Match Report: Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Winchester City – Saturday 11th January 2025

Southern League Premier South – Saturday 11th January 2025
Basingstoke Town 2 vs 0 Winchester City Attendance 812
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this game against local rivals Winchester was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. James Clark, 4. Rudy Allen, 5. Jack Ball, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Robbie Gallagher, 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Nnamdi Nwachuku, 10. Liam Ferdinand, 11. Sam Deadfield,
On the bench: 12. Charlie Barlow, 14. Luis Le Paih, 15. Ben Cook, 16. Scott Armsworth & 17. Curtis Angell
Referee – Robert Harrison

With just a small patch of the pitch covered in frost, and with a larger than an expected crowd, this local Derby game against rivals Winchester got underway, and neither goal was threatened until the eight minute, when a cross from a Winchester attacker, saw a weak header comfortably held by Simon Grant in goal.
Simon Grant was forced into another save two minutes later, as a Winchester forward found space to shoot from a throw-in on the left.

Stoke’s first chance came on thirteen minutes as we broke swiftly from defence and a neat pass sent Robbie Gallagher away, but his shot was pushed directly up in the air by the Winchester keeper, and fumbled to a Stoke player who was unable to direct his shot on target, allowing a City defender to clear.
Grant was then forced into another save, finger-tipping a shot over the bar from just inside the penalty area.

Stoke who had produced very little, then opened the scoring just past the half-hour mark, as a cross from Gallagher on the right, was met by Nnamdi Nwachuku, who headed past the City keeper into the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Winchester City (Nwachuku 33 mins)

Stoke then missed a golden opportunity to double their lead, as Liam Ferdinand broke clear into the left-hand side of the penalty area, but delayed his shot, which was finally blocked by the City keeper, to Sam Deadfield who looked to shoot, but then brought the ball onto his right, but his shot was straight at the City keeper.

Then just before the break, Stoke attacked again, but a shot from Markus Johnson-Schuster was comfortably held by the City keeper.
Winchester had the final attack of the half, but Jack Ball headed the ball clear, and the referee blew the halftime whistle.

Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 1 vs 0 Winchester City
Stoke came out firing at the start of the second-half, as Gallagher broke into the City area on the right, but his cross rebounded off the keeper and then a City defender out for a corner.
A minute later Nwachuku out-muscled his marker, but failed to get any power on his shot and the ball rolled harmlessly to the keeper.
Billy Upton then neatly chipped the ball to Ferdinand, but Liam was unable to direct his header on target.

Just past the hour-mark it was Nwachuku’s bullying his way through two City defenders, and the ball fell to D’Andre Brown whose left-foot shot was saved b the City keeper.

Winchester who had shown very little in the second-half then forced Grant into a save down low at the left-hand post.

Stoke then created another chance, as Rudy Allen broke into the penalty area, only for Gallagher to take the ball off him and cross to the far post, where Nwachuku’s header lacked power and bounced wide.
It was Nwachuku’s involvement once more as he forced a save out of the City keeper with just over ten minutes to go.

Stoke who hadn’t made any substitutions upto now, then made two as D’Andre Brown was replaced by Ben Cook, and Jack Ball by Scott Armsworth (79 mins).

Stoke then finally put the game to bed as Upton’s run and cross from the right, was neatly headed home by Ferdinand GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Winchester City (Ferdinand 81 mins)

Grant made two further comfortable saves as we hit the first of six added-minutes.
We made our third change as Nnamdi Nwachuku was replaced by Charlie Barlow (93 mins).

A minute later Ferdinand was sent through and with an option to slide it across to an open Barlow, he took the shot which hit the side-netting.
We played the six added-minutes and the referee blew the full-time whistle and Stoke had got back to winning ways.

Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 2 vs 0 Winchester City
Nwachuku 33 mins, Ferdinand 81 mins

Match Thought’s
Despite what appeared to be a few chances which two were well taken, the game failed to really take off, and seemed somewhat scrappy especially in the first-half. Did Nnamdi Nwachuku get pushed into a more central attacking role in the second-half, as he seemed to flourish more than being forced out on the wing. A much-welcomed clean sheet, the first since September, and a deserved win, will hopefully give us confidence as we have three of our next four games on the road.
Up Next:
We are back on the road and back down into Dorset to take on Poole Town next Saturday (18th) KO 3pm

Match Report by Martin French..

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