Match Report: Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Guernsey Tuesday 22nd March 2022

Isthmian South Central Division – 22nd March 2022
Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Guernsey Attendance 479
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke put a marker down on promotion places with win.
Dan Brownlie made a number of changes for this midweek’s clash was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Aiden Lewis, 3.James Haworth, 4. Robert Sheridan, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Anton Rodgers, 7. Simon Dunn (Capt) 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Bradley Wilson, 10. Conor Lynch, 11. George Reid
On the bench: McKoy Palmer, Marcio Magalhaes-Nevez, Lloyd Snell, Jack French, & Jonathan Boardman
Referee – Harry Scott

On a warm spring evening, match 30 for Stoke got underway with us attacking the car-park end in the first-half and on four minutes Aiden Lewis wins a tackle just inside our half and we attack down the right through Bradley Wilson who cuts inside and hit a shot from 20yds that slides wide of the left-hand post. Guernsey attack two minutes later and send a cross over the far post where keeper Paul Strudley seems to slip, and this allows a Guernsey forward to head the ball back across the face of the goal where another forward hooks the ball towards goal, only for Strudley (who is on the floor), to somehow put a hand up and palm the ball away for the corner. The corner is headed clear.

On 11 minutes we lose then win the ball straight back on the halfway line and send a long pass to Wilson over on the left wing, he takes his defender on and cuts in on his right and lets fly but the shot flies well over the bar.
On 17 minutes they attack us through the middle and Rob Sheridan brings down their forward and goes in the book for the foul. The free-kick directly n front of goal around 26 yds out beats the wall, but Strudley dives fall length and pushes the ball away from bottom corner of the goal-line, and it rolls to another Guernsey player who hits a shot way over the bar.
On 25 mins it is Stoke who attack through Conor Lynch, who beats a defender and hits a shot that forces a save out of their keeper.
Stoke continue to push forward over the next few minutes but are unable to put any pressure on their keeper.
On 35 mins Guernsey attack, and Nathan Smart forces the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner, and we break down the left through James Howarth, who then slides the ball inside to Simon Dunn who finds Lynch, who takes a touch then hits a shot from eight yards that takes a slight deflection and rolls just wide of the left-hand post. Stoke are straight back on it after Lewis wins the ball and sends Wilson away, who cuts inside and shoots, but again at the keeper.
In the final minutes of the first-half, Stoke attack again through Anton Rodgers sends a nice pass to Wilson, who  beats his defender, but hits another shot from 8yds away but the keeper palms the ball away for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner and a few seconds later the referee blows for halftime.

Halftime – Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Guernsey
The second-half gets back underway with no changes by Stoke, and we push forward but the final pass is too long and goes out for a goal-kick.

However from a poor pass out by the keeper, George Reid intercepts the pass to their left back and takes the ball into the penalty area then slides the ball across to Conor Lynch who knocks the ball past the keeper into the net. GOAL ! Basingstoke Town 1– 0 Guernsey (Lynch 47 mins)

This seems to settle the home crowd, as we attack again through Lewis who wins the ball and breaks down the right then finds Reid who slots the ball to Wilson, but his shot is blocked away (51 mins).
Guernsey look to have a threatening attack but the linesman has his flag up for offside.

It is noticeable that we are putting pressure on their players, who are losing the ball, and on 54 mins we look to have added our second goal, as Dunn intercepts a poor pass, slides the ball to Rodgers, who clips the ball over to Wilson, who brings the ball down and races towards the goal, but shoots as the keeper comes out and some how the ball hits the near post, then rebounds across the face of the goal and away.

It is still Stoke pushing forward after a free-kick for a foul on Rodgers, results in a shot from Wilson that flies over the bar.
Guernsey then have the next couple of attacks, but good interceptions first by Smart and then Lewis put a stop to them.
On 64 mins from a free-kick in their half, we win a corner after good work by Lewis and D’Andre Brown. A short corner finds Rodgers who takes the ball into the box, then slides a hard cross back from the by-line and it hits a Guernsey defender and somehow bounces clear.

George Reid is our first substitution on 67 mins, as he appears to have taken a knock and is replaced by Marcio Magalhaes-Nevez. It is just a matter of minutes for Marcio to make an impression on the games as he intercepts a poor pass beats two defenders and slides the ball out to Lewis who sends another cross over that is held by the keeper.

On 70 mins a great attacking move from a strong Smart tackle who then finds Lewis who takes the ball down the right, before finding D’Andre, who sends a cross that Guernsey’s right-back completely miss judges and the ball falls to Wilson, who takes a touch, then slides the ball onto his right foot, but with goal gaping, his shot flies a yard wide of the far post.

Then on 72 mins it is Marcio who goes on a run worthy of Lionel Messi, as he takes the ball from the left wing into the penalty area, where he is surrounded by five Guernsey players, but he jinks his way through then cuts the ball back form the left-hand byline straight to Lynch who slides it past the keeper to double our lead. GOAL !! Basingstoke Town 2– 0 Guernsey (Lynch 72 mins)

It is Aiden Lewis who cuts out the next Guernsey attack and finds Rodgers who sends the ball to Marcio, who is a live-wire against this tall slow Guernsey back four, but his shot is blocked away.
Then on 76 mins, Guernsey are starting to look tired but break forward and send a cross over to the left wing and a shot from close range that Strudley pushes away and Sheridan clears.
Another attack from Lewis & Marcio ends with a shot that is blocked clear.
Now in the last five minutes of the game we make our second change with Lloyd Snell replacing two-goal Conor Lynch.
Snell takes no time in causing Guernsey problems as they can’t deal with his pace, as he rounds two players on and beats them then hits a hard low shot that the keeper holds.
Guernsey have one more attack as they break down the left and a hard shot forces Strudley who can only push the ball into the air and it looks to fly towards the net before a Stoke defender hooks the ball clear.
We make our final change as Jon Boardman replaces Simon Dunn on 90 mins.
Another attack by Lewis who find Marcio, who takes a touch, then finds Snell who looks to beat his marker and sends across into the goalmouth that is kicked clear.

We have played the stated four minutes of added time and the referee blows the final whistle on a good night for Basingstoke Town.

Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Guernsey
Conor Lynch 47 & 72 mins
Match Thought’s
Playing a much bigger slower side in Guernsey, we dominated from the outset and a number of players stepped up and took control of the game. Another good all-round performance and 25 mins of class from Marcio, but overall Aiden Lewis was superb at the back and coming forward tonight. The win keeps us in fifth but on the same amount of points as 3rd placed Hanwell & fourth-placed Bedfont Sports.
Up Next:
With the win our third of three home games now has us playing a very important match against fourth-placed Bedfont Sports on Saturday