Monday Morning Quarterback 2019-20 Season – Issue 25

Monday Morning Quarterback 2019-2020 Issue 25 Upon Further Review

It’s Just Like Brazil, you must be simply nuts!!

Going a goal behind inside the first twenty seconds will never help, but as one fan commented, we were second to the ball for virtually the whole 90 minutes, accept the two own goals of course.

Injuries to Ben Cook and Simon Dunn in the first-half obviously didn’t help, but by then we were already looking at defeat, just unsure of the final number.

Another fan also commented about that he couldn’t remember us actually getting a shot on target all game. Yes we had the unlucky header from Dean Stow, but think maybe he was right. If that is the case, then that is simply woeful. Were Thatcham that good, you couldn’t tell, as we were really that bad. Poor and non-existent tackling, poor and sometimes lazy passing, overhit crosses, was on show for a large Basingstoke contingent to see.

I continue to see fans blame the lack of money, but in this league, not the National League South, where some of our fans still think we are playing, I would be surprised that apart from a few teams, that our budget is worse than most other teams in the league.

What makes it even more concerning, was that the same team had played really well for an hour on Monday night at Melksham, and could have been in front, if first-half chances had been taken, and if Ben Cook had actually just put his foot through the ball instead of trying to walk it round the keeper, we could have easily have led. We then allowed to goals within the space of ten minutes and the game was basically lost then.

It is also quite clear from those fans who have been to the two games at Melksham this season, that they are the most ignorant fans, we have faced this season.

Well we still have to rearrange our home game against Moneyfields, and there is now a strong prospect of either us or Winchester having to play on a Wednesday or Thursday night, as with just eight official weeks of the season remaining, thus 15 Saturday and Tuesdays, as Moneyfields away is a Bank Holiday Monday. We have seven home games and Winchester City have at least seven home games! If the weather continues the way it is has, then you see further games being called off.

Ok currently both us and Barnstaple now have just 12 games left (7 at home and 5 away).

In March we face Willand Rovers at home, Thatcham Town at home, Bristol Manor Farm away, Cinderford Town away, Frome Town at Home and Slimbridge at home. Barnstaple Town face Sholing at home, Larkhall Athletic away, Winchester City away, Highworth Town at home, Willand Rovers at home and AFC Totton away.

Who do you think will earn more points in the month of March? A tough one to call.

Ok with just three games played since last weekend, our loss to Melksham on Monday and then our loss to Thatcham Town being two of them, the top of the table currently looks like this.

The Top Five in Our League

 The Division One South league goal-scoring chart.

Ok only Felipe Barcelos for Thatcham was the only at the top of the table to add to his tally, and surprisingly only got one of the eight goals against us. However, Melksham’s Jack Ball who got a brace of goals against us now enters the table as well.

• No Longer in the league

At the bottom of the table, apart from us, there was just one game played this weekend, which was Bideford’s home against the ever falling Mangotsfield Utd. Bideford ran out comfortable winners on the day 3-0, taking the lead on 14 mins, with a tap in by Ryan Turner. Utd had their chances to equalise, but squandered them, and with five minutes to go before halftime, they doubled their lead, as Archie Reay, was able to bundle the ball home from two yards out. Joseph Charles added the third on 67 mins, with a header on 67 mins. Bideford are now unbeaten in their last six games

Ok with more games postponed, three teams still have 15 games to play. These being Sholing, Willand Rovers and Moneyfields. There being no rest for the wicked!

The highest attendance of the day again was our Basingstoke sides visit to Thatcham Town with a crowd of 285, whilst unfairly Bideford’s 176 was the lowest attendance of the weekend.

The Bottom Five in our League Now Looks Like This

* Point deducted for illegal player.

Basingstoke Town Goal Scorers Chart (Just one goal to add, which was Dean Stow’s header against Melksham)

* Players no longer with the club

There are three mid-week games in our league this week, with Paulton Rovers hosting Sholing on Tuesday night. Then on Wednesday Cinderford Town travel to Highworth Town and Melksham visit Willand Rovers.

Then on Saturday’s the only team we currently have to worry about is Barnstaple’s home game against Sholing.