Match Report: Tooting & Mitcham Utd 0 – 1 Basingstoke Town Saturday 12th March 2022

Isthmian South Central Division – 12th March 2022
Tooting & Mitcham Utd 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town Attendance 280
Where: The Campus Society Stadium, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Morden, Surrey. SM4 BF
Stefan Brown’s thunderbolt earns all three points as Stoke’s defence holds firm once again.
Dan Brownlie’s makes a number of changes for today’s game: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. James Haworth, 3. Aiden Lewis, 4. Daryl Wollers, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Anton Rodgers, 7. Simon Dunn (Capt), 8. Ben Cook, 9. Bradley Wilson, 10. Stefan Brown, 11. George Reid
On the bench:, McKoy Palmer, Marcio Neves, Lloyd Snell, D’Andre Brown & Jonathan Boardman
Referee – David Simpson

The game got underway five minutes late with the sun trying to break through the clouds and Stoke defending the turnstile end.
With Stoke fans out numbering the home fans it was Stoke who kicked off and our first attack in the second minute creates a chance for Bradley Wilson who sent clear, and he rounds the keeper but the ball runs wide, he then stops the ball on the byline and sends a pass across the goal, where George Reid just beats his defender to the ball, but he can only send the ball two yards wide of the far post.
Another ball over the top two minutes later, finds Wilson down the right again, but can only get a slow cross and Reid again under heavy pressure, nudges the ball wide of the near post.

On seven minutes a long clearance with the strong wind behind him, is headed by the Tooting defender, straight to Wilson, who chests it down allows it to bounce then hits a volley from 30yds that flies two yards wide of the left-hand post with the keeper motionless.
It’s all Stoke as another attacking move finds Simon Dunn who passes the ball to Stefan Brown, who slides the ball between two defenders, to Reid, who crosses to Wilson who back heels it from about three yards out, and the ball runs past the face of the goal and out for a goal-kick.

It is clear the bumpy pitch is affecting the general passing of the game and there is little action for a few minutes, until Tooting have their first real attack on goal as one of their forward hits a shot from 30yds that beats the full-length dive of Paul Strudley, but also narrowly slides wide of the left-hand post.

Then on 17 minutes, another ball over the Tooting back four finds Wilson, who stops the ball by the byline, he beats his defender, then slides the ball back across the goal, where Stefan Brown is first to the ball and he thunders a shot that hits the underside of the crossbar and into the goal GOAL ! Tooting & Mitcham Utd 0 – 1 Basingstoke Town 1 (S Brown 17 mins)

Tooting have the next couple of minutes of possession, but the wind and poor crossing prevents them from creating anything on target.
On 23 mins another ball finds Wilson who breaks clear, but his shot is pushed clear by the keeper.
Tooting then have another chance just before the half-hour, as they win a corner down the right, the cross gets flicked on to an open Tooting player who volleys a shot, straight at Strudley who catches the ball.

Then another through ball finds Wilson open who breaks clear, but his shot, possibly affected by the bumpy pitch rolls straight to the keeper.
On 38 minutes, a shot from 35yds by a Tooting midfielder is hit well but straight to Strudley who makes the save.

We move into the last few minutes of the first-half, and neither team is able to create an attack on goal, and the referee allows one minute of added time, before he blows the halftime whistle, with Stoke leading by the one goal.

Halftime – Tooting & Mitcham Utd 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town
Stoke kick-off the second-half having made one change as George Reid appears to have picked-up an injury and is replaced by McKoy Palmer.
We are then forced to make another change as Aiden Lewis is replaced at right-back by Lloyd Snell.
Nothing to note as both teams are unable to string three passes together, but then on the 53rd minute, the ball is at McKoy Palmer’s feet who takes it passed one defender then gets a touch of luck as another defender makes a tackle and the ball rebounds back to Palmer who then takes the ball on but as he shoots it deflects of a third defender and comfortably into the keeper’s hands.

Despite this attack the game has lot the intensity of the first half so far, which is made worse by more errant passes by both sides.
Tooting are starting to push forward but cannot get a clear shot on target, and one shot from outside the box flies well wide of the left-hand post.
We seem unable to hold onto the ball, and Tooting attack down both wings, but again create nothing of note as we move into the last 25 mins of the game. Then Stoke break and the ball is fed to Wilson who tries to chip the keeper, just as he enters the penalty area, but the big tall keeper leaps into the air and palms the ball away for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner.

Stoke make their third and final change with D’Andre Brown replacing Anton Rodgers who receives a good round of applause from the large Stoke contingent present around the ground. (69 mins).
Unfortunately D’Andre’s first touch of the game is poor as he passes straight to a Tooting player and they break down the left and they break into our penalty area, and just as he looks to shoot a sliding tackle from Daryl Wollers blocks the shot, but the ball rebounds to another Home player who thunders a shot of the crossbar and far post and bounces down and the ball is pushed out for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
Then on 75 mins we break once more into their half and it’s Wilson who tries a shot from 30 yds, that although hit well, is always rising and is caught by a Stoke fan behind the goal.

The “Since I was young I followed the BTFC” chant rings around the stadium for the next few minutes, as Tooting push forward, and another dangerous cross is met by a powerful header clear by Daryl Wollers.
We move into the last ten minutes of the game, with Stoke holding onto the slender lead, with Tooting continuing to push forward, but two long-range shots fly wide of the goal.

On 83 mins we break from our own penalty area, through Wilson, who takes the ball fully forty yards deep into Tooting’s half, before a perfect timed-tackle bring the attack to a halt.
We are back on the ball in their half, as this time Lloyd Snell goes on a run down by the corner flag and then drives past two defenders along the byline, before he wins a corner. Nothing comes from the corner, but we are able to hold them in their half of the pitch, with just three minutes of normal time remaining.
Tooting come forward again, but our defence is upto the task and we clear the ball once again, as we hit 90 minutes.

Deep into injury-time and Tooting are unable to create anything apart from one corner, which is headed clear and we push the ball into their half of the pitch.
The referee plays a full five minutes of injury-time, before he blows the final whistle and Stoke will leave Tooting with all three points.

Full-time Score: Tooting & Mitcham Utd 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town
                                                                          S. Brown 17 mins,
Match Thought’s
Another game where we spurned first-half chances to put the game away, but the one Stefan Brown goal is still enough as Stoke’s defence holds firm once more.
The three points alongwith other results around us, puts us back into fourth place, and with a game in hand over the other teams.
Up Next:
Well after two games on the road, we now have three consecutive home games at Winklebury, starting with Sutton Common Rovers next Saturday.
Match Report by Martin French..

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