Bet Victor Division One South – 2nd November 2019
Paulton Rovers 4 v 2 Basingstoke Town Attendance 194
When: Saturday 26h October 2019 Kick-off 3.00pm
Where: The Athletic Ground, Winterbourne Road, Paulton. BS39 7RF
Stoke’s second-half fightback is to no avail as Paulton pinch the points.
Dan Brownlie’s line-up today was; 1. Chris Rackley, 2. Alfie Saunders 3. Ryan Suckling, 4. Aaron Kuhl, 5. Dean Stow (Capt), 6.Scott Armsworth, 7. Jordan Edwards, 8. Ben Cook, 9. Ben Wright, 10. Zach Robinson, 11. Riccardo Andrady,
On the bench; Aiden Harris, Mikey Davis, Claudio Herbert, Adam Everiss and Harrison Cliff
After the doom and gloom of one or two fans expecting an earlier morning wasted journey, the morning weather did not turn till around an hour before the kick-off, and the game went ahead meaning we would miss Bournemouth beating Man Utd on the telly.
The game kicked off with us attacking down the slope towards the open end and the small Btg contingent standing in the downpour of wind and rain and the first five minutes sees the players try and get use to the conditions. It is Rovers who have the first attempt on 6 mins, as they break down the left wind, but the shot from distance flies wide of the far post.
Stoke then have the first real chance of the game on 7 mins as we break over midfield and Robinson and Wright combine a good passing movement and Wright slips the ball to Andrady with space on the edge of the penalty area, but Andrady’s shot is poor as his shot is not kept down and it flies out the ground. Just to add the ground perimeter is a small corrugated iron fence five yards behind the goal, so balls do easily fly out the ground this end.
Then on 12 mins, it’s the home side who take the lead from a free-kick from the right-hand touchline as the cross is met by a free header past Rackley in the goal. Rovers 1-0 Stoke.
Then whilst both teams get themselves ready for the re-start, Aaron Kuhl then uniquely smashes a shot direct from the restart towards the goal. The keeper taken off guard still thinks he has it covered, only to have to scurry back to the goal, and tip the ball over the bar from the underneath of the bar, out for a corner. From the corner the cross again causes panic in the defence, as Robinson and a defender challenge for the cross, but the ball misses both of them and hits the unexpected keeper and rolls out for another corner. The second corner is dealt with by the defence.
Then on 15 mins we again attack down the left, as a ball is clipped over the back four, for Robinson to chase, only for the Rovers No.4 to initially pull his shirt, but Robinson pulls free and continues his run into the left-hand side of the penalty area, he then sends a lovely low cross into the six yard area, where the Rovers No.3 does a desperate last-second slide and kicks the ball out for a corner past the far post. The referee speaks to the guilty defender, but incorrectly decides not to book him. The corner again bounces around the penalty area, and then falls to Armsworth who hooks a shot that flies two-yards past the far post.
On 21 mins it’s the home-side from a corner down the right-hand side, that’s initially cleared, but straight to a Rovers player, who shoots five yards wide of the far post.
It’s Stoke with the next attack after good passing sends Robinson away down the left, who wins a corner. The corner a short one-two with Stow, is then crossed and again somehow flies past the face of the goal with no-one able to get the touch and out for a goal-kick.
Minutes later and what would have been a second-yellow card for the Rovers No.4, as he takes out a Stoke player on the halfway line.
From the free-kick the ball is met by Armsworth, who meets the ball and his header pulls out a great save from the keeper, only to blown dead for a push by another Stole player in the box.
It’s Paulton who have the next few minutes, which includes two interventions by Stow in five seconds, as a cross from the right, is met by Dean at the last second, the ball falls to another Rovers player who sends the ball back across the two-yard line and it’s Stow first to it who kicks it clear.
On 38 mins, Robinson chases 25yds on what seems a lost cause, and is able to knock the ball out for a throw-in by the corner-post. It’s Suckling who wins the ball from the throw-in who then smashes a shot that seems to be flying over the bar, only to dip and hit the top of the bar and fly out for a goal-kick.
On the stroke of halftime, Rovers win a free-kick 25yds out. However, the kick is chipped to the far post and the referee blows his whistle for a foul by a Rovers defender.
Despite a lot of possession and chances we trail at halftime.
No changes by Stoke as the second-half gets underway and there is nothing of note for the few minutes, until a ball is slid out to Andrady on the right, who then sends in another low cross into the heart of the goalmouth, and it takes a touch off a Rovers defender and out for a corner. From the corner there are huge shouts for a penalty from the crowd as a short corner sees Dean Stow tripped inside the box, but the referee isn’t interested.
Despite us looking the more inventive on the wet pitch, it’s Rovers who extend the lead on 61 mins, as a Stoke forward is sent through and it appears to be a stone-wall penalty as Rackley seems to pull down the striker. The penalty is slotted away, and we now trail 2-0.
We then decide to make two changes as Adam Everiss and Claudio Herbert replace Ben Cook and Jordan Edwards.
YES!! we pull a goal back, as a neat close one-two pass from Wright and Robinson find Zach free inside the box, and he slides the ball past the keeper GOAL! Rovers 2 – 1 Basingstoke Town (69 mins).
It’s Stoke back on the attack and a lovely move by Saunders and Andrady who sends a lovely cross that beats everyone again as it flies past the goalmouth.
Paulton then have two attacks, the first is cut out well by Alfie Saunders, the second is dealt with by Rackley from a 20yd shot.
We then draw back on level-terms as what seems a hopeful cross into the box, is met by Robinson who gets his head to the ball despite a challenge from a defender and the keeper and it loops over him into the net GOAL!! Rovers 2 – 2 Basingstoke Town (75 mins)
This has been a great and well deserved fight back and it’s Stoke who look like the team on top.
Then on 80 mins our hopes are dashed as the home-side break down the left and a shot beats Rackley and we trail once again 3-2.
Stoke make their final change, as Harrison Cliff replaces a tired looking Ben Wright.
We are desperately looking for that equaliser and on 87 mins we look to have it, after another cross is met by a Rovers defender who sends it flying towards his own goal, for the keeper to pull out a full-length dive and push it out for a corner. That was unfortunately a world-class save.
We are now deep into the 3 minutes of injury-time and Paulton then put the game save as another break down the slope allows a Stoke forward to chip the ball past the advancing Chris Rackley and into the net Rovers 4-2 Stoke.
The referee almost from the restart blows the final whistle and all the hard working fightback comes to nothing.
Final Score: Paulton Rovers 4 – 2 Basingstoke Town
Please keep an eye out for a possible friendly as we have a free weekend next week.
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 