Match Report: Taunton Town 1 – 0 Basingstoke Town – FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Rnd – Saturday 5th October 2024

FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round – Saturday 5th October 2024
Taunton Town 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town Attendance 735
Where: Cygnet Health Stadium, Wordsworth Drive, Taunton, TA1 2HG
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this FA Trophy game was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. D’Andre Brown, 4. Jack Ball, 5. James Clark, 6. William Upton (Capt), 7. Ben Cook, 8. Rudy Allen, 9. Nnamdi Nwachuku, 10. Liam Ferdinand, 11. Max Smith
On the bench: Dan Warre, Simon Dunn, Brody Peart, George Reid, Aleks Kokoszka & Curtis Angell
Referee – James Long

With five places separating us in the league, this FA Trophy game got underway with D’Andre Brown breaking down the left, winning us a corner on the left which was defended by Taunton.

Stoke continued to push forward but Taunton, were strong in defence and in the thirteenth minute, Billy Upton headed over from James Clark’s free-kick thirty yards out.

Still very little goalmouth action from either side as we moved past the halfway point in the first half, apart from a long range effort from Liam Ferdinand, comfortably held by the Taunton keeper.

Taunton had created very little of note, but then a shot from distance finds the far left-hand corner of the net, and we go behind. Taunton1-0 Basingstoke

Stoke continued to press for an equaliser, but were failing to create the space to take a shot, as Taunton held us at bay.
With five minutes to go to the break, a Ferdinand header flew harmlessly over the bar.

Taunton looked to double their lead on forty-two minutes, but their striker failed to keep the ball down as it sailed over the bar.

Stoke had one more attack just before the break, but Ben Cook ’s effort was hooked over the crossbar.
Halftime Score: Taunton Town 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town
Stoke made two changes at the break with D’Andre Brown replaced by Brody Peart & George Reid replacing Ben Cook, and the game got back underway and again Stoke looked like the team on the front-foot, and a chance fell to Nwachuku, but his shot was pushed away by their keeper.

Taunton have created very little in the second-half, but on the hour-mark Clark was called to make a timely tackle inside our six-yard area.

Stoke with more width in the second-half through Peart & Reid, but with Taunton defending deep, we were still struggling to find that clear chance, but a good work from Ferdinand was thwarted by the keeper who palmed his shot away.
Stoke made its third change with Dan Warre replacing Nnamdi Nwachuku (71 mins).
Time continued to tick away and we made our fourth change as Simon Dunn replaced Max Smith (78 mins).

Taunton looked to double their lead, but Upton was able to block the shot in front of goal, and the ball was hooked away to the halfway line.

Dan Warre then found an opening but their keeper got a hand to his shot and parried it away.

Calls for a Stoke penalty were waived away by the referee as we headed into the last five minutes of normal time.
In the final minute of four added times, the ball fell to George Reid inside the box, but again his shot was parried away by the keeper, and the referee blew the final whistle seconds later, and Basingstoke’s participation in both FA competitions is over for another season.

Full-time Score: Taunton Town 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town
Nielsen 27 mins

Match Thought’s
Another frustrating Cup exit against a team that defended well, but created very little goal-scoring chances, despite being the homeside. We looked better in the second-half when we brought more width into the game introducing Peart & Reid, but with Taunton’s five across the back, we struggled to create that vital opening, and when we did their keeper made that vital save when called into action.
Lots of effort by the players, but we now must focus on the league moving forwards.
Up Next:
We return to league action and another trip down to Somerset to take on Frome Town Saturday 12th.

Match Report by Martin French..