Hampshire Senior Cup Semi-Final 2nd April 2019
Basingstoke Town 5 – 4 Southampton U23’s Attendance 528
Ten man Stoke beat Twelve man Southampton !!
On a cold and damp night at the Camrose, Basingstoke fans hearts were warmed by a superb never-say-die fighting performance against a good Southampton U23 team.
Martin Kuhl went with just one change from the winning team at Wimborne, with striker Sam Argent starting in place of Ben Wright. His line-up 1.Tom McGill, 2. Dean Stow 3. Adam Everiss, 4.Michael Atkinson 5.Jack Wakely 6. Dan Bayliss, 7. Sam Smart, 8. Harry Pearse, 9. Sam Argent, 10. Sam Deadfield (Capt), 11. Yvan Jourdan
On the bench; 12. Orvis 13. Rackley 14. Kennedy 15 Duncan 17.Wright
With a decent turnout from Southampton fans, the game got underway with Basingstoke attacking the Clubhouse End and Stoke create their first chance within a minute as we win a corner down the right. The corner is flicked on by Sam Deadfield, to the far post where Dan Bayliss is first on it, but his shot flies over the bar from 6yds out.
Stoke are back on it a minute later with Smart winning a throw-in down the right, after good work the ball is sent in to the goalmouth where a Saints defender fluffs his clearance straight to Smart on the edge of the box, who takes half a touch then firs a left foot shot that takes a slight deflection and wrong foots the keeper GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Southampton U23’s.
Then just two minutes later the home crowd are cheering again as further good work my Stow and Deadfield sends Smart down the right and he sends over a cross that splits the defender and keeper and finds Jourdan wide open at the far post who slots the ball home from three yards into an empty net. GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Southampton U23’s.
Stoke up by two are back on it again on 7 mins and Smart outpaces his defender, only to get taken out by one of the central defenders 28yds out. The tackle earns the defender a yellow card.
The kick by Pearse is too close to the keeper who catches the ball comfortably.
The visitors create their first attack of note on 10 minutes winning a corner down our right. The cross is met by a Saints head, but the touch flies out wide for a goal-kick.
This attack seems to give the visitors some momentum, as they pin us in our own half for the next five minutes as wave after wave of attacks are repelled by a stout Stoke defence.
The weather takes a turn for the worse, as hail stones start coming down on the ground, sending many fans for cover.
Then all the visitors pressure finally counts as they break down our right, as they outflank Stow, and the ball is whipped across the face of the goal, and a tap-in for the Southampton forward, makes it 2-1. I am led to believe the goal is scored by Basingstoke boy Will Smallbone.
Basingstoke are however back on it on 17 mins as we have two minutes of attacks down both flanks. Smart has switched wing s for the first attack and he and Jordan link-up well to send the ball into the goalmouth, where Argent gets a touch on it, but it’s blocked away where Deadfield follows-up, but again that attempt is blocked as well.
Then another move down our right with the energetic Dean Stow tonight sends in a cross, that is half cleared and the ball rebounds to Smart, whose left foot shot is mis-hit and the ball is cleared.
We then win another corner a couple of minutes later, but the kick flies past everyone and out for a throw-in on the far side.
Then on 28 mins and the visitors have a chance to draw level as they break down our left, and the ball is sent across where the shot is snatched at and flies wide of the far post.
Then on 31 mins there’s a lovely move by Deadfield and Argent, as they link-up well ending with Deadfield’s pass a touch too hard for Argent and the ball is recovered by the keeper.
The visitors then have two further attacks on 33 and 35 mins, both culminating on shots that are held by McGill.
We then have the better of the next five minutes, but can’t create a real attempt on goal.
Then just before halftime, disaster strikes as the Saints attack and they open up our defence and a first shot is saved only for a follow-up shot that is handled in front of goal by Everiss and the penalty is given and Everiss is shown a straight red card.
The penalty is slotted away and our two goal-lead has evaporated.
The referee just a couple of minutes later then blows the halftime whistle.
The second-half gets underway and Stoke have the first attack and again Smart is pulled down. The ref refuses to put the Saints player in the book and nothing comes from the kick.
Then on 51 minutes we are made to pay for mucking about at the back, as a mix-up between Bayliss and McGill allows the Saints forward to win the ball and slot the ball into the net and with ten men we go behind for the first time in the match.
We then have a couple of attacks down the right, but the 12th man (the referee), refuses to give any hint of a foul against as he constantly waves a foul after foul.
We are then kept in the game as another break by Saints is met at the far post where a superb save is made by McGill.
We then again have the better of a couple of minutes of play, but the ref and linesman again refuses to give us anything as first Deadfield and then Smart are clearly pulled back on the ball.
We make our first substitution on 71 mins as Pearse is replaced by Charlie Kennedy.
Then on 73 mins we equalise ,as the ball is half cleared to Stow about 30yds out and he fires in a shot that hits the out-stretched leg of the Saints centre-back and it flies past the keeper. GOAL!!! Basingstoke Town 3 – 3 Southampton U23’s.
This seems to upset the visitors as they create two further good chances. The first is saved by McGill, the second attempt is headed wide of the goal.
Again there are calls for another foul on Smart as he gets tugged back again.
Then McGill makes a wonder save as the ball is crossed from the left to the far post where a wide open forward at the far post, smashes a shot only for a diving McGill who pushes the ball away.
Then we go behind again as they break and as the forward drives into the penalty area he slots the ball comfortably past McGill and we go behind once more.
But as the well known song goes “We get knocked down, but we get up again”, that’s exactly what your Basingstoke team does as they break and finally get a free-kick off the referee as Deadfield gets pulled down. The free-kick hits the wall and flies out for a corner down the right. From the corner the ball is cleared and flies to the far post where a Saints player jumps into one of our players, nothing is given but as the ball bounces down, Dan Bayliss hits a screamer from 8yds out and it flies into the far corner of the goal. GOAL!!!! Basingstoke Town 4 – 4 Southampton U23’s.
The game is now in the last minute of normal time as we replace Sam Smart for penalty-taker Ben Wright.
The referee seems to find 5 minutes of injury-time, before he blows the full-time whistle and we go to penalties.
We win the first battle as the penalties are to be taken down at the Town End and Saints are up first.
Saints miss (Save by McGill)
Ben Wright slots his penalty away. Saints 0 – 1 Stoke
Saints score (1-1)
Argent misses as he hit the bar (1-1)
Saints score (2-1)
Stow misses keeper saves (2-1)
Saints score (3-1)
Deadfield scores (3-2)
Saints miss McGill save (3-2)
Kennedy scores (3-3)
Saints score (4-3)
Wakely scores (4-4)
Saints miss ball flies over the bar (4-4)
Jourdan YESSSSSSSS slots it away (4-5) and Stoke win on penalties.
The fans behind the goal and from elsewhere are on the pitch to celebrate with the players and send us home looking forward to the Final at Eastleigh.
Final Score: Basingstoke Town 5-4 Southampton U23’s
The final has been confirmed as Wednesday 24th April at Eastleigh.
Match Report by Martin French..