FA Cup Preliminary Round – Saturday 20th August 2022
Lymington Town 0 v 6 Basingstoke Town Attendance TBC
Where: Grigg Lane, Brockenhurst, Hants SO42 7RE
Stoke cruise through to the next round of the FA Cup with a dominating demolition of Lymington Town
Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this FA Cup match was : 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Dan Williamson, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4. Michael Atkinson, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Marcio Neves, 8. Simon Dunn (Capt) 9. Bradley Wilson, 10, Sam Argent, 11. D’Andre Brown
On the bench: Luis Le Paih, George Reid, Scott Armsworth, Aiden Lewis & Brody Peart
With both teams coming off midweek league losses, Stoke fans travelled down to Brockenhurst with hopes that the FA Cup would hopefully change their team’s fortunes against Lymington Town in the FA Cup. The game got underway with Stoke attacking up the hill towards the car park end, with another much changed line-up, and it was Stoke who were on the front foot, but some nice moves in the first few minutes came to nothing, until a shot from Simon Dunn on the edge of the penalty area forced a nice save from their young keeper.
Stoke continue to press forward and a nice move down the right has Williamson sending in a dangerous cross that Argent just failing to get a touch to, as the ball rolled across the face of the goal.
Stoke continue to press, and Lymington have their first attack, which Atkinson neatly clears up at the back.
Stoke press again and the beginning of the Marcio show comes into effect as, he beats two players and slides the ball to Wilson, whose shot his pushed away by the keeper, and the half clearance falls to Brown, whose shot flies a yard wide of the left-hand post.
Then finally Stoke open the scoring on the 20th minute, when a stunning move one-two move by Marcio, to Argent, allows Marcio to find Wilson, who volleys the ball home into the far corner of the net. Lymington Town 0 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Wilson 20mins)
With Stoke fans still celebrating such a nice goal, Stoke double their lead, with Marcio neatly finishing past the keeper Lymington Town 0 – 2 Basingstoke Town (Neves 21 mins)
It’s three gaols in four minutes, as Sam Argent’s neat header from a D’Andre cross, finds the back of the net Lymington Town 0 – 3 Basingstoke Town (Argent 23 mins)
Somehow it is not four as Marcio dazzles the homesides defence then slides the ball to Wilson, who thunders a shot against the post, and the ball flies clear.
The assault on Lymington’s goal continues and they are forced into a double substitution, and they somehow hold out for the next few minutes, but on the half-hour, Marcio again leaves two defenders helpless, before finding Argent, whose neat shot is palmed away by the keeper straight to Marcio, who pokes the ball into the net Lymington Town 0 – 4 Basingstoke Town (Neves 30 mins)
Stoke win a corner on 35 mins and Wilson gets a touch on the cross, before getting brought down, and the referee points to the spot. It’s Wilson who wants to take the kick, but after calls from players and fans alike, he hands the ball to Marcio, who confidently sends the keeper the wrong way to make it five, and his hat-trick. Lymington Town 0 – 5 Basingstoke Town (Neves 37 mins)
Wilson nearly makes it six, as neat work from D’Andre finds Wilson in a one-on-one situation with the keeper, but Wilson’s shot hits the keeper’s leg and the ball rolls clear.
On 42 mins the ball is slid through to Wilson who looks to chip the keeper from the edge of the penalty area, but the keeper leaps and just palms the ball away for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
The referee blows the halftime whistle with many Lymington players shell-shocked by Stoke’s first-half performance.
Halftime – Lymington Town 0 v 5 Basingstoke Town
We are back underway with no changes by the Stoke side, and Stoke are back on the attack from the outset, but it’s Lymington who have the first real attack, forcing a fine save by Strudley in goal.
Marcio again seems to walk through defenders as he enters the penalty area, but his cross flicks off a defender into the keeper’s hands.
We then make our first change with Simon Dunn, who has picked up a knock, is replaced By Luis Le Paih (54 mins).
Some lovely attacking moves by Marcio, Williamson and Argent, create three crosses that the Lymington defence are able to clear.
Another move involving Marcio, Le Paih and Wilson forces a fine save by the keeper.
We make our second change as D’Andre has taken a knock, and is replaced by Brody Peart (64 mins).
It’s still all Stoke but Lymington are keeping us at bay for the moment.
Callum Winchcombe goes in the book for an unnecessary tackle.
However, on 70 mins, we do make it six, as the ball is fed through to Wilson who clinically finishes past the keeper from 12 yards out. Lymington Town 0 – 6 Basingstoke Town (Wilson 70 mins)
Another quality move by Williamson down the right, who finds Argent, who neatly chips the ball to Wilson, who thunders a shot that flies of the post once again.
We make our third change with hard-working Michael Atkinson, being replaced by the welcome return of Scott Armsworth.
Lymington have a little possession, but a good block by Smart puts an end to that.
Stoke continue to look for a seventh, and their keeper makes another fine save, this time from Le Paih.
Lymington have one more attack and a cross flies just past the far post.
Wilson finds the woodwork for the third time today as his shot has the keeper beaten but rebounds off the post.
We play just two minutes of injury-time, before the referee blows the final whistle.
Full-time Score: Lymington Town 0 v 6 Basingstoke Town
Neves 21, 33 & 37 (pen) mins, Wilson 20 & 60, Argent 23 mins
Match Thought’s
Honestly don’t think I have seen such a stunning, dominating first-half performance by a Stoke side, which with more luck in the second-half could quite easily have been at least twelve. Marcio dazzled the Lymington defence, but every Stoke player outplayed their opponent, and Scott Armsworth’s return, was the final touch on a superb day.
Up Next:
Well whilst we wait for our next round opponents, we get ready to head back into North-West London to take on promoted Hanworth Villa next Saturday (27th)
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