Match Report: Basingstoke Town 5 – 0 Aldershot Town Hampshire Snr Cup Semi-Final Tuesday 18th September 2023

Hampshire Snr Cup Semi-Final – Tuesday 18th April 2023
Basingstoke Town 5 v 0 Aldershot Town Attendance 571
Where: Winklebury Sports Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Stoke Comfortably Beat Aldershot to progress to Hampshire Snr Cup Final
Dan’s made a number of changes from Sunday’s win in Guernsey and went with a starting line-up: 1. Mark Scott, 2. Ben Mason, 3. Dan Williamson, 4. Anton Rodgers, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Luis Le Paih, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. D’ Andre Brown 9. James Clark, 10. George Reid, 19. Sam Argent
On the bench: Stefan Brown, Ben Cook, Prince Da Cruz, Scott Armsworth & McKoy Palmer
Referee – TBC

This semi-final game got underway, with Stoke attacking the railway end, and it was a relevantly quiet opening ten minutes, with both sides winning a corner, but very little else.

Then in the thirteenth minute we broke down the right through George Reid down the right wing, then sends the ball across the six-yard line, to where Sam Argent is first to the ball and he blasts a shot past the Aldershot keeper into the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Aldershot Town (Argent 13 mins)

Wilson then almost makes it two as he breaks into the penalty area and he curls a shot, that the keeper makes a full-length diving save and pushes it onto the bar and over for a corner. The corner falls to James Clark who hits a shot just wide of the near right-hand post.
Our next attack is on twenty-five minutes, as Reid breaks again down the right and his cross is met by the Aldershot keeper who dives on the ball at Argent’s feet.

Minutes later, a back pass to the Aldershot keeper is chased down by Reid, who is just unable to win the ball before the keeper can clear. However, the ball swings upfield and Aldershot attack on our right and a shot forces a good save out of Mark Scott in goal, who palms it out for a corner. The corner kick is defended by Argent who heads the ball clear.
Stoke then win a corner down the left, which is met by D’Andre Brown, whose header is held on the line low down by the keeper.
Stoke continue to press forward over the next few minutes, but two shots, one from Clark, one from Reid are both wide of the goal.

Aldershot then have a couple of attacks, one which forces another great save out of Scott in goal.

Reid and then Dre have shots blocked inside the penalty area.
The referee plays an extra two minutes before blowing the halftime whistle.

Halftime – Basingstoke Town 1 v 0 Aldershot Town
The game gets back underway, with Stoke looking for more goals, but it’s Aldershot who have the first attack, but again a low shot is held well by Scott in goal.

Stoke then attack down the left and lovely move between Wilson and Argent allows Wilson to hit a shot that is pushed away by the keeper.
Argent then finds Wilson on the left who cuts inside then hits a shot that the keeper can only parry, and Argent is first to the rebound and slides the ball home GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Aldershot Town (Argent 53 mins)

We then make two changes with Anton Rodgers replaced by Ben Cook and James Clark replaced by Scott Armsworth (56 mins).

Stoke attack again through Reid this time but his shot flies wide of the far left-hand post.
Reid however does make it three, as he goes on a run down the left and he lets fly a left foot shot that the keeper can only half save, as it rolls into the net GOAL!!! Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Aldershot Town (Reid 59 mins)

Aldershot then have the next couple of attacks, which includes a good blocked shot by Nathan Smart and another good save by Scott in goal.

Argent is involved in the next move as he and Wilson combine well as they attack down the left, and Wilson sets up Dre, whose shot is blocked away.
It’s Argent who collects a long through pass, but his shot with just the keeper to beat flies just past the left-hand post.
It’s time for another change for Stoke, with Bradley Wilson replaced by McKoy Palmer (71 mins).

Then from a long clearance by Scott, Argent wins the challenge in the air, as he heads the ball onto Reid who takes the ball around the keeper, and slides the ball into an open net. GOAL!!!! Basingstoke Town 4 – 0 Aldershot Town (Reid 73 mins)

It’s time for another Stoke substitution, as D’Andre Brown is replaced by Prince Da Cruz (76 mins).
The game is fairly dead and buried at this stage, but we are still looking for more goals as another crossfield pass finds Argent, who smashes a volley that the keeper gets a hand to and pushes the ball away for a corner.
Nothing comes from the corner, but we are straight back on the attack and it’s Ben Cook who finds space inside the penalty area and hits a left-foot shot, and the ball goes in off the far right-hand post. GOAL!!!!! Basingstoke Town 5 – 0 Aldershot Town (Cook 86 mins)

We play just one minute of added-time before the referee blows the full-time whistle, on a comfortable Stoke win.

Full-time Match Score: Basingstoke Town 5 v 0 Aldershot Town
Argent 13 & 53 mins, Reid 59 & 73 mins
Cook 86 mins
Match Thought’s
A very strong team performance against a mixed Aldershot side, sends us into the Hampshire Snr Cup final against AFC Bournemouth.
Sam Argent, was at his best today, scoring a brace and influential in other goals, as well as his defensive work. Good to see George Reid back and Mark Scott made a couple of important first-half saves.
Up Next:
Well it’s our last home league game of the season as we host South Park this Saturday (22nd).

Match Report by Martin French..