Southern League Premier South Division – Saturday 30th September 2023
Hendon FC 2 v 0 Basingstoke Town Attendance 297
Where: Silver Jubilee Park, Townsend Lane, Kingsbury, Middlesex. NW9 7NE
Dans went with a starting line-up of: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4. Michael Atkinson (Capt), 5. Scott Armsworth, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Ben Cook, 9. Dan Rowe, 10. D’Andre Brown, 11. Paul Hodges,
On the bench: James Clark, Morrison Hashii, Luis Le Paih, Nathan Smart & Mark Scott
Referee – Jonathan Bolland
Basingstoke’s latest game on the road got underway with us attacking the covered seating end and the first attack to note was Dan Rowe, whose shot is blocked out for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
Then in the fourteenth minute, Paul Strudley is brought into action, as he makes a diving save to his right, as he pushes the ball away and we are able to clear.
Stoke are coming into the game, but neat moves down both wings are unable to put anything of note on their keeper.
Then just before the half-hour, Billy Upton wins the ball deep in our half and goes on a forty-yard run beating four players, before sliding the ball to Bradley Wilson, who beats his marker as he enters the penalty area, but his shot is straight at the keeper, who makes the save.
Then a neat move on the right, involving three Stoke players has Ben Cook, chipping the ball to the far post, but there’s no-one there to head it home.
Then just before the break, a neat move on the left between Callum Winchcombe and Wilson, allows Wilson to slide over a dangerous low cross, that a Hendon defender is able to get a touch and blocks the ball away.
Another dangerous Stoke attack is blocked in the six-yard box in added-time.
The referee plays three minutes of added-time before blowing the halftime whistle.
Halftime Score: Hendon FC 0 v 0 Basingstoke Town
The second-half gets underway, and Stoke look to open the scoring, and a cross finds Scott Armsworth whose header hits the top of the bar and over for a goal-kick.
Hendon win back-to-back corners which we defend.
Then more good work from Dan Rowe, who takes the ball off the keeper, but is unable to get a shot on the goal, as two Hendon defenders are back to block his shot.
Then in the fifty-first minute we attack again, and a neat run by Michael Atkinson sends the ball across the face of the goal, where Rowe, knocks it towards the goal, but the Hendon keeper somehow is able to block the ball away.
Then on the hour Hendon are able to find the net and we go behind. Hendon 1-0 Basingstoke
Good work from D’Andre Brown who finds Paul Hodges, who beats his defender then hits a shot which the keeper is able to save.
Hendon then have the next few minutes play and one shot goes wide of the far post and another cross is deflected over our own bar.
We then make a double substitution, with D’Andre Brown replaced by Luis Le Paih and Paul Hodges replaced by James Clark (71 mins).
Hendon have a little more possession in our half and force a save out of Strudley in goal.
We make our third change with Morrison Hashii replacing Ben Cook (75 mins)
Stoke then come forward again through Wilson who slides it to Le Paih, who takes a touch finds a gap and hits a shot that forces a full-length diving save out of the Hendon keeper.
Hendon nearly double their lead as a shot from the close range, rebounds away off the left-hand post.
Time is slipping away for us to get back into the game, as we enter the last five minutes of the game.
Another good move allows Rowe to have a shot, but once again a Hendon defender is able to get in the way and block it and they are able to clear.
Then in added-time, Hendon double their lead.
The referee has seen enough and blows the full-time whistle.
Full-time Score: Hendon FC 2 v 0 Basingstoke Town
Muir-Merchant 60 & 95 mins
Match Thought’s
If Dan Rowe’s chance early in the second-half had gone in, would the game have ended different. Hendon defended well, but we seemed to struggle to put enough shots on the game.
Back-to-back losses has us needing a result to keep in contention with the teams at the top.
Up Next:
We are back at Winklebury this Tuesday evening, as we host third-placed Merthyr Town. Kick-off 7.45pm
Match Report by Martin French..
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