Match Report: Basingstoke Town 3 – 4 Wimborne Town FA Cup 2Q Rnd Saturday 18th September 2021

FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round – 18th September 2021
Basingstoke Town 3 v 4 Wimborne Town Attendance 540
Where: Winklebury Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
A late late winner for Wimborne sends Stoke out of the cup

Today’s line up was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Daniel Williamson, 3. James Haworth, 4. D’Andre Brown, 5. Shaun Dallimore, 6. Daryl Wollers, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Ben Cook, 9. McKoy Palmer, 10. Conor Lynch, 11. Simon Dunn (Capt)
On the bench: Aiden Lewis, Lloyd Snell, Kial Mumford, Hugo Staunton & Joel Halliday
Referee – Lewis Sandoe

On a warm sunny September afternoon Basingstoke attacked the railway end in the first half of this FA Cup encounter against Wimborne and it’s Stoke in the second minute, who create the first chance, when Simon Dunn wins a free-kick after being pulled down about 25 yds out from goal. It’s McKoy Palmer whose shot although beats the wall is comfortably held by the keeper.
The next few minutes the battle is around the halfway line, with each team .

Then we attack down the left and we force a corner, as the Wimborne defender deflects the ball out for a corner. The corner finds Bradley Wilson about 10yds out and his shot heading towards the goal, hits Conor Lynch who is unable to get out of the way and the ball flies out to McKoy Palmer who sends a thunderbolt of a shot into the top near left-hand corner of the net.

GOAL ! Basingstoke 1 – 0 Wimborne Town (Palmer 7 mins).

Back underway it is Stoke who are straight back on the attack and it’s Palmer who forces a corner as his shot is pushed out for another corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
We receive the first caution of the day, as Bradley Wilson pulls down a Wimborne player on the halfway line.
It is still Stoke who are looking the more inventive, but Wimborne holding firm.
Then on 19 mins, we win the ball in the opponents half and a nice pass through to Conor Lynch allows him to slide the ball past the keeper, but he has strayed a couple of yards offside and the goal is disallowed.

Wimborne have their first attack on 21 mins, as a mishit clearance by Shaun Dallimore flies out for a corner. The corner into the heart of the goalmouth is palmed away by Paul Strudley for a throw-in on the far side which we are able to clear.

Then on 23 mins Wimborne attack again, after a pass from our player hits the referee who then sits on the ball for a second, then as he gets up a Wimborne player is first on and they attack down the right, but we intercept the cross and clear to the halfway line.

Then on 24 mins we attack again and a through ball finds Lynch and the outcoming keeper chasing the ball, but as Lynch gets a touch first, it flies off the keeper back out to Wilson about 25 yds out who takes a shot, but it flies just over the bar.

Then on 28 mins, Simon Dunn wins the ball in midfield and finds D’Andre Brown who takes the ball towards the penalty area, but as he tries to shoot, it touches his other foot and rolls away, only for Conor Lynch to touch it past the Wimborne defender and then Conor finishes with aplomb as his shot finds the far corner of the net. GOAL !! Basingstoke 2 – 0 Wimborne Town (Lynch 28 mins).

Wimborne create another chance on 30 mins, as they attack but the cross from the right-hand side is headed clear by Dallimore.
Two more players find the book, one for each side, Stoke’s player being Daryl Wollers.

On 32 mins Stoke create another chance, as Lynch chases down a pass as the ball rolls towards the left-hand touchline, he finds Simon Dunn, whose slide-rule pass finds McKoy Palmer about 9 yds out, but his shot although well-hit is saved by the keeper.
Then on 36 mins Wimborne attack down the right and a cross finds a Wimborne player whose touch loops over Strudley and falls into the net (2-1).
This brings new life into Wimborne as they attack again and a shot from the right wing flies into the side-netting.
Stoke attack again but a through ball to Brown but the keeper is first to it.
Wimborne then with 4 mins till halftime, equalise out of nowhere and the game is level (2-2).

Simon Dunn hobbles off and it looks like he could be replaced, but he re-enters the field of play and the home crowd breathe a sigh of relief.

Wimborne from a low cross down the left put the ball in the net, but it’s been flagged for offside.
The referee blows the halftime whistle.

Halftime Basingstoke Town 2 – 2 Wimborne Town
The second-half gets back underway, but there is little action apart from another booking for a Wimborne player which could have been a straight red card.
Wimborne create the next two attacks resulting in corners, which we deal with comfortably.
Stoke’s next chance is created in a nice move between James Haworth and Dunn, who slips the ball to Palmer who takes it down the left wing and sends a dangerous cross which runs across the face of the goal, but no Stoke player is there to put it home.
Little action of note and Stoke make their first substitution of the day on 58 mins as Lloyd Snell replaces D’Andre Brown.
Then two minutes later we make our second change with Aiden Lewis replacing Daryl Wollers.

The visitors create another chance, but the cross come shot is saved easily by Paul Strudley.
Then on 65 mins, we break again and it’s Dunn’s pass to Palmer on the right who smashes the ball past the Wimborne keeper into the far corner of the net. GOAL !!! Basingstoke 3 – 2 Wimborne Town (Palmer 65 mins).

The referee has his book out again and it’s Simon Dunn who gets the yellow card.
Then a Wimborne attack finds one of their players on the 6yd line, who toe-pokes it past our keeper into the corner of the net, and we are back level (3-3).
Another Wimborne player finds his way into the referee’s book.

We then create the next chance and a lovely run and shot by Lynch is superbly saved by the keeper and somehow they scramble the ball clear, as a Stoke player can’t get to the rebound first.

Then on 90 mins they break down the left, the ball is crossed over to the far post where a Wimborne is on his own and his first time volley flies into the net (3-4). The Wimborne players unnecessarily celebrate in front to the Stoke fans behind the goal.

As the game gets back underway, there is a strong tackle by a Stoke player and Wimborne take exception to it, push the Stoke player and a nasty melee starts close to the Wimborne bench. The referee once he has settled the situation, gives a straight red to the Wimborne player Connal Morrison and a yellow card to another Wimborne player and also cautions Shaun Dallimore.
The game gets back underway and a minute later blows the fulltime whistle and Stoke fall out of the cup.

Final Score: Basingstoke Town 3 – 4 Wimborne Town
Palmer 7 & 69mins                              Morrison 36 mins Young 41 mins
Lynch 28 mins                                      Morgan 76 mins Beale 90 mins

Match Thought’s
A disappointing and rather nasty end to what was an exciting FA Cup encounter, which sees Stoke slip out of two cups inside a week.
McKoy Palmer’s best game of the season and two top quality finishes, plus another one for goal-scoring machine Conor Lynch.

Up Next:
We have ten days to wait and rest before our Tuesday night league trip to Staines Town (Tuesday 28th)

Match Report by Martin French..