Isthmian South Central Division – 29th January 2022
Basingstoke Town 4 v 0 Staines Town Attendance 515
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Second-half goals enough to beat a woeful Staines Town
With Keeper Paul Strudley unavailable, new signing Myles Bowman will start between the sticks today in a line-up that was: 1. Myles Bowman, 2. Dan Williamson, 3. James Haworth, 4. Robert Sheridan, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Anton Rodgers, 7. Simon Dunn (Capt), 8. George Reid, 9. Stefan Brown, 10. Conor Lynch, 11. Bradley Wilson
On the bench: McKoy Palmer, Ben Cook, Daryl Wollers, Brody Peart & D’Andre Brown
Referee – Daniel Lamport
The latest instalment of the Stoke league season got underway with Stoke attacking the railway end in the first-half, and the first attack of note is on 3 minutes as George Reid receives the ball down the left wing, takes it inside on his right foot, and sends over a cross to the far post where Bradley Wilson stretches to the ball, but his touch sends the ball behind for a goal-kick.
Stoke are back on it again, as Conor Lynch chases down a pass over Staines back four, and he beats the challenges of two defenders, but as he looks to find a Stoke player in the penalty area, there is no-one able to keep up with him, and Staines over power him and clear.
More Stoke attacks on 8 & 9 mins but we fail to find that final pass. Then on 10 mins, it is Wilson who sends over a low cross from the left wing, but the visitors are able to half-clear the ball but straight to Anton Rodgers 25 yds, who initially looks to hit a half-volley, but has second thought’s and slides the ball to George Reid who has a shot, that although well hit, it is straight at the keeper.
It is still Stoke who continue to pressure and we win a free-kick about 23 yds directly in front of goal, after Stefan Brown gets to the ball first, before he is up-ended by Staines Luis Fernandes, who goes in the book. The free-kick is however wasted as two players touch the ball to each other and the ball is kicked clear by the visitors.
Whatever, happened Staines break and win their first corner of the game, but the kick, is comfortably caught by our temporary keeper Myles Bowman.
This seems to give Staines a lift, as they then have the next two minutes of possession, but still fail to put a shot on target.
On 20 minutes a crossfield pass to Wilson just inside the visitors half, allows Wilson to take a speculative shot from 40yds, which is hit well, but the keeper pushes the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes from kick.
Again Lynch beats the offside trap, but he has out-paced the rest of our team, and the cross into the six-yard box, is easily cleared.
More attacks from Stoke over the next few minutes, culminating in a cross from Brown to Lynch whose diving header catches his shoulder and runs harmlessly wide of the near post.
Staines then win the ball in our half, but the shot from 35yds is woeful as it curls 15yds wide of the right-hand post.
On the half-hour and numerous corners, Sheridan wins the header at the far post, but the ball rebounds of a Staines defender to Nathan Smart who hooks a shot from five yards out, but is headed off the line, and kicked clear.
Stoke continue to press, but still can’t find a way to breakdown this stubborn Staines defence down.
On 38 mins there are shouts for a penalty as the ball finds Lynch, but then rolls off the Staines centre-back’s arm and out for a corner.
On 42 mins a shot from James Haworth from about 30 yds is held by the keeper
The last few minutes of the half, neither side create anything of note, and the referee blows the halftime whistle, on a disappointing first-half.
Halftime – Basingstoke Town 0 v 0 Staines Town
The second-half gets underway, and it’s the visitors who have the attack of note, as they break down our left, and the cross to the far post, is back-heeled away as a Staines attacker bears down on him, but the rolls to another forward who hits a poor shot, that Rob Sheridan is able to kick the ball off the line and away.
Stoke’s first attack of note, is on 55 mins as George Reid who takes the ball down the left gets taken out, and the Staines goes in the book, However, another Staines defender has gone down injured and receives treatment. Nothing comes from the free-kick.
On 63 mins a nice move down the left wing, with Haworth and Lynch, allows Haworth to pull back across that is half cleared, but falls to Simon Dunn, who slides the ball to Rodgers, who finds Wilson who sends over a cross that Reid can only get a weak header to it and the keeper is able to palm it out for a corner. However there is a stoppage in play as a Staines player is injured and receives treatment. He is replaced by the largest footballer I have ever seen at this level of football. The kick when finally taken finds Rob Sheridan in space and he heads home to open the scoring. GOAL ! Basingstoke Town 1 v 0 Staines Town (Sheridan 66 mins)
We then make our first change with McKoy Palmer replacing George Reid.
Within minute from the change, the ball is pushed to McKoy Palmer who takes the ball inside the penalty area, and he is pulled down by a Staines defender, and the referee awards the penalty. Stefan Brown steps us and puts it comfortably past the keepers left. GOAL !! Basingstoke Town 2 v 0 Staines Town (S Brown Pen 69 mins)
On 73 mins we then get a bizarre goal, as Wilson receives the ball down the right and sends over across that the keeper under pressure from Lynch, punches clear, to a Stoke player who heads the ball from around the penalty spot towards the far post, where the keeper in an effort to palm the ball clear, not only pushes the ball onto the post but also knocks the post so hard, the goal-posts rock up in the air and down. Meanwhile the ball has bounced to Lynch who taps it over the line. GOAL !!! Basingstoke Town 3 v 0 Staines Town (Lynch 66 mins)
Stoke make their next change with D’Andre Brown replacing Anton Rodgers, followed by our third change two minutes later with Brody Peart replacing Stefan Brown.
The visitors have a nice little move in our half, which culminates in a dangerous cross across the face of our goal, but there is no attacking player near the cross.
The changes have seemed to taken the pace out of the game, and there is little action from either side for a few minutes, until our replacement keeper makes two stops in the space of three seconds, as they win the ball in our box, and a shot is initially blocked by Bowman, but the ball roles to another Staines forward who hits another point-blank shot at Bowman who makes the save.
We continue to push forward in the final minutes of normal time, and Peart shows some nice touches on the ball, but Staines are able to clear the ball.
On 89 mins, Dunn wins the ball and finds Palmer who outpaces the Staines right back, and sends a cross far too hard across the face of the goal.
Then on 90 mins we win the ball and move forward and find Peart down the right then slides back to Williamson, who finds Wilson, who has space to take it to the byline and sends over a low pass to Lynch wide-open at the far post who taps it home. GOAL !!!! Basingstoke Town 4 v 0 Staines Town (Lynch 90 mins)
The referee plays five minutes of injury-time, that has no incidents of note, before he blows the full-time whistle.
Full-time Score: Basingstoke Town 4 v 0 Staines Town
Sheridan 66, S Brown Pen 69 mins
Lynch 73 & 92 mins
Match Thought’s
The scoreline did not confirm what was a pretty much one-sided performance, as we struggled to break down a poor Staines defence in the first-half.
A brace of goals for Lynch, both tap-ins, another Stefan Brown penalty and Rob Sheridan’s first goal for the club, and a header from a corner, is enough to make the score-line acceptable.
Decent debut for replacement keeper Myles Bowman, and will he play Tuesday.
Up Next:
With other scores in the league favouring us, it gives up hope as we travel to South Park this Tuesday evening in a 7.45pm match-up.
Match Report by Martin French..
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