Isthmian South Central Division – Saturday 22nd April 2023
Basingstoke Town 3 v 1 South Park Attendance 1577
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
We’ve Only Gone And Won The League
Dan Brownlie’s line-up for our final league game of the season: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4. Ben Cook, 5. Billy Upton, 6. Scott Armsworth, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Simon Dunn (Capt), 9. Paul Hodges, 10. D’Andre Brown, 11. George Reid,
On the bench: Stefan Brown, Brody Peart, James Clark Nathan Smart & Sam Argent
Referee – Ashley Allen
In front of the largest league crowd to watch a Basingstoke league game, the game gets underway with Stoke attacking the car park end, and it was a quiet start as both teams sized each other up, with a referee who seemed very officious from the start.
A header from South Park’s colossus forward flies over the bar for a goal-kick. We then break forward and Reid down the left slides the ball across to D’Andre Brown who can only get a slight touch on it and the ball rolls out for a goal-kick up the other end.
Still very little action to note from us, but South Park win a free-kick a yard outside our penalty area, directly in front of goal. The kick is poor and hits the middle of the wall and we are able to clear the ball.
Two more weak shots from South Park over the next couple of minutes are saved easily by Paul Strudley in goal.
Then on 24 mins, a neat move between Callum Winchcombe and Dre allows Dre to send the ball a cross to Bradley Wilson who has the goal beckoning but he appears to drag his shot and the ball bounces of the right-hand post and clear.
A minute later, Winchcombe hits a 35-yard piledriver that the South Park keeper has to dive full length to push the ball out for a corner.
Then on the half-hour the South Park left-back breaks down the left and dummies two of our defenders, cuts inside the penalty area, and hits a shot past Strudley in goal. Stoke 0-1 South Park.
South Park’s number 9 is then sent through but as he touches the ball past Strudley, he is able to get a slight touch and the ball rolls way for a corner. Stoke comfortably defend the corner.
Stoke press forward looking for an equaliser, but it’s the visitors who have the next attack as a corner finds a South Park a few yards past the back post, and he hots a shot that rebounds of the post to another Park player who hits a shot, but Strudley makes the save down low.
Then in the forty-fourth minute, Reid takes the ball down the right and takes it along the by-line and he gets taken down and the referee blows for a penalty. It’s Wilson to take the kick and he slams it past the Park keeper into the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 South Park (Wilson 45 mins Pen)
We then play just over four minutes of added-time before the referee blows the whistle and we go into the break level.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 1 v 1 South Park
The second-half gets underway, and news breaks that Thatcham have taken the lead against Walton. Stoke then press forward and the ball is slid through to Hodges who takes the ball into the penalty area and there’s a challenge on him, which the referee deems as a foul and blows for another penalty to Stoke. It’s Wilson again who steps up and finds the net once more GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 1 South Park (Wilson 50 mins Pen)
This goal appears to have set light to the game, as Stoke attack and a cross is met by a neat header from Dre but it’s saved by the Park keeper.
Minutes later news come through that Walton have equalised.
Stoke win two quick corners, but both are dealt with by the Park defence.
The singing behind the goal goes silent as Walton have taken the lead.
South Park have the next attack, but a shot goes in that Strudley pushes away and then recovers the ball.
The game goes into a lull over the next few minutes, as neither team is able to put anything of note on goal, plus a minute so delay to Billy Upton who receives treatment on the pitch for an injury.
Then there’s a mix-up between the Park keeper and defender, and Hodges gets between them and wins the ball and it rolls to Reid, who rounds the keeper and slides it into an empty net from an acute angle. GOAL!!! Basingstoke Town 3 – 1 South Park (Reid 74 mins)
We then make our first change with Ben Cook being replaced by Brody Peart (75 mins).
We break again through Peart who finds Hodges, but his shot flies over the bar.
We move into the last ten minutes with all ear’s on the score at Thatcham, where the game is a couple of minutes ahead of our game.
South Park then win a free-kick, which is sent across and a header is saved well by Strudley.
Then Reid takes the ball down the left wing and sends over a cross that Hodges just fails to get a touch too.
The crowd go into ecstatic scenes as news break that Thatcham have found an equaliser.
We then make our second change with Sam Argent replacing Bradley Wilson.
Now in added-time we await the final whistle down the road.
It takes a few minutes but it’s confirmed that Thatcham have got the draw that we need, and unfortunately another smoke bomb has been set-off.
Then after four minutes of added-time, the referee blows the final whistle and our win sends us top and Champions!!
Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 3 v 1 South Park
Wilson 45 & 50 Pens, Reid 74 mins
Match Thought’s
Well what a game and tension whilst we waited for the final whistle to go at Thatcham. Took us a while to get going, but in the end two penalty finishes by Bradley and Reid’s neat finish gave us the all important win. So we win the league by two points and await which league we will be promoted too.
Personally I want to stay in the Isthmian League.
Up Next:
Are our two County Cup finals, starting with Wednesday weeks (3rd May) North-Hants cup final against Romsey Town at Whitchurch Utd’s ground.
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 