FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round 26th October 2019
Melksham Town 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town Attendance TBC
When: Saturday 26h October 2019 Kick-off 3.00pm
Where: infiLED Arena at Oakfield, Eastern Way, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 7GU
Our unbeaten and cup run comes to an end at wet & windy Melksham.
Dan Brownlie’s line-up today was; 1. Chris Rackley, 2. Alfie Saunders 3. Adam Everiss, 4. Aaron Kuhl, 5. Dean Stow (Capt), 6.Scott Armsworth, 7. Claudio Herbert, 8. Ben Cook, 9. Zach Robinson, 10. Jordan Edwards, 11. Riccardo Andrady,
On the bench; Mikey Davis, James Oram and Aiden Harris
On an extremely wet and windy day in Wiltshire the game got underway with Basingstoke attacking the open end.
Melksham win the first corner of the game, but we are able to clear.
Stoke have the real chance of the game of the game on 4 mins as we break over the halfway line with Edwards and Herbert who feed Andrady who breaks into the box, but his shot is saved by the advancing keeper.
Melksham then have two attacks on ten minutes, the first is blocked by Alfie Saunders, the second has shouts for handball by Dean Stow as a shot hits his arm, but the referee waves it away.
Stoke then win back-to-back corners, and despite the numerous shirt-pulling and pushes the referee waves away all appeals, and Melksham are able to clear both of them.
The weather if anything is getting worse as the rain pours down, and Melksham have the next few attacks, but we are able to repel them.
Melksham have a goal chalked off by the referee for offside on 17 mins.
The game continues with Stoke attacking down the wing using Andrady and Saunders, but the cross is comfortably cleared as it does not beat the first player.
The next few minutes see very little action as the passing from both sides goes astray, this is however broken by a shot by Claudio Herbert that flies over the bar.
The home side have the next few minutes of possession and an attack forces a save by Rackley.
A corner to Melksham on the half-hour forces another save by Rackley.
Some of the small Btg contingent decide it’s time to get their tops off.
It’s still the home team on the attack with five minutes to go before the break, but we appear to be dealing with their advances well, but then a shot, from what 40yds has Rackley beaten despite his dive. Melksham 1-0 Basingstoke Town.
We then have the last few minutes before halftime, which includes a free-kick by Stow, that beats the wall, but does not trouble the keeper, as it hits the side-netting.
Players and Basingstoke fans alike trudge off into the dry with us trailing by the only goal.
The second-half gets underway with us attacking the covered end and Stoke have the first real attack which forces a corner. The corner bounces about in the six yard box, but we can’t get a foot on it and the ball is hoofed clear.
Then there are two meaty challenges on the halfway line, one by each side and the referee takes no action on either of them.
Our passing has gone astray again in the wet conditions and this allows the home team to create two attempts on goal. One flies wide of the goal, the other shot is saved by Rackley.
Although the rain has relented for the moment, Stoke are still struggling to gain a foothold in the game and our defence has more defending to do, but two shots, one blocked by Scott Armsworth and a wild shot a two minutes later flies out the ground.
It’s time to make our first change on 67 minutes with Mikey Davis replacing Claudio Herbert.
We then have the next few minutes of the game which results in a shot by Davis, that the keeper comfortably saves, then a cross by Andrady that flies across the face of the goal with no Stoke player able to get a touch on it.
We move into the final 15 minutes of the game and Melksham should be two-up as they break and a they fluff a shot that goes wide of the far post.
Stoke are back on top and we force Melksham to give a way a further corner, that knocked out to Stow, whose shot is blocked and the home team clear.
Stoke then have further attempts on goal, but one is wide of the near post the second from Andrady is saved by the keeper.
Then with two minutes to go, an initial cross-filed pass has to be recovered by Andrady who sends in another low cross that finds Zach Robinson in front of goal, but he can’t get the shot away as the big No.5 blocks his shot and there is scramble to get the rebound, and somehow the keeper is able to fall on the ball.
Stoke make their second change on 89 mins with Adam Everiss being replaced by Aiden Harris.
We are now in added time and two further poor passes halt our progress.
The referee has had enough and blows the final whistle and our cup dreams are over for another season.
Final Score: Melksham Town 1 – 0 Basingstoke Town
Up next is the early kick-off league match at Paulton Rovers, next Saturday.
Match Report by Martin French..
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