Match Report: Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Gosport Borough – Good Friday 29th March 2024

Southern League Premier South Division – Friday 29th March 2024
Basingstoke Town 3 v 0 Gosport Borough Attendance 952
Where: Winklebury Sports Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this Good Friday game was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Curtis Angell, 3. Massimo Giamattei, 4. Elliott Bolton, 5. James Clark, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Paul Hodges, 9. Liam Ferdinand, 10. Dan Rowe, 11. Luis Le Paih
On the bench: Stefan Brown, Shamar Moore, Harry Bowden, Scott Armsworth & Paul Strudley
Referee – Geriant Holliman

The game got underway with Stoke attacking the car-park end in the first half, and it was the visitors who has the first attack, but the cross from left, was too close to Simon Grant in goal, who collected the ball at the near post.

There was still very little to note, as we hit the ten-minute mark, but then Gosport attack again, but after good work, their forward found space, but then dragged his shot wide of the left-hand post.

Stoke are coming into the game, and Luis Le Paih, wins a tackle inside the Gosport half, and then Paul Hodges then sends him clear, but as he enters the Gosport penalty area, he blasts the ball over the bar.
The large crowd were still waiting for the game to really get going as we moved past the half-hour mark.

Then on thirty-eight minutes, Simon Grant made a superb reaction save, as he fingertipped a wickedly deflected shot wide of the post. From the resulting corner Stoke defenders make two good blocks inside the six-yard area, which allowed us to clear the ball.

Still very little to note, until the second-minute of added-time, as a neat through pass sends Liam Ferdinand clear on the left, but his low shot hits the keepers legs and falls to Dan Rowe who hits the rebounds wide of the left-hand post.
That’s the last action of the first-half as the referee blows for halftime, and we go in level.

Halftime – Basingstoke Town 0 v 0 Gosport Borough
With no changes by Stoke, the second-half got underway, with Stoke attack the railway end, and it was clear that Stoke had come out with a new vigour, as we pushed forward in the first few minutes.

The increased pressure, finally bore fruit, as Ferdinand found Wilson on the left, who cut in on his right-foot, and smashed a shot past the Gosport keeper into the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Gosport Borough (Wilson 56 mins)

Gosport looked to get back in the game, but a superbly timed tackle by Billy Upton, put an end to the Borough attack.

But that was to be the lot from the second-placed team, as Stoke doubled their lead, after a free-kick from the left, was headed back across the goal by Upton, to Wilson who hooked the ball back into the goalmouth, to a waiting Rowe, who made no mistake, as he headed the ball past the keeper into the right-hand corner of the goal. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Gosport Borough (Rowe 64 mins)

Wilson then looked to make it three, but his shot forced the Gosport keeper to parry the ball away, but with no Stoke there to follow it up, Borough were able to clear.

Gosport had a couple of minutes of play around our penalty area, but Stoke’s defence was not going to be breached today.

It was Rowe who then put the game out of doubt, as a cross from the right found Rowe at the far post, who made mistake volleying the ball past the Gosport keeper from close range. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Gosport Borough (Rowe 74 mins)

The visitors then wasted a chance as a cross was headed over the bar.
Stoke then made their first change, with Dan Rowe, replaced by Shamar Moore (79 mins).

Gosport have been really poor, summed up by a shot from twenty-five yards that flew eight yards wide of the left-hand post.
There was very little action, which allowed us to make another change,
Stoke did have the ball in the back of the net, as Ferdinand clipped home the ball, but was flagged for offside.
Stoke then made their second change with Bradley Wilson replaced by Stefan Brown (85 mins).

Ferdinand then had another chance to make it four, but his right-foot shot was pushed out for a corner. Upton’s resulting header was kicked clear.
Grant was determined to keep a clean sheet, as in added-time he superbly pushed the ball over the bar from a Gosport forward.
Stoke made their final change with academy player Harry Bowden replacing Liam Ferdinand (94 mins).

The referee allowed a further two minutes, before blowing the final whistle, on another strong Basingstoke performance.

Fulltime Score: Basingstoke Town 3 v 0 Gosport Borough
Wilson 56 mins,
Rowe 64 & 74 mins

Match Thought’s
Well I think most fans would you have taken four points out of six, against the top two teams in the league before the start. Dan Brownlie’s halftime tactical teamtalk worked wonders once again, as we came out all guns blazing, and Bradley Wilson & Dan Rowe’s goals were just part of a dominant twenty minutes of play by the whole Stoke side. The win pushes us up into tenth place.

Up Next:
After facing first & second, we now travel to third-placed Salisbury this Easter Monday, with a 3pm kick-off.

Match Report by Martin French..