FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round – Saturday 3rd September 2022
Basingstoke Town 2 v 4 Weston-Super-Mare Attendance 439
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke battle back after two early goals but still slip out of the Cup
Dan’s starting line-up for this FA Cup test was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Ben Mason, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4. Scott Armsworth, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Luis Le Paih, 8. Simon Dunn (Capt) 9. Ezio Touray, 10. James Clark, 11. Bradley Wilson,
On the bench: Imani Languedoc, Marcio Neves, George Reid, Dan Williamson, James Hayworth, Aiden Lewis & Sam Argent
Referee – Samuel Read
With a much lower than expected crowd, the game got underway with Stoke attacking the carpark end, and there’s little action till the visitors win a corner down on the left-hand side. The corner kick flies over the far post, where a Weston forward gets to the cross and from an acute angle, heads the ball back across the goal and into the far corner of the net. Basingstoke 0-1 Weston-Super-Mare (4 mins).
Stoke have an attack on 6 minutes, but the cross from Bradley Wilson flies past the face of the goal and out for a goal-kick.
Then in the 12th minute, a through ball splits our defence, and the Weston forward goes round Strudley in goal and slides the ball into the net. Basingstoke 0-2 Weston-Super-Mare.
Some poor passing out the back, does not help our cause.
A shot from distance from Weston is held comfortably by Strudley.
Then a nice pass to Callum Winchcombe on the left, who takes it down the left wing, then cuts inside and shoots, but the ball flies wide of the far right-hand post.
Stoke are trying to get a foothold into the game, and we come forward again down the right with Wilson, who slides the ball back Ben Mason, who pin-point cross finds Ezio Touray, who beats his marker and the keeper and heads home GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 2 Weston-Super-Mare (Touray 20 mins)
There is a delay as their keeper is injured. Once the game gets back underway, we press again and the ball pings dangerously across from one side, then the other side of the goal, before a shot from Mason flies wide of the far post.
Weston then win a free-kick on 27 mins, but the kick is well headed out by Winchcombe for a corner. The corner kick is overhit and flies out for a goal-kick.
Weston then force another corner as Scott Armsworth is first to the ball ands puts it out. The kick appears to come off their No.6 but the referee awards another corner. This kick is headed clear, but the but referee awards us a free-kick for pushing.
Ben Mason then goes in the book for a nothing tackle.
We win a corner on 38 mins, after good work by Wilson. The visitors are able to clear but we are back on it again through Ezio who finds Wilson who shoots and it flies off the crossbar with the keeper beaten and they are able to clear.
Weston then have the next couple minutes of possession, resulting in a shot wide of the far post and another attack is well defended by Nathan Smart.
Weston then break on 44 mins down our right, and their winger sends in a cross that Strudley and Armsworth both challenge for and the ball rebounds off Scott and rolls into the net. Stoke 1-3 Weston-Super-Mare.
We then pay for four minutes off injury-time, before the referee blows the halftime whistle.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 1 v 3 Weston-Super-Mare
The second-half starts with no changes for Stoke, as we attack the railway end, and within two minutes we pull a goal back as Wilson with time slides the ball through to Ezio Touray who breaks clear and slides it past the on-coming Weston keeper into the net. GOAL !! Basingstoke Town 2 – 3 Weston-Super-Mare (Touray 47 mins)
We are back on it a minute later and a Weston defender puts it out for a throw-in down by the corner flag. From the throw-in the ball comes in and a neat flick by James Clark, finds Ezio whose overhead kicks flies a foot wide of the near post with the keeper beaten.
Stoke continue to press but Weston hold us at bay.
Bradley Wilson goes in the book for yet another nothing tackle.
We win a corner on 56 mins, which Winchcombe sends in that beats the keeper, but hits Touray and bounces away.
Weston’s No.11 then picks the ball up on the right wing then cuts across the pitch, looking to shoot, but we are able to block out any threat.
The visitors seem to have found their feet again and another attack ends with a shot that flies wide.
Another Weston attack his defended well by Armsworth who puts it out for a corner. The corner finds a Weston player whose shot rebounds over to the far post, where an open Weston player knocks it home. Stoke 2-4 Weston-Super-Mare.
That goals a real kick-in-the-teeth for Stoke, and we make our first change on 67 mins with Sam Argent replacing a hard-working James Clark.
Stoke then create the next attack, as Dunn wins the finds Wilson down the left whose cross finds Ezio, whose flicked header flies just past the far post.
A minute later Stoke win a corner. The corner kick bounces safely to the keeper.
Another attack down the right and Mason’s cross just beats the outstretched leg of Ezio and they are able to clear.
We then make our second change with Nathan Smart replaced by new-signing Imani Languedoc.
It’s Sam Argent’s turn to go in the book as he clips the heel of a Weston player.
Strudley then comes to the rescue, as a Weston player breaks clear, but Struds pushes away the shot.
We then win a corner after Imani outpaces his defender down the left, and his cross is blocked out for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
Weston then have the next couple of attacks, but we are able to hold them at bay.
With five minutes remaining, we attack again and good work down the left by Dunn whose cross falls to Wilson, but rathe then hitting the volley, brings it down only for a Weston defender to take it off him.
Strudley makes another good save with two minutes to go.
We are now in four minutes of injury-time and the referee has seen enough and blows the final whistle and Stoke exit the FA Cup.
Fulltime Score: Basingstoke Town 2 v 4 Weston-Super-Mare
Ezio Touray 4 & 12 mins Reid 4 mins, Bastin 12 mins, Armsworth og 44 mins, Jackson 62 mins
Match Thought’s
Weston took an early two-goal lead but Touray’s first goal brought us back in the game, and we were unlucky then not to get an equaliser. Stoke fought well but were unable to get back on terms. A much better performance that gave a good account of ourselves.
Up Next:
Following today’s loss game we now switch cups, and look to progress in the FA Trophy, as we host Cirencester City next Saturday at Winklebury
Match Report by Martin French..
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