to find a way to change the direction the club is going in.
Up Next:
We have a chance to turnaround around our fortunes, as we travel into South-West London to take on Chertsey Town this Tuesday evening (12th) KO 7.45pmm)

Match Report by Martin French..