Hampshire Snr Cup 3rd Rnd – Tuesday 11th November 2025
Basingstoke Town 1 vs 0 Aldershot Town Attendance 711
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this Remembrance Day Game was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Elliott Legg, 4. Josh Green, 5. Scott Armsworth, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Ore Bello, 8. D’Andre Brown, 9. Cheick Sylla, 10. Ben Cook, 11. George Reid
On the bench: 12. James Dickson, 14. Joe O’Loughlin, 15. Connor Barratt, 16. James Clark & 17. Dara Dada
Referee – Kai Morgan
With the rain coming down, and a vocal Basingstoke crowd behind the railway end of the ground, this Hants Snr Cup game got underway, and it was the visitors who came close to taking the lead on five minutes, as an Aldershot striker, slides the ball past Simon Grant in goal, only for Elliott Legg to block the ball out for a corner on the left.
Aldershot had another attack a minute later, which was neatly blocked away.
Anything Stoke can do, the Shots can do, as ten minutes in, Cheick Sylla got a shot away, that was blocked off the line, and the ball was scrambled away.
Both teams had further attacks, but the defences held as went past the twenty-minute mark.
Stoke created the next chance, after neat work set-up Ore Bello, but his shot was blocked away for a corner.
The visitors continued to press, but Stoke’s defence continued to hold, and then from a long Grant clearance, he found George Reid on the left, who hit a shot from inside the penalty area, that the keeper blocked away with an out-stretched leg for a corner.
Legg was then to make an even more amazing last-ditch save, as an Aldershot player rounded Grant, and hit a too casual shot from ten yards, that Legg slid across the wet surface and somehow hooked the ball off the line and out for a corner.
From the corner, the ball found its way into the net, only for the linesman to attract the referees attention, and confirm the goal should be disallowed, as one of the goalposts had moved off the line, and thus the corner should be retaken. The retaken corner-kick was cleared.
The last five minutes of the first-half, were played without incident, and we went into the break level.
Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 0 vs 0 Aldershot Town
With the raining falling even heavier, the second-half got underway, and Bello, won a free-kick in the opening minute, about five yards outside the penalty area. However, Reid’s and then Dre’s follow-up shot, both hit the Aldershot wall, and the ball was hooked clear.
Aldershot were to then create an opening, but Green got a cross and blocked the ball out for a corner on the right.
Aldershot created another opening minutes later, but the shot although well-hit flashed wide of the right-hand post.
Aldershot continued to press, and further crosses were cleared away, by Scott Armsworth, and then a minute later by Legg.
Stoke were to make its first change on sixty-three minutes, as James Clark replaced Billy Upton.
Aldershot were now on top, but it was Stoke who opened the scoring as they won a corner after a shot was cleared away from the line. The resulting corner rebounded down to Sylla, who hooked the ball into the net GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Aldershot Town (Sylla 66 mins)
The visitors came close to levelling minutes later, but a glancing header flew a yard wide of the left-hand post.
Elliott Legg then appeared to have picked up an injury and a minute later after receiving treatment, he was replaced by Joe O’Loughlin (75 mins).
James Clark, then made a fine blocking tackle, deflecting the ball out for a corner.
Stoke were to make its third and fourth changes within a couple of minutes as first D’Andre Brown was replaced by James Dickson (78 mins), and then Ore Bello was replaced by Connor Barratt (81 mins).
Stoke were to have the next shot on goal, as Sylla’s shot was comfortably held by the Aldershot keeper.
Stoke then made its final change as George Reid was replaced by Dara Dada (86 mins).
With two minutes remaining, the Aldershot right-back smashed a shot that dipped just as it flew over the bar.
Aldershot then wasted two corners, as they were both overhit rolling out of play.
In the first minute of six added-minutes, Grant made a decent save down low pushing the ball out for a corner.
The rest of the added-minutes were played out without incident, and the referee blew the final whistle and Stoke had beaten its old rivals and were through to the Qtr Finals of the Hampshire Senior Cup.
Fulltime Score: Basingstoke Town 1 vs 0 Aldershot Town
Sylla 66 mins,
Match Thought’s
A battling Stoke performance, especially in the first-half, saw us more than match an Aldershot side, sprinkled with a number of first-team players in their starting line-up, and despite more Aldershot pressure in the second forty-five, Stoke were strong in defence, and how impressive was Elliott Legg’s two goal-line clearances.
Cheick Sylla, our goal-scorer once again, led the line with skill and control, ably supported by Ore Bello & George Reid.
But an overall good team performance saw us knock the mighty Aldershot out of the cup, and we await the Qtr Final Draw.
Up Next:
We return to the league, and we travel back into Dorset to take on Weymouth this Saturday (15th) in the league.
Match Report by Martin French..
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