Southern League Premier South Division – Saturday 21st September 2024
Basingstoke Town 1 v 1 Sholing Attendance 618
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Manager Dan Brownlie went with a starting line-up of: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Josh Grant, 4. Curtis Angell, 5. James Clark, 6. William Upton (Capt), 7. Robbie Gallagher, 8. Rudy Allen, 9. Nnamdi Nwachuku, 10. Liam Ferdinand, 11. Ben Cook
On the bench: 12. Max Smith, 14. Simon Dunn, 15. Alfie Bridgman 16. Dan Warre & 17. D’Andre Brown
Referee – Daniel Lamport
The first action to note was in the sixth minute, when Robbie Gallagher broke into the penalty area on the right, but his shot was blocked out for a corner, that was subsequently cleared.
Four minutes later a neat move between Liam Ferdinand & Nnamdi Nwachuku was halted after a good tackle by a Sholing defender six yards from goal.
In the fourteenth minute Sholing broke into our penalty area, but the shot is blocked by Ben Cook and we cleared the ball away.
The game was then halted for two minutes as Rudy Allen received treatment for an injury.
Sholing then should have been awarded a penalty on eighteen minutes, as a clearance from Simon Grant hit the back of a Sholing forward and rebounded across the penalty area to a another Sholing forward, who appeared to get shoved over in the penalty area, but both the nearby linesman and referee waved the game on.
Basingstoke created the next attack, as a shot from the returning Billy Upton, is comfortably saved by the Sholing keeper.
Just before the half-hour mark Sholing attacked again, but the Sholing’s forward shot, come cross rolled across the face of the goal and out for a goal-kick.
There was little to note apart from two further hold-ups for injuries as we moved into a large amount of added-time in the first-half, which was then interrupted after an altercation between Grant and a Sholing forward, which then continued into a melee involving a number of players, and the referee booked two Sholing players and one Stoke player. The referee called a halt to the first-half after ten added-minutes.
Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 0 v 0 Sholing
The game got back underway and the game continued in a similar pattern, with both defences on top in the opening minutes.
Stoke had a little possession, and forced a corner, which was headed over the bar by Nwachuku, and we made our first change with Josh Grant being replaced by Max Smith (58 mins).
Sholing then had two good chances, the first was blocked away by Curtis Angell, and then Grant palmed the ball over the bar from a shot from twenty yards. The resulting corner did however see Sholing take the lead, as a header found the back of the net. Basingstoke 0-1 Sholing
Stoke were still struggling to put anything of note on the Sholing goal and we made our second change with Dan Warre replacing Ben Cook (75 mins).
We then won a free-kick on the left, which was met by Upton’s header back across the goal, and a combination of Warre and then Angell, forced the ball home from close range. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 v 1 Sholing (Angell 76 mins).
Stoke attacked again a minute later which resulted in Ferdinand’s shot sliding a foot wide of the right-hand post.
Sholing then headed over from close range as we made our third change with D’Andre Brown replacing Nnamdi Nwachuku (84 mins).
Upton is down and injured and receives treatment for a couple of minutes as we moved into added-time.
Stoke then had two minutes of pressure in the Sholing penalty area, but a mix of blocks and then a deflection from Smith’s shot goes inches wide of the post.
Sholing have the final chance of the game, but their free-kick flies over the bar. The referee’s seen enough and blows the full-time whistle and both teams have to settle for a point a piece.
Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 1 v 1 Sholing
Angell 76 mins Targett 64 mins
Match Thought’s
Not the most action-packed of games as both teams failed to break down solid defences, and the game only opened up once we levelled the game through Curtis Angell’s finish. Still undefeated, but four league draws on the bounce, has us in sixth place.
Up Next:
We are back here at Winklebury this Tuesday evening as we host second-placed Walton & Hersham. KO 7.45pm
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 
Agree about Dan Warre, he seems to bring anew dimension to the game.