Isthmian South Central Division – Saturday 28th January 2023
Basingstoke Town 3 v 1 Merstham Attendance 580
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke Extend Lead At Top After 3-1 Win Against Merstham
Basingstoke’s Line-up today was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4, Michael Atkinson, 5. Billy Upton, 6. Scott Armsworth, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Simon Dunn (Capt), 10. Ben Cook, 19. Sam Argent, 11. George Reid
On the bench: D’Andre Brown, Ben Mason, Marcio Neves, Nathan Smart, Lewis Hayden
Referee – Martin Bloor
On a cold and cloudy afternoon, the game got underway with Stoke attacking the car-park end, and there was very little to note, as both teams settled into the game, until the eighth minute, when a Merstham free-kick flew across the face of the Stoke goal and out for a goal-kick.
Then from a Merstham attack, we break over the halfway line with Simon Dunn who sends a pass over to Bradley Wilson on the left wing, Wilson then takes it inside and past two players then slides the ball to Sam Argent who flicks the ball back to the running Wilson, who volleys the ball past the Merstham keeper into the top of the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Merstham (Wilson 11 mins)
We attack a minute later, but a shot flies harmlessly over the bar.
Merstham then have the next few minutes, which includes a Merstham player picking up an errant pass, break down the right and along our by-line and hits a shot, come pass that Paul Strudley is able dive on and hold.
It is Merstham who continue to push forward, but headers from Scott Armsworth then Billy Upton, and a block from Markus Johnson-Schuster, keep them at bay, over the next few minutes.
We have a couple of attacks on the half-hour, but we are unable to force a save out of the visiting keeper.
We then fail to double our lead, when a George Reid, run down the right, finds Ben Cook directly in front of goal eight yards out, who hits his shot directly at the keeper.
Merstham continue to press and Scott, makes a superb last-ditch tackle on a Merstham player inside our penalty area, winning the ball and then finding Dunn, who clears.
We are now in the last five minutes of the first-half, as Stoke win a corner on the left. Merstham are able to clear and the game then gets stopped, due to an injury to a Merstham player in the goalmouth area.
Once the game restarts we have an attack through Cook & Johnson-Schuster, which results in a shot saved by the keeper.
Then as we enter added-time, we break again and the ball is slid through to Sam Argent who takes the ball into the penalty area, then around the keeper, and then slides the ball back across the face of the six-yard box, straight to Reid, who slots it home past a defender on the line, into the net. GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Merstham (Reid 45 mins)
There’s time for a poor shot from a Merstham forward that flies high over the bar, before the referee calls time on the first-half and Stoke go in to the break with a two-goal lead.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Merstham
We get back underway and we immediately break down the left through Callum Winchcombe who finds Sam Argent who heads the ball into the path of Wilson on the left wing, and with no Merstham defender bothering to close him down, he takes the ball into Merstham penalty, then sets, aims and fires a shot, that leaves the keeper motionless, as the ball flies into the top corner of the right-hand goal. GOAL!!! Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Merstham (Wilson 46 mins)
George Reid then goes in the book for what seemed a weak tackle on a Merstham player (52 mins).
We continue to look for a fourth goal, as Argent and Dunn link-up neatly to find Reid, but the visitors are able to block his run.
We make our first change on 62 minutes with D’Andre Brown replacing Ben Cook.
On 68 minutes, Argent wins the ball back in their half, finds Wilson who finds Dunn, whose shot from a narrow angle forces a diving save out of the Merstham keeper.
Another superb sliding interception from Upton on his return, pushes the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
Merstham continue to push forward, and it’s Atkinson’s turn to make a vital interception.
We then make our second substitution with the much-awaited return of Lewis Hayden after an 18-month layoff, as he replaces Simon Dunn (73 mins).
Merstham then finally deservedly pull a goal-back on 76 mins. Stoke 3-1 Merstham.
Callum Winchcombe then goes in the book (77 mins).
We then have a goal disallowed for offside, after a neat move from Wilson finds Reid who slots it home.
Then another chance goes begging, after another neat move has Wilson sliding the ball through to Johnson-Schuster inside the penalty area and one-on one with the keeper, but his shot from close range flies high over the bar.
Johnson-Schuster then makes a superb recovering tackle, a minute later.
We then make our final change with Ben Mason replacing George Reid (86 mins).
The ninety minutes are up and we look to play out any time the referee decides to add, which we do successfully with good blocks by Johnson-Shuster & Atkinson and in the fifth minute, the referee blows the full-time whistle.
Full-time Match Score: Basingstoke Town 3 v 1 Merstham
Wilson 11 & 46, Reid 45 mins, Vendrells 76 mins
Match Thought’s
Two stunning finishes by Bradley Wilson and a neat move then finish by Reid are enough to beat a competitive Merstham side as we extend our lead at the top to four points with Northwood losing. Special mentions for Sam Argent who was integral in all three Stoke goals.
Up Next:
Well we are back into action this Tuesday evening, as we have a tough match-up at Binfield with a 7.45pm Kick-off.
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 
Really good report on a game against a team that attacks but cannot seem to defend.