Match Report: Moneyfields 1 – 4 Basingstoke Town (Evo-Stick Cup)

On a wet and windy night and a journey that included taking 15 minutes to find a parking spot, we finally got to Moneyfields football ground. We found their clubhouse and had time for one quick drink, before entering the ground, only to find that our new kit van was still finding his way it’s way around the south of England, which mean’t the kick-off would be delayed until 8pm.

When 8pm came and went and still no sign of the kit, it was decided that we would use Moneyfields away kit which was white shirts, green shorts and green socks.

The Basingstoke line-up tonight; McAdden in goal, a back four of Johnson-Schuster (Capt), Demuria, Kennedy and Goater. The midfield of Collier, McKnight and Bennett, and the forwards of Bunting, Wright and Smart.
On the bench; Hollamby, Wohlfiel, Sackey and Argent.

The game finally started with the heavy wind and rain in the faces of the Basingstoke lads who kicked towards the railway line in the first half.

The opening minutes there was very little action by either team until the 5th minute when Bennett put Bunting through who took too long to shoot, and his shot was blocked by the defender and the ball bounced softly towards the overweight Moneyfields keeper. The song who “Ate all the pies” and pasties in this case would have been very appropriate, but with such a small and old contingent of BTFC fans, the odd call of chubby was all they managed.

8 mins in and Moneyfields break from a Stoke attack and show why they are top of their league aa a neat one-two completely outplays Goater, no-one comes across to tackle him, but fortunately the forward slams the ball wide.

9 mins in another break from Bunting on the right, the decent cross evades the first two players and is destined to find Smart at the back post, but a Moneyfields defender sticks out a leg and puts it out for the corner. Hang on, the ref decides to give a goal-kick. This will be the first of many odd decisions by the referee who unfortunately for him is being assessed tonight.

10 mins in and another attack by Stoke as a Bennett cross is headed clear to Kennedy whose tame shot is saved by the keeper.

12 mins in there is a shout for a Moneyfields penalty, but it’s waved away and the forward slams the ball wide.

20 mins in and another break by Smart, the ball is slotted inside to Collier whose shot is pushed wide for a corner by the keeper. Nothing results from the corner.

22 mins in and a Moneyfields forwards seems to slide past three poor tackles and hits a low-drive destined for the net, only for McAdden to make a full-length dive and push it out for a corner. NO! NO! NO! the ref has given a goal kick. The sparse home crowd are not happy with that.

Two late tackles by the home team, result in a booking for a Moneyfields player.

28 mins in and the home team attack again down the right, the ball is curled into the far-post where the forward gets a touch on it and luckily, it’s straight at McAdden who is able to palm it away.

31 mins in and a Smart shot is deflected out for a corner. The resulting corner finds Kennedy open at the back post, but his header is from four yards out is straight at the keeper who is able to push it away. That should have been one nil.

32 mins in and Moneyfields do another sweet one-two move around Demuria, but he superbly gets back and deals with it. The ball breaks to Smart on the right who could cross it, but decides to shoot and the keeper can only get a touch on it as it finds the back of the net. Stoke are leading 1-0.

38 mins in and another break by Smart who is fouled but stays on his feet, the ref waves play on, but Sam in the heavy conditions hoofs it over the bar with the outside of his right foot. The ref fails to bother to speak to the defender for the obvious and bookable foul.

39 mins in and another attack which ends up for a volley by Wright whose shot is well struck and is well saved by the keeper. The resulting corner is somehow cleared off the line and goes for another corner. Nothing comes from the second corner and Wright takes way too much time on the ball.

42 mins in and Goater is again played around by the home team, but this time he manages to get back and block it for a corner. Bunting heads clear, which finds Bennett whose lovely pass down the left finds Smart, who cuts inside then slides a lovely pass to Bunting, who has to stop and shoot but he decides to rifle it over the bar. Yet another wasted chance.

45 mins and Moneyfields break but the cross is blocked by Kennedy and goes for a corner. The corner is cleared by Demuria.

The ref finally blows his whistle for half-time with Stoke leading by just the one goal.

47 mins in and Smart breaks down the right, but his cross is straight at the keeper.

49 mins in and yet another attack by Stoke, Bunting feeds Johnson-Schuster who slips it to Wright, who shoots only for it to hit the goalkeepers foot and rolls away.

Stoke are now encamped in Moneyfields half and we win another corner. The corner finds Bunting who half-hits the ball which hits Kennedy but bounces back to Bunting who slams it home. Not sure where the home team’s defence was, but who cares we are two-up after 51 minutes.

53 mins in and after a tussle with a home defender and Bunting, the ref gives a free-kick to Moneyfields. Basingstoke are the only team in it after two further corners which end up with no real threat on goal.

57 mins in and the home team break for the first time, but the shot goes 20 yards high and wide.

Bunting wins the ball in midfield but his pass to Smart is hit so hard even a greyhound wouldn’t have caught that.

59 minutes in and have I missed something here as Stoke seem to be playing in a second gear as Moneyfields have two attacks in 2 minutes, the first being well saved by McAdden the second hits their own forward and goes off for a goal-kick.

60 minutes in and an over hit pass should be held by McAdden whose slides out to save it but fumbles it and a Moneyfields forward is fed the ball whose shot is well saved by McAdden who gets back on the goal-line.

61 minutes in and another break down our right, we are unable to block the cross, but it appears to beat everyone, only for a sliding Goater who puts it in his own net. Moneyfields are back In it.

The next three minutes are again dominated by Moneyfield as we seem to have disappeared off the pitch.

The match reporter shouts for Terry to change it up and it appears he will as Argent comes on for Wright.

64 mins in and Moneyfields break on the left again, the ball falls to their No.4 whose shot is deflected past a diving McAdden and find the corner of the net. But the lino has given offside. It remains 2-1 to the Stoke.

Sackey has now come on for Goater.

73 mins and a nice move by Johnson-Schuster as he cuts inside and passes to McKnight who feeds Argent, but his shot is ballooned over the bar.

Stoke are back on the attack and Smart earns a corner. The corner falls to Collier who somehow hits it over the bar from what seems two yards out.

Argent goes in the book after a tackle, where half the Moneyfield players scream for a booking and the ref decides to change his mind and book him.

78 mins in and McKnight gets a chance to shoot, but blasts it 15 yards over the bar.

79 mins and Moneyfields should have made it 2-2 but it’s blocked for a corner.

83 mins in and Smart breaks on the right, his cross is met by a Stoke player which is half-blocked, and it falls to Bunting who taps it home. Was he off-side, most fans think so, but the ref and linesman give it. Stoke lead 3-1.

85 mins in and yet another attack by Stoke and Bunting’s shot is hit wide.

88 mins in Smart breaks on the right his cross hits Bunting and deflects past the hapless keeper into the net. Stoke lead 4-1.

Basingstoke now run out time as the ref blows the final whistle.

Moneyfields 1 – 4 Basingstoke Town – Attendance 94

After match thoughts – We created numerous chance to wrap this game up early but then seemed to fall asleep for 20 minutes before finishing off the match.

Man-of-the Match – Despite Bunting’s 3 goals, I thought Demuria dominated at the back, winning everything in the air. He was solid throughout the game and this was clearly his best performance in a Stoke/Moneyfields shirt.

Match Report by a much happier Martin French