Southern League Premier South – Saturday 2nd November 2024
Gloucester City 1 v 1 Basingstoke Town Attendance 954
Where: Tiger Turf Stadium, Sudmeadow Road, Gloucester GL2 5HD
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this match-up against the league leaders was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Curtis Angell, 4. Rudy Allen, 5. Jack Ball, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Brody Peart, 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Nnamdi Nwachuku, 10. Liam Ferdinand, 11. Sam Deadfield
On the bench: Aleks Kokoszka, Simon Dunn, Max Smith & James Clark
Referee – Mitchell Terry
With many firework shows planned for Saturday night, it took just three minutes for Stoke to start its own display, as Nnamdi Nwachuku lit the fuse going past two defenders inside the box, then let fly his own rocket of a shot, that flew into the far top corner of the net. GOAL! Gloucester City 0 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Nwachuku 3 mins)
However two minutes later City won a corner after Simon Grant made a world class save from a close range header, as he dived to his right and palmed the ball out for a corner. The corner however was only half cleared, and was then hooked back into the goalmouth where their big tall defender was first to the ball and he headed home. Gloucester 1 – 1 Basingstoke
Gloucester attacked again and from a further corner, the kick evaded everyone at the front post and then hit a City players knee and flew over the crossbar.
City could have taken the lead again a minute later but a free header was fortunately wasted as it flew wide from four yards out.
Gloucester were still the team on top but timely interventions firstly by Jack Ball and then Markus Johnson-Schuster put an end to their attacks.
Stoke then attacked once again and the cross was mishandled by their keeper, but a Stoke forward could not get to the loose ball and they were able to clear.
Stoke then had a further few minutes of possession but created very little on the City goal.
Then just past the half-hour Nnamdi Nwachuku went down injured, and despite the referee ignoring him and playing on for another thirty seconds, the injury looked bad and he had to be replaced by Aleks Kokoszka (32 mins).
Stoke had some more possession in the last few minutes of the half, as the keeper made two comfortable saves, first by Jack Ball’s header, and then a shot from Rudy Allen.
The Stoke travelling fans were far from happy with the referee as he made another confusing decision.
The referee allowed three minutes of added-time and the players went into the break on level terms.
Halftime Score: Gloucester City 1 v 1 Basingstoke Town
The second-half got underway with no goalmouth incidents, but some more strange decisions by the referee, as there appeared to be only way he was giving free-kicks.
Twenty minutes in and Stoke nearly took the lead as the ball was slid to D’Andre Brown inside the box, but his left-foot shot was pushed over the by the keeper.
Calls for a penalty were waived as a cross from the right, saw Liam Ferdinand clearly shoved in the back, and although the ball then fell to Kokoszka, his shot was blocked by a City defender.
Stoke made it’s second change with Brody Peart replaced by Simon Dunn (75 mins).
Two Stoke players collided in our own penalty area, but both were able to continue.
Stoke made it’s third change with D’Andre Brown replaced by Max Smith (82 mins).
We were in the last five minutes of the game when a neat passing movement set-up Liam Ferdinand whose shot was deflected out for a corner.
A minute later the ball is blocked on the line by a Gloucester defender and they are able to clear.
Stoke were finishing the better and a Jack Ball header was easily dealt with by the City keeper.
Then in the dying seconds of normal time the ball is slid through to Kokoszka, but his shot lacked power and the keeper made an easy save.
There’s still time for another strange decision as the referee awards a corner, when it was a clear goal-kick.
It was in the sixth minute of added-time when the referee halted the game and both teams have to settle for a point each.
Full-time Score: Gloucester City 1 v 1 Basingstoke Town
Richards-Everton 6 mins Nwachuku 3 mins
Match Thought’s
Once again when Stoke was up against it, they raise there performance as the whole team put in a shift yesterday, which was not helped by an appalling referee, who lets just made a number of appalling decisions.
Our goalscorer Nnamdi Nwachuku is not seriously injured, as the injury count is starting to mount up again.
The travelling fans would have been happy for a point before the start and we more than deserved a point at what were the league leaders at the time.
Up Next:
We have a week before our next game which we host Poole Town in our ‘Remembrance Day’ game, which is sponsored once again by the Supporters Club, next Saturday (9th).
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 
Seems like a strong performance from the team, but it’s the lesser teams we need to start beating.