Evo-Stick South Premier Division South Saturday 9th February 2019
Basingstoke Town 10 – 3 Staines Town (The Swans) Attendance 371
As Bruce Forsyth use to say ‘Good Game, Good Game didn’t he do well. Let’s have a look at the old scoreboard.’
Well following an amazing job by our groundsman and volunteers, the local referee passed the pitch fit to play and with a much changed line-up today, we took on bottom-placed Staines Town at the Camrose. Martin Kuhl made a number of enforced changes to the line-up and he went with the following, 1.Tom McGill, 2. James Orvis, 3. Rob Gerrard, 4.Dan Collier, 5. Matthew Casey, 6.Dean Stow, 7.Sam Smart, 8.Manny Williams, 9. Sam Argent, 10. Sam Deadfield (Capt), 11. Zidan Akers.
On the bench; 12. A. Harris, 14. Hunt 15. Granger, 16. O. Harris 17. D Allen
The game got underway with Basingstoke attacking the Clubhouse End in the first half and after very little sign of an attack on goal, on 5 mins the ball is put through to Zidane Akers who breaks free of his defender and from just his inside the penalty box sends a well-hit shot across the keeper in the far corner of the net. GOAL Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Staines Town.
We are back on it just 3 minutes later and again Akers seems to have got the better of his defender, and looks to shoot, but then turns inside and decides to pass to Deadfield and the chance is lost.
On 11 mins again Akers beats his defender down the right and sends in a hard-low cross, but the big No.5 defender is able to hack clear.
Then on 13 mins, and with the Swans first attack, a neat passing movement down our right, ends with across into the near post, where Deadfield turns it into his own net and Staines Town draw level.
On 14 mins and with Staines Town winning a free-kick down our right again. The kick is however wasted and flies over everybody waiting in the box and out for a goal-kick.
Stoke then on 18 mins have a claim for a penalty waved away, after winning a corner down the right. The short corner into Argent who tussles and turns and then seems to get knocked over by the defender, but the ref decides it’s just a corner. From the 2nd corner the new Matt Casey wins his first header of the ball, but it falls to Smart, who takes it down the left and sends in a superb cross that flies across the face of the goal, with no Stoke player able to get a touch on it. However Deadfield is able to retrieve it on the edge of the box, and after beating his first player, he slides it to Williams about 12 yards out who sends a first-time shot into the side netting of near post.
Staines Town then create another good chance on 21 mins as they break clear and a shot from 28yds bounces wickedly in front of McGill, who is able to just parry it away and we are able to clear it for a corner. Nothing occurs from the corner.
Stoke are back on it on 24 mins, after Smart picks up a Deadfield pass on the halfway-line and races 50yds down the left wing, but a good tackle by the Swans No.2, who outs it out for a corner. The corner is met by a header that Akers with a nice touch passes the ball back to the corner taker Deadfield, who takes one touch into the penalty area and fires a right-foot shot that the Staines keeper dives to his right and makes a fine save and puts it out for another corner. The corner is wasted as it flies over everybody and out for throw-in to Staines.
Then on 28 mins, Staines win a free-kick about 25yds out just to the right of the goal. The kick is flies past the wall and a diving McGill can only get a hand to it, but is unable to stop it from flying into the top corner of the net and Staines take a shock 2-1 lead.
The crowd are now getting restless, and Stoke who seemed in control, re-double there efforts and start to surge forward with midfield runs from Collier and Deadfield, but neither culminate in a chance on goal.
We then create 3 openings in the space of 2 mins. A shot from Deadfield is recovered by the keeper as Argent pounces on it at the near post. Another pass from Collier to Smart whose shot is again well saved by the Staines keeper and a break by Akers, who goes past his defender then shoots poorly as it flies over the bar.
Then another chance that Smart seems to want to walk into the net, as from 6yds out and just wide of the post cuts inside faints to shoot twice as he slides past two defenders and then as he does shoot, it is blocked by yet another defender and trickles to the keeper
Then on 41mins, finally all the pressure on the visitors succeeds as we are back inside the box, the ball is finally slipped by Smart back out to Williams on the edge of the penalty area, who sends a shot that flies into the far corner of the net and the Btg goes wild behind the goal as we draw level. GOAL Basingstoke Town 2 – 2 Staines Town.
Then literally what seems a minute later we take the lead as we again put pressure on the Staines goal, as Argent is fed the ball in the box and his shot takes a slight deflection as it passes the keeper and into the net. GOAL Basingstoke Town 3 – 2 Staines Town.
After what seems an upfield battle against a poor team, we enter the halftime break with the lead, but wondering how we again have missed a lot of chances.
The second-half gets underway with us our now attacking the Town End, but Staines have the first break until a good tackle by Collier puts a halt to it, and then sends the ball out wide down the right to Smart, who sends a lovely cross the face of the goal, where Argent somehow puts it wide from 2yds. However it wouldn’t have counted as the flag was up.
Then on 53 mins we double our lead, after more good work from Collier and Deadfield, where the latter slides the ball to Williams 20yds out, he takes two touches then curls a lovely shot that beats the outstretched hands of the diving keeper and just brushes the far post and into the net. GOAL Basingstoke Town 4 – 2 Staines Town.
We then create another chance, as Smart is tearing their left back apart as he goes past him again down the right, this time is cross is well cleared by the Staines slideshow Bob lookalike two yards out.
Well that two-goal lead is cut in half, as on 58 mins, Staines break down the right, then what seem an innocuous cross, seems to fly over McGill and into the far corner of the net. It’s now 4-3.
Stoke however, are not going to let this game go, as just two minutes later down the Victor Meldrew stand side. Williams chases a Staines player down, wins the ball and races 10yds down the left wing then sends in an inch-perfect cross past the Staines defender where Argent finishes with style. GOAL Basingstoke Town 5 – 3 Staines Town.
It is now clear why Staines are bottom of the league, as the midfield have been winning literally everything in midfield and the defence and keeper are on a hiding to nothing.
Smart then creates another chance on 63 mins, but the keeper makes a good save from Sam’s shot.
Shouts for a penalty cry out as there’s havoc in the Staines goalmouth as Deadfield seems to lose the ball, but a Swans player has fallen on the ball and seems to be almost cuddling it. The ref has no choice and Manny steps us to get his hat-trick. OOPS as the penalty is well saved by the keeper.
Smart is now being fed the ball time and time again down the right and creates an opening for Williams or Deadfield who seem to waste the opportunity in font of goal.
It is around this time, that we make our first substitution as Akers is replaced by Oliver Harris.
However, on 67 mins Smart claims another assist as he jinks past two Staines defenders and sends another low cross where their No.5 can only slice it into his own net. GOAL Basingstoke Town 6 – 3 Staines Town.
If it isn’t obvious by now this game is starting to turn into a rout, as Smart again is the provider of the next chance, this time for Deadfield, but his shot is well saved, but 20 seconds later Smart has the ball again and sends anther cross over that is half cleared to Williams, who passes it to Deadfield’s whose first-time shot although not his hard is more than good enough to beat the keeper as it finds the bottom corner of the net. GOAL Basingstoke Town 7 – 3 Staines Town.
If it’s not obvious by now, the Btg are in their element and are in party mood.
More San Smart wing-play and two more crosses that just need a touch from 2yds out. The other one that the oncoming Oliver Harris should have put away, but it gets blocked.
Then on 74 mins I see why the fans love Manny at the Camrose, as Staines break down the right, and it is the aging Williams who chases 25yds back and does a lovely slide tackle on the Staines winger and puts the ball out for a throw-in.
Then it’s time for number 8 as on 76 mins, as Deadfield finds Smartie down the right, he jinks past the defender with ease and sends another cross over and Harris makes no mistake as he slots it home at the far post from 3yds out. GOAL Basingstoke Town 8 – 3 Staines Town.
Then on 79 mins, Staines who are under constant pressure, do an absolute quality training ground passing movement out from the back, as three Swans players execute a five pass triangle style passing move and head upfield where unfortunately 35yds out their forward fluffs a shot easily to McGill to pick up.
Smart again causes havoc down the right, he cuts inside then back out side and another low cross is again well held by the diving keeper.
Then on 82 mins, how did we not score our ninth, as Smart down the right cuts inside the penalty box and smashes on that the keeper half saves and is put out for a corner. Deadfield sends in a vicious in-swinging just underneath the bar that the keeper is just able to palm away, it falls to Williams who takes another shot that again the keeper gets to put’s out for another corner.
Another chance another shot just over the bar, this time from Deadfield.
Then on 84 mins, it’s Smart with another assist and Oliver Harris’s second as another cross finds Harris in front of goal, and he finds the net comfortably. GOAL Basingstoke Town 9 – 3 Staines Town.
Stoke make their second change as Argent takes a well-earned rest, and is replaced by Dean Allen.
Finally Smart tops his scintillating performance off on 87 mins, as he is fed the ball down the right he cuts inside the box and then hits a shot that although not well-timed, it’s good enough to pass the keeper and into the far corner of the net. GOAL Basingstoke Town 10 – 3 Staines Town.
The last few minutes sees Stoke make their third and final change as another academy player Aiden Harris enters the fray I believe for Deadfield.
In added time Williams has another chance for his hat-trick, but it isn’t going to happen today as his shot takes the slightest of deflections wide of the near post.
The referee who has been good today and with very little issues to contend with, blows the final whistle.
Final Score: Basingstoke Town 10 – 3 Staines Town
Final thought’s – On a day where the game was unlikely to go ahead, we have put in a superb goal-scoring performance and with numerous chances missed as well. Never seen 10 goals scored by one team in the 50 odd years I’ve been watching football.
Smart was simply superlative today, and topped off his performance with a goal.
Deadfield & Collier run the midfield today and it was clear that Collier took time to say his goodbye’s to the fans behind the goal after the game.
Many Williams was back to his best and really should have left with the match-ball. Maybe next week?
The defence after the initial problems played better, but to be honest didn’t have too much to deal with for the last 30minutes of the game.
A great day, a great result which moves us into 13th place.
I also need to add a comment about their keeper who made 4 or 5 great saves today, and took the battering of 10 goals with perfect professionalism today. He also got some handshakes from a number of fans behind the goal from the much maligned Btg.
We have a week for the squad to rest and recuperate, before Kings Langley visit the Camrose next Saturday.
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 