Redditch Utd 3 – 0 Basingstoke Town Saturday 17th February 2018
Attendance – 312
On a cloudy but dry and seasonally warm day Terry Brown took his young first team squad to a Redditch team that was sitting below us in the table and with our recent form, there was hope of a decent result.
As the players lined before for the start of the match: A Davy Crockett lookalike belted out the starting line-ups in a strong Brummie accent. Terry’s team was; in goal Colm McAdden, a back four of Wohlfiel, Demuria, Hollamby and Bayliss, in midfield Captain Charlie Kennedy, Atkinson, McKnight and Smart. Up front Argent & Bunting.
The bench consisted off Wright, Goater, Collier & Long.
The game starts slowly and neither team creates any real chances, but the ball is being played more in Redditch’s half. Then on the 11th minute Bunting is put through down the right his cross is initially blocked and then put out for a corner. Nothing comes from this corner and the following corner 2 minutes later.
17 mins in with Stoke doing all the pressing, we attack down the left with McKnight who cuts inside and delivers a cross which is pushed away by the keeper to Bunting whose shot is blocked two yards out and Utd clear.
Stoke attack again on 21 mins with Wohlfiel breaking down the right, his cross beats everyone and goes out for a goal-kick.
On 24 mins after good work from Kennedy & Atkinson on the halfway line, we again attack down the right, this time the cross is met by Argent whose touch see’s the ball slip just pat the post.
Two more corners for Stoke in the 27th & 28th minute, but both are easily cleared again.
Stoke keep on pressing and on 31 mins Bunting finds McKnight but his mis-hit shot goes well over the bar, the steward standing near me fails to catch the ball and ball flies to the match reporter, who volleys it back onto the pitch to the keeper. I hear no cries of “Sign him up”, so my chance of getting into Terry’s young team are thwarted. Stoke continue to be on the front foot here and this time Smart finds Argent who turns to shoot, but his shot is well blocked and cleared.
On 34 mins we are back in Redditch’s penalty area, the ball is being played between, Smart & Wohlfiel, who finds a chance to shoot, but his side-foot shot goes well wide.
On 36 mins Bunting breaks down the right, his cross yet again fails to find a Stoke player and Redditch clear.
On 37 mins McKnight is fed on the edge of the box by Smart, his shot looks to beat the keeper but again just goes narrowly wide of the goal. By now we should be well clear and on the 38 mins from another corner, this time the ball isn’t fully cleared and from 7yds out tries an overhead kick, it is blocked by the keeper, rebounds to Argent whose still on the floor, but swings his boot at it and it beats the keeper, Smart fails to gets a touch to it and somehow, it’s kicked away for yet another corner.
On 40 mins we are on the attack yet again, this time McKnight feeds Argent but beats one defender, but as he goes forward and gets tackled, a huge yell from a Utd defender for no visible reason, brings a halt to the game, as the ref blows for a Redditch free-kick.
On 44 mins we break from the halfway line, with Argent who runs 15yds with the ball before feeding Smart who takes the ball into the penalty area but is challenged by a Utd defender and goes down, the ref takes a couple of seconds, blows his whistle and points to the spot. Argent steps up to the take the kick, but his shot is too close to the keeper who makes a diving save to his right and the ball is cleared away for a corner. The corner is misplayed and Redditch break, the ball is fed to their main striker, who clips the ball over McAdden and we are unbelievably one down. It could be worse as a minute later McAdden makes a fine save from a rasping shot from 20yds out.
Halftime; Redditch Utd 1 – 0 Basingstoke Town
Here we go again, as from the restart, Redditch break, there’s not a challenge from anyone down our right, and the Utd forward is fed the ball and he’s clear and his shot is past McAdden and into the net. Are you kidding me as we go 2 – 0 down?
On 51 mins Argent is fed the ball and he breaks away from 40yds out, he’s clear and he has 1on 1 with the keeper, but his shot isn’t great and it’s straight at the keeper. Sorry but Sam should have buried that.
54 mins and we are attacking down the left, a neat passing movement from Bayliss, Argent and McKnight, allows Argent to have a shot, but it’s takes a strong deflection and rolls safely to the keeper.
Redditch are now full of confidence and they break into our box, but a timely tackle from Hollamby keeps it at 2 – 0.
59 mins in and we attack again, but the through ball beats our forward and goes out for a goal-kick. It’s the start of Utd’s time-wasting activities as a Utd defender who was injured and off the pitch behind their goal, then rolls onto the pitch and the ref calls a halt to the game. After what seems about 2 mins of him being seen by their physio, he is able to get up, but he’s going to be substituted, but then takes a further minute to slowly walk all the way to the halfway line to go down the tunnel, he’s laughing all the way as the ref who has done nothing wrong today, allows him to take the piss.
62 mins in and we break again, Argent beats the first defender, he takes that an extra couple of seconds before a lovely pass across the goalmouth to McKnight, but his shot is poor and it’s blocked again by a defender.
Stoke make their first change as Smart is replaced by Ben Wright. Smart may have picked a knock, so probably best to hold him out for Tuesday.
65 mins and we break again and we win a free-kick. McKnight’s kick beats the ball, but doesn’t have enough power to trouble the keeper who catches it comfortably.
66 mins in and Redditch break, we half clear it but the ball rolls to a Utd forward whose shot looks to go way over, only for it to dip suddenly and hit the top of the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.
69 mins in and we break down the left the cross beats the defenders and just needs a touch from McKnight, but somehow he doesn’t.
Stoke make their 2nd substitution as Jordan Goater replaces Hollamby.
Redditch have a further attack, which results in a corner. From that corner a Utd defender has a free header but he can’t keep it down.
Stoke make their 3rd substitution as Kennedy is replaced by the returning Collier.
74 mins in and we have another free-kick, but yet it’s an easy save for the keeper.
It’s time for me to retire to the lovely Redditch clubhouse and carry on the report from there.
Then on 78 mins Redditch break, the ball takes a deflection into the box to a Utd forward, but Demuria clips his heel and he goes down. The ref points to the spot and the penalty kick sends McAdden the wrong way and we 3-0 down.
We have further attacks in the 82nd & 84th minute, but they fail to produce anything and personally I think we could be here all-day and we won’t score.
Then an incident between a Utd player and Demuria, appears to have calmed down, but then suddenly pulls the Utd player to the middle of the pitch and gives him a straight red card. I assume it’s for something he said and the incident seemed pretty innocuous. Their player got a red card for kicking Guri off the ball, spotted by the linesman.
More time-wasting by Redditch results in their keeper (who unfortunately has had an excellent game), getting a yellow card.
The last few minutes drift away and the ref finally puts us out of our misery.
Final Score: Redditch Utd 3 – 0 Basingstoke Town
Lets’ hope Stoke can turn it around on Tuesday night.
Match Report by Martin French
Updates from Dave A
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