Isthmian South Central Division – Saturday 18th March 2023
Basingstoke Town 3 v 2 Uxbridge Attendance 752
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke extend winning streak to fifteen, but Uxbridge make us fight.
Dan Brownlie’s line-up today was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4. Michael Atkinson (Capt), 5. Billy Upton, 6. Scott Armsworth, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Ben Cook, 9. Paul Hodges, 11. Brody Peart, 19. Sam Argent,
On the bench: James Clark, D’Andre Brown, Stefan Brown, Nathan Smart & Mark Scott
Referee – Oscar Whiting
On a rainy March afternoon, our latest promotion push got underway in front of another large crowd, with us attacking the railway end, and Uxbridge break and win a corner in the first ten seconds. Stoke defend the corner.
Stoke a minute later win a corner on the left, and the Thursday night gameplan is put in practice and appears to work, but Paul Hodges shot is deflected off the post by the keeper out for another corner. The second corner is cleared away.
Stoke continue to press forward but are unable to make the Uxbridge keeper work.
We then win a free-kick about 28 yards away inline with left-hand penalty box. It’s Brody Peart who steps up and sees the Uxbridge keeper moving to his left and he curls the kick away from him directly into the corner of the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Uxbridge (Peart 14 mins)
Uxbridge attack from the kick-off and their forward chips a shot that Paul Strudley has to race back and tip the ball onto the crossbar, and as it bounces down, Scott Armsworth hacks the ball clear before an Uxbridge player can get the rebound.
The next ten minutes saw very little goalmouth action as we move close to the twenty-five minute mark.
Michael Atkinson then sends Bradley Wilson away with a lovely through ball, and Wilson could chip the keeper, but instead brings the ball down and side-foots a shot that the keeper sticks a leg out and deflects it across the six-yard line only for a defender to just beat Sam Argent to the ball and knock it out for a corner. Nothing comes form the corner.
Paul Hodges then goes in the book a couple of minutes later for kicking the ball away.
Paul Strudley is then called into action as Uxbridge break down the right and as their forward cuts inside he hits a left-footed shot that Strudley dives to his right and pushes the ball away and we are able to clear.
Then Atkinson takes the ball down the left and past three defenders and then pulls the ball back across the penalty area, and it goes past a number of players to Peart, who hits a shot that takes a slight deflection but still finds the bottom right-hand corner of the net. GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Uxbridge (Peart 36 mins)
The game gets back underway and are we back on the attack through Wilson, who clips a cross to a running Peart who gets his head to it but straight to the keeper, but the keeper messes up and lets the ball roll slowly under him and in to the net. GOAL!!! Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Uxbridge (Peart 38 mins)
Stoke are running rampant and come forward over the next few minutes and Peart puts another shot on goal that the keeper saves.
We are now in the last five minutes of the half, and it’s Argent’s turn to break down the left and as he pulls the pass back, across the penalty area, it is Hodges first to it, but his shot is mistimed and the keeper makes a comfortable save.
Then as we move into added-time, the ball is being passed around the Uxbridge penalty area, but no-one can get a shot away, and Uxbridge clear. There’s still time for one more attack as Wilson receives a pass just inside the visitors half, then takes the ball fifteen yards before launching a swerving shot that dips just over the crossbar.
A minute later the referee blows for halftime and Stoke go into the break leading by the three goals.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 3 v 0 Uxbridge
Before the second-half gets underway, we make our first change of the game with James Clark replacing Michael Atkinson.
The first action of note, was a shot pulled well wide by of the post by Uxbridge’s Anthony Mendy.
A couple of fans standing with me note that we appear to have dropped back ten yards, allowing Uxbridge to move forward without any challenge.
We then make our second change with Sam Argent being replaced by D’Andre Brown (53 mins).
It’s still Uxbridge with the initiative as they push forward again and a shot from Mendy again, rebounds off a defender and loops up and seems to fly over the bar, only for it to dip and hit the top of the crossbar and bounce back into play, and Callum Winchcombe hooks the ball clear.
We have a brief bit of play on the hour-mark, as two attacks down the left, force corners, that Uxbridge are able to defend.
Uxbridge then win a free-kick about ten yards outside our penalty area, and a cross is met by an Uxbridge forward, but Strudley pushes it away, only for another Uxbridge player to hook it back into the corner of the net. Stoke 3-1 Uxbridge.
The crowd are getting noticeably restless, as Uxbridge continue to come into the game.
We then break down the left through Wilson, whose shot forces a fine save down low by the Uxbridge keeper, who gets up and recovers the ball.
We then make our final change on 77 mins with Stefan Brown replacing Brody Peart.
We then break again through Wilson, who slides the ball to Hodges, who then sets up D’Andre Brown, but his shot from close range flies over the bar.
A minute later, it’s Hodges who sends Cook away down the right, who sends a cross over to the far post where it falls to Wilson, but he fails to make the right connection and the ball flies over the bar.
We move into the last five minutes of the game but although Uxbridge are coming forward, we seem to have it covered.
Then a shot out of nowhere from Mendy ten yards outside the box finds the far right-hand corner of the net despite Strudley’s dive. Stoke 3-2 Uxbridge.
Mendy then goes in the book for a late tackle.
The referee has determined that there will be at least five minutes of added-time, and Stoke look to hang on.
A couple of good defensive plays, a header from Billy Upton and a header from Hodges helps us play out the five minutes, as the referee blows the fulltime whistle on yet another Stoke victory.
Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 3 v 2 Uxbridge
Peart 14, 36 & 38 mins Patrick 63 mins, Mendy 88 mins
Match Thought’s
Fifteen wins in a row keeps us four points ahead at the top, but a far from impressive second-half performance allows Walton to close the goal difference once more. More missed chances by our forwards, made the game a lot closer than it should have been after Brody Peart’s superb hat-trick.
Yes we move on but with the prospect of a much tougher game against Hanworth Villa next Saturday.
Up Next:
Simon Dunn will be back for our next match, next Saturday at home to Hanworth Villa.
Match Report by Martin French..
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