Match Report: Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Marlow Saturday 11th February 2023

Isthmian South Central Division – Saturday 11th February 2023
Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Marlow      Attendance 680
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke Dominate Marlow, Win 2-0 And Keep Their Lead At The Top
After a very late enforced change Basingstoke’s line-up today was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4, Michael Atkinson (Capt), 5. Billy Upton, 6. Scott Armsworth, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Paul Hodges, 19. Sam Argent, 11. George Reid
On the bench: James Clark, Marcio Neves, Ben Mason, Nathan Smart & Ben Cook
Referee – Joel Lamping

After a twenty-minute delay the game finally gets underway with Stoke attacking the car-park end, and Stoke are straight on the attack with Bradley Wilson finding George Reid on the right, who cuts in on his left  inside the penalty area, and fires a left-foot shot that the Marlow keeper’s full-length dive, allows him to palm the ball away and Marlow clear.

Over the next ten minutes it is Stoke who continue to push forward, but despite winning a number of corners, we are unable to threaten the Marlow goal.

Then on minute twenty, we again break down the left and the ball is fed to Reid, who hits a shot that the Marlow keeper can only palm away at the foot of the left-hand post, but before a Stoke player can get the rebound, a Marlow defender is able to hack the ball away.

Marlow’s first attack of note is a header from their No.9 that flies comfortably over the bar from a free-kick.

It is Stoke who continue to push forward and we win a corner down the left with ten minutes to go. Wilson sends the corner-kick over and Scott Armsworth is up at the near post and powers a header into the net GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Marlow (Armsworth 36 mins)

Stoke are straight back on it and come close to doubling our lead when a cross falls to Reid, but his shot is blocked and Marlow are able to clear. We continue to press for that second goal, winning back-to-back corners.

Then on 45 minutes a Marlow through-ball rolls to Paul Strudley, who then unnecessarily gets kicked by a Marlow forward, which after some pushing and shoving between both sets of players, the Marlow forward goes in the book.
The referee plays just over two minutes of added-time before blowing for the halftime.

Halftime – Basingstoke Town 1 v 0 Marlow
The game gets back underway with Stoke attacking the railway end, and it takes a few minutes for Stoke to get back into the swing of things, but it’s Michael Atkinson who wins a tackle in midfield and then sends Wilson away down the left. Wilson takes the ball twenty yards then hits a shot that the Marlow keeper can only parry away and Marlow are able to hook the ball clear.

Stoke continue to win the ball in midfield and push forward, without forcing an attempt on the Marlow goal. Then a neat move down the right between Markus Johnson-Schuster and Reid, as he slides the ball back to Markus who side-foots a shot from 22 yards out, that curls wide of the far post.

Marlow have a little bit of possession in and around our penalty area, but our defence is more than up to it and clear.

Then on 66 minutes, the ball is slid through to Hodges who takes the ball into the penalty area then slides the ball across to Wilson, who hits a shot that looks destined for the bottom corner of the goal, until another full-length diving save by the Marlow keeper who gets the slightest of touches and diverts the ball onto the post and it rebounds away and Marlow clear.
We make our first change with Michael Atkinson, who has taken a few knocks today, is replaced by James Clark (78 mins).

Then we push forward again and it’s Hodges again who finds Wilson down the left, who takes the ball to the by-line then clips the ball across the face of the goal, and Argent leaps up and heads the ball into the net. GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Marlow (Argent 80 mins)

It’s time for our second change with Ben Cook replacing the goal-scoring Sam Argent.
Marlow then have two minutes of play, which results in a clearance close to our line.
We make our final change with George Reid being replaced by Nathan Smart (86 mins).

Stoke are now controlling the game as we head towards the final minute of normal time.

A poor shot from a Marlow forward that flies high and wide, really confirms how well we have played and also how poor Marlow have been today, as we head into the fourth minute of added-time and the referee has finally seen enough and blows the full-time whistle on another Basingstoke win.

Full-time Match Score: Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Marlow
Armsworth 36 mins, Argent 80 mins

Match Thought’s
Another all-round battling team performance sees Stoke deservedly beat what was an average Marlow side, through headed goals by Scott Armsworth & Sam Argent. Special mentions for Michael Atkinson who seemed everywhere today and started a number of attacking moves, and for Paul Hodges & Sam Argent who chased every loose ball and hurried the Marlow defenders the whole game.
We were well worth the three points, as we take another huge step towards promotion and the title?
Up Next:
We are back in action this Tuesday evening, as we host another playoff team in Chertsey Town with a 7.45pm Kick-off.

Match Report by Martin French..