Evo-Stick South Premier Division South Saturday 29th December 2018
Beaconsfield Town 3 – 2 Basingstoke Town Attendance 148
Well we deservedly pulled level again, only to let it slip away.
Martin Kuhl went with the following line-up; In goal Colm McAdden, the back four of Dean Stow, Charlie Kennedy (Capt), Dan Baylis & Rob Gerrard. The midfield contained Sam Deadfield, Harry Pearse, Dan Collier & Zidane Akers, with Sam Smart up front with Sam Argent.
On the bench; Hollamby, Orvis, Matthews & Liam Hunt.
On a fairly warm December afternoon we attacked the clubhouse end in the first half and the first real attack was by Basingstoke on 6 mins, when Smart down the right wing put in a cross that the keeper punched clear to Dean Stow, who took two touches then sent another cross that found Sam Argent, although he makes good connection with it by his head it flies wide of the far post and out for a corner.
Akers then down the left then feeds Gerrard who sends a nice cross but again the Rams are able to clear.
Then on 12 mins the hosts win a corner after an attack is blocked out for a corner. The corner flies out over the far post for a goal-kick.
Less than a minute later, the Rams are back on it, and what seems an aimless shot which is going wide, is somehow retrieved by a Rams forward by the by-line, who cuts the ball back across the goalmouth and it’s tapped in the net at the far post. Beaconsfield Town 1 – 0 Basingstoke Town.
We then win a free-kick down the left wing after a heavy challenge on Argent. The ref takes an age to pace out about 7yds. However, the kick is too high and flies wide of the far post and out for a goal-kick. The keeper seems to take an age to retrieve the ball and take the goal-kick.
The next few minutes there is very little action from either team. Then on 22 mins we win another corner after good work from Smart. The cross from Deadfield is met by a Rams head and is cleared to the halfway-line.
Then on 26 mins we go further behind as another attack down our left is crossed over and the ball is met with nice finish by their forward Marvin Morgan.
Although down 2-0, we seem to be the team with more possession, but there is no final ball, no killer pass, and everything is being comfortably dealt with.
Very little goal-mouth action for the next 10 minutes by either team.
We then on 41 mins win a free-kick about 25yds out. It’s our free-kick specialist Stow to take it and he bends it over the wall and it hits the far post and in the net before the keeper tries to push it. GOAL Beaconsfield Town 2 – 1 Basingstoke Town.
Another stunning goal, and this is no more than we deserve on the run of play.
We are straight back on it and the we have them under the cosh winning back-to-back corners, as the Rams are unable to clear as their keeper makes two fine saves. The ref plays an extra 3 minutes of added time, at half-time we are still losing 2-1.
No changes at half-time as we kick-off the second-half.
We are back on it after 50 mins as good work down the right by Smart, but the ball initially is blocked, his second attempt is put over and a defender is just first to it before Argent can get that final touch, and they scramble the ball away.
Is the equaliser coming?
The Rams have their first good chance of the second-half, as they break down our right, the ball is initially blocked by Stow, but the Rams player sends it back across the goal, and the forward wide open hits it straight at McAdden who hold onto the shot.
Smart then attacks down the right his cross finds Akers at the far post whose shot although beats the keeper, also beat the far post.
We attack again on 54 mins and more good passing moves around the final third of the pitch fail to produce anything of note.
On 58 mins we attack down the left Akers finds Argent just inside the box, but a tackle goes in the ref waves away the calls for a penalty.
Then on 64 mins we get the deserved equaliser, as we break down the right wing, Stow to Smart to Akers who takes the ball with him and goes past a defender, he looks to shoot but then slides a lovely pass straight onto the on-rushing Dan Collier who with his side-foot plants it firmly past the keeper and into the far corner of the goal. GOAL Beaconsfield 2 – 2 Basingstoke Town.
We are straight back on it, and create two more attacks, but yet again all the good passing movement fails to produce a decent cross that can’t beat the first defender or keeper.
Beaconsfield then have about five minutes of possession in our half and the ball is flying from one side of the pitch to the other as we are able to keep them out. Good work by Colm and Charlie prevent them pinching back the lead.
On 77 mins we win another free-kick about 25yds. The Btg can only get to the count of 7 before the ref has stopped pacing out the 10yds.
The free-kick beats the wall but hits the side netting.
We are back attacking again but good work by Pearse is ruined after he fails to produce that killer cross again.
Then disaster strikes on 84 mins as they break down our left, somehow they slide it past our defence and the Rams forward takes the ball around McAdden and he finds the back of the net from an acute angle. We are now back behind 3-2.
The next few minutes has us in the Beaconsfield half but we can’t find anything of note as the Rams have 9 men behind the ball.
Then as we enter the added time, we create that final chance, as good work from our midfield find Argent, the ball is bouncing as Argent runs onto it and his mid-air volley although well hit from 12yds is straight at the keeper. Either side of him and we would have had the equaliser.
The last two minutes are played out quietly and the ref blows the final whistle.
Final Score: Beaconsfield Town 3 – 2 Basingstoke Town
Final Thought’s – Yet another heart-breaking loss on the road as we slip closer to the relegation zone.
Match Report by Martin French..