Southern League Division One South 27th October 2020
Basingstoke Town 3 v 0 Mangotsfield Utd Attendance 400
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke pick up all three points in first league on 3G at Winklebury
Manager Dan Brownlie makes enforced changes due to Lewis Hayden’s injury since last Saturday sees Wollers replaced by Shaun Dallimore in the backline 1. Julian Schwarzer, 2. James Smith, 3. Adam Everiss, 4. Dylan Ive, 5. Scott Armsworth, 6. Shaun Dallimore, 7. George Reid, 8. Ben Cook, 9. George Hallahan, 10. Bradley Wilson, 11. McKoy Palmer
On the bench: Simon Dunn, Lloyd Snell, Daryl Wollers, D’Andre Brown and Tom Lemmon
Another capacity crowd this time under the lights in Winklebury, has Basingstoke attacking the carpark end in the first half and we win a corner in the first minute, but nothing comes from this.
Stoke win back-to-back corners, but again Mangotsfield clear again.
Then Basingstoke take that all important early lead, when Bradley Wilson, wins the ball in midfield and races 30 yds with the ball and unleashes a shot that finds the far corner of the net GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Mangotsfield Utd (4 mins)
Stoke then double their lead two minutes later through George Reid who has time to turn inside the box and leaves the keeper with no chance as he slams the ball home GOAL! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Mangotsfield Utd (6 mins)
Stoke then spend two minutes defending their goal, as the young Mangos side come looking for a goal.
We then have further attacks through Wilson down the right wing, but neither produce a shot on goal.
Again it’s the visitors who create more half chances through quick work down the right, but Dallimore heads the first one clear and a second cross to the far post is put out by James Smith for a corner. The corner hit well flies across the face of the goal and luckily no-one can get a touch on it and it flies out for the goal-kick.
Stoke are trying to gain control of the midfield, but one or two misplaced passes allow Utd to keep coming back at us, and on 18 mins the ball is pushed through to a Mangos forward whose shot is pushed clear by Julian Schwarzer in goal, we then break from this, and the ball is fed to Wilson who breaks the offside trap and has a one-on-one with the keeper, but hits the ball straight at the keeper who saves.
On 23 mins the visitors attack down the left and send in a low-cross, but Adam Everiss makes a timely stop and clears towards the halfway line. The ball comes straight back, but again Everiss wins the ball and finds Reidy who goes on a 60yd mazy run through the middle of the pitch before finding Wilson down the right, but his shot hits the defender and flies out for another corner.
The next five minutes or so, has little or nothing of note, as both defences shut down any forward play by either side.
On 29 mins the visitors win a free-kick 30yds out which is sent into the heart of the 6-yard box and the ball falls to a Mangos forward who volleys it inches over the bar.
It’s Stoke with the next chance as McKoy Palmer finds time to shoot, but it is comfortably saved by the keeper.
A Stoke free-kick minutes later, taken by Dylan Ive, who sends in a dipping kick, that has a defender mis-heading it over his own bar. The corner is initially cleared, but Stoke continue to press and they find Palmer just inside the right-hand side of the penalty area who smashes a shot towards goal, which the young keeper can only palm away from his dive, and it’s Dallimore first to it and he makes no mistake as he knocks it into the net Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Mangotsfield Utd (35 mins)
We somehow fail to make it four, as we play pinball in their 6-yard box, which involves a Cook shot that deflects to another Stoke player, whose shot then rebounds to Wilson whose shot flies wide of the goal.
Mangotsfield create two half chances as a dangerous cross forces a Stoke defender to put it out for a corner. Again another corner flashes past the goalmouth with no-one getting a touch to it.
Then as we enter injury-time in the first half, there is a challenge inside our penalty area and the referee blows for what initially some Stoke fans think is for a penalty, but in fact he shows the yellow card to the Mangos forward.
The halftime whistle goes with Stoke in a commanding three-goal lead.
The second-half gets back underway with Stoke now attacking the railway end.
The first attack of note, is a swift attacking move by the visitors which ends when their small tricky forward has his shot deflect softly into Schwarzer’s hand.
On 51 minutes Hallahan looks to have scored from his corner, but his effort is cleared off the line to Dallimore effort flies wide.
Minutes later good work by Reid down the left sends in a cross to Hallahan who holds off his defender, but with his back to the ball turns and shoots narrowly past the far post.
We continue to come forward, but the young Mangos team are keeping us from adding to the score-line.
Mangotsfield have the next attack, which needs Smithy to put it for a corner. A mis-timed header from the corner flies high over the crossbar.
Two more attacks are kept out by the Stoke defence.
Cook finds Palmer inside the visitors half who slides the ball to Wilson, who shrugs of a challenge from his mark and shoots but the keeper saves well.
It’s Schwarzer’s turn who makes low-down diving save as he pushes it away from the goalmouth area and we clear.
It’s time for our first substitution as George Reid is replaced by D’Andre Brown.
The next attacking move on 67 mins is a lice on-two passing move between Palmer and Hallahan, which gives Palmer the chance, but his shot flies wide of the near post.
Another Stoke attack ends with a shot that flies over the Mangotsfield bar.
The next few minutes it is noticeable that the referee seems to want to chat to a number of players from both sides. The fact it has taken this long to really notice the referee means he has allowed the game to flow.
Lloyd Snell is our second change as he replaces McKoy Palmer (75 mins).
The game goes into a lull for the next few minutes as we enter the last ten minutes of the game.
The next attack of note, comes from the visitors who send in a cross that takes a touch of a Stoke defender and flies put for a throw-in.
The game seems to have lost it’s spark, as we seem to be happy with the lead.
Then on 85 mins Wilson attacks inside the right-hand side of the box, and his cross is cleared over the bar by a Mangos defender. Nothing comes from the corner.
Another half-chance falls to Stoke as both Hallahan and Cook can’t decide who to take the shot, and in the end a Cook toe-poke rolls to the keeper.
Lloyd Snell then finds Hallahan four yards out but his shot is held well by the keeper at the near post.
We are now in added-time, and very little action by either side, until the referee gets in the way of Bradley Wilson attack, who complains to the referee.
The referee blows the final whistle and Stoke have their first clean sheet of the season.
Final Score: Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Mangotsfield Utd
Match Thought’s
With both Cirencester and us winning, we move upto 3rd place, as we appear to put the game away early, despite some battling work by Mangotsfield. A few chances missed but we are happy to win for the first time in the league at home and our first ever league win on an artificial surface.
Up Next:
Well after two home games we have back-to-back away games starting with Melksham on Saturday, followed by a visit to Highworth Town on the following Wednesday.
Match Report by Martin French..
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