The Southern League Division One South 10th October 2020
Cinderford Town 3 v 6 Basingstoke Town Attendance 172
Where: The Causeway, Edgehill Road, Cinderford, Glos. GL14 2QH
Goal-fest at the Causeway sees Stoke go top of the table.
Manager Dan Brownlie bolstered by the return of team captain Simon Dunn to the match-day squad went with a starting line-up of; 1. Julian Schwarzer, 2. James Smith, 3. Ben Jefford, 4. Lewis Hayden (Capt), 5. Scott Armsworth, 6. Daryl Wollers 7. George Reid, 8. Ben Cook, 9. Bradley Wilson, 10. McCoy Palmer, 11. Dylan Ive
On the bench: Adam Everiss, Lloyd Snell, Harrison Cliff, George Hallahan and Simon Dunn
At a chilly but sunny Causeway stadium, Stoke attacked the car park end in the first half, and very little to note until the 8th minute when Cinderford break and send a cross from the right wing to the far post and a free-header should put the home-side up, but he heads it wide.
Stoke’s first real attack (10mins), sees a shot blocked up in the air and the keeper easily recovers it.
The next few minutes there are more attacks on our goal, and Julian Schwarzer makes two fine saves and we are able to clear the ball each time.
Then completely against the run of play, we win the ball back in our own half and we pass the ball down the left wing to McCoy Palmer who cuts inside then slots the ball across to Bradley Wilson on the right, who touches it past the left back and runs onto it inside the penalty area, then slots it past the keeper into the net at the far post GOAL! Cinderford Town 0–1 Basingstoke Town (22mins)
Dylan Ive then a minute later tries to chip the keeper from 35yds, it initially has the keeper worried, but in the end it flies two yards over the bar. Ive a minute later as another chance to shoot from 20 yards, but instead of taking the shot with his left foot, cuts back onto his right foot and this allows Cinderford to break up the attack.
We seem to be under better control at the back as we stop any attacks from reaching our penalty area.
Then another attack just after the half-hour sees Stoke double their lead, as the ball across from Dylan Ive to George Reid on the right wing, allows Reidy to turn onto his left and he slides the ball across to Ben Cook just inside the penalty area, whose first-time shot flies into the net GOAL! Cinderford Town 0–2 Basingstoke Town (32mins)
The Foresters are next to have a chance, but it’s Schwarzer who makes a low-down save.
It’s Reidy who creates the next chance, after he gets pulled down by his marker on 37 mins 30 yds out. It is Ive who takes the free-kick and he sends in a lovely free-kick that’s splits Cinderford’s back four and the keeper, but two Stoke players both just fail to get a touch on the ball and it flies out for a goal-kick.
Julian then makes two world-class saves in 5 seconds, as Cinderford smash a shot that a looks a goal, till he gets a hand on the ball, that flies to another home-player who heads it back into what seems an empty net, until Julian flings himself across his goalmouth and somehow palms the ball away, and we are able to scramble the ball clear.
Then on 41 mins Cinderford do pull a goal back as too much space allows the forward to shoot that hits the right-hand post that bounces back straight to another forward who slots it home.
A minute later, Cinderford now down our right, send in a cross or shot that clips our cross-bar and flies away.
Then on 44 mins we double our lead again as a hopeful shot from Dylan Ive, somehow finds it way under the Cinderford keeper, that then hits the near post and takes two seconds to roll along the line then spin across it into the net GOAL! Cinderford Town 1–3 Basingstoke Town (44mins)
The halftime whistle goes a minute later and we are surprisingly two goals clear at the break.
The Basingstoke faithful are still taking up their positions as the game kicks off and we break down the left through McCoy Palmer whose cross finds Wilson, who beats his defender to the ball and sweetly volleys the ball into the roof of the net GOAL! Cinderford Town 1–4 Basingstoke Town (46mins)
Cinderford then have the next attack on 51 mins, but Wollers is there to clear the cross away for a corner. The corner is headed clear.
Stoke now have five as across from the right wing finds Wilson 8yds out who brings the ball under control, cuts on his right and slots it past the keeper into the net GOAL! Cinderford Town 1–5 Basingstoke Town (54mins)
Three minutes later we make a double substitution as George Reid and Dylan Ive are replaced by George Hallahan and Simon Dunn.
The next five minutes has us on the attack, but it’s Cinderford who break dangerously twice into our half, the first is stopped as James Smith makes a timely tackle down close to the byline, the other attack is stopped by another Schwarzer save.
Bradley Wilson misses the chance to get his fourth, after good work by Hallahan, finds Bradley at the far post 7yds out, who turns on his left foot, but pulls his shot just past the far post.
On 66 mins we make our third and final change with young Lloyd Snell replacing our hat-trick hero Bradley Wilson, who receives a rousing reception from the large Stoke contingent of fans as he leaves the field.
We seem to have lost our away a bit, as it is Cinderford who seem to be pressing the game. This is confirmed as they get there second from some confusion in our 6yd area, that allows them to knock the ball over the line.
It is now Cinderford who seem to break into our half of the pitch with little opposition and a shot from 25yds is saved by Schwarzer.
We can’t seem to get hold of the game, and it is Cinderford who get their third goal on 79 mins as a cross is tapped home from a few yards out at the far post (3-5).
On 82 mins we have a half-chance as Palmer has a shot inside the penalty area that is dragged past the far post.
The last few minutes of the game has Cinderford have two more chances, but one slides past the goal and the other is hooked clear by Armsworth.
We are now deep into added time as Snell who has been lively since coming on takes the ball inside the penalty area on the right, but as he looks to shoot he has his foot taken away from him, and the referee rightly awards us a penalty.
It is Hallahan although slightly injured who steps up and sends the keeper the wrong way, as he hits it low down into the right-hand corner of the goal GOAL! Cinderford Town 3–6 Basingstoke Town (92mins)
The referee plays another four minutes of added-time before he blows the final whistle, and with the news that Cirencester have lost at home to Sholing we move to the top of the table.
Final Score: Cinderford Town 3 – 6 Basingstoke Town
Match Thought’s
For large parts of the game we did not do the basic things, but when you still score six goals, you simply win the game.
Up Next:
Yep, you guessed it, next Saturday, we have another trip on the road, but this time to Portsmouth to take on fellow league side Moneyfields in the FA Trophy 2nd qualifying round.
Match Report by Martin French..
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