Match Report: Chesham Utd 2 – 0 Basingstoke Town – Saturday 25th November 2023

Southern League Premier South Division – Saturday 25th November 2023
Chesham Utd 2 v 0 Basingstoke Town Attendance 619
Where: The Meadow, Amy Lane, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1NE
Dan Brownlie’s line-up saw a number of returning players from injury added to the bench today : 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Nathan Smart, 4. Michael Atkinson (Capt), 5. Shane Hollamby, 6. Alfie Grant, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Liam Ferdinand, 10. Paul Hodges, 11. Dan Rowe,
On the bench: Simon Dunn, Joshua Squires, Billy Upton, Scott Armsworth & James Clark
Referee – Paul Stratton

Today’s game got underway with Stoke attacking the clubhouse end and there was little to note in the first ten minutes, except corners were comfortably defended by both sides.

Stoke’s first attack on note was in the thirteenth minute, as Bradley Wilson breaks down the left and sends a low cross across the face of the goal, where a Chesham defender is able to clip the ball away, just before Dan Rowe, can get a touch to it.
Minutes later Wilson finds time and space and hits a powerful shot from thirty five yards, that is comfortably saved by the keeper.

Chesham respond a minute later with a shot that Paul Strudley makes the save.
Chesham continue to push for the opening goal, but a good defensive header by Alfie Grant clears the danger.

Michael Atkinson and then D’Andre Brown make important tackles to stop Chesham attacks as we push past the half-hour mark.
Still very little to note from Basingstoke, but we win a corner with just over five minutes to go and Shane Hollamby wins the header, but can’t direct his header on goal.

Chesham win two more corners, but again these are well defended by the Stoke defence.

We attack through Dan Rowe, who finds Wilson, but his shot flies over the bar, as we enter added-time in the first-half.
The referee plays just one minute of added-time before blowing for halftime.

Halftime Score: Chesham Utd 0 v 0 Basingstoke Town
The second half gets underway, with no changes by halftime, and it’s the homeside who are the first to attack, but good clearances by Paul Hodges and then Nathan Smart, keep them bay.

Stoke are still trying to get a foothold in the second-half, and Strudley makes another save from a shot just outside the box.
Liam Ferdinand then finds Bradley Wilson whose shot is blocked away.
Stoke then push forward and nice four-player move, allows Hodges a chance to shoot, but his shot just flies over the bar (57 mins).

Stoke have a little more possession, through Michael Atkinson, but we are unable to put a shot on goal just past the hour.
It’s time for our first substitution as we welcome the return of Scott Armsworth as he replaces Shane Hollamby (69 mins).

Chesham attack down the left but D’Andre Brown makes a good sliding block putting it out for a corner. The kick is initially blocked away, but a shot from outside the box flies into the top right-hand corner of the net and we go a goal behind. Chesham 1-0 Basingstoke (72 mins).

A minute later Wilson attacks down the left, but as he cuts inside the box, his shot is blocked away by two defenders.
Stoke then make our second change with Joshua Squires replacing D’Andre Brown (76 mins).

Chesham then win a penalty I believe for handball, and this is converted a minute later. Chesham 2-0 Basingstoke (82 mins).

Wilson again attacks down the wing and is cross is somehow blocked away as a defender beats Rowe to the ball.
We make our final change with Dan Rowe being replaced by the returning Simon Dunn (89 mins).

Now in added-time, Chesham force a good save out of Strudley in goal.
A little more possession by Stoke as we enter the fifth minute of added-time and the referee blow the full-time whistle.

Full-time Score: Chesham Utd 2 v 0 Basingstoke Town
Joseph 71 mins, German 82 mins,

Match Thought’s
Another battling performance against a strong Chesham side, who are in the playoff positions because there defence gives very little away at the back. A strike out of the blue and a penalty conversion the only difference between the two sides, as we start to get one-or two players back from injury. We now sit twelfth in the table.
Again great support by our fans behind the goal.

Up Next:
We now have seven days to wait before we host Sholing next Saturday as we head into December.

Match Report by Martin French..

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