Isthmian South Central Division – Wednesday 22nd February 2023
Southall 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town Attendance 156
Where: Robert Parker Stadium, Short Lane, Stanmore. TW19 7BH
A First-Half Goal By Ben Cook Earns Stoke The Points
Dan Brownlie’s line-up tonight was: 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 5. Billy Upton, 6. Scott Armsworth (Capt), 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Ben Cook, 9. Paul Hodges, 10. James Clark, 11. George Reid, 19. Sam Argent
On the bench: D’Andre Brown, Ashleigh Artwell, Marcio Neves, Brody Peart & Nathan Smart
Referee – Derrick Laing
This Wednesday evening game got underway, with Stoke attacking the gas works end, and the sticky pitch took some time to get use to as Southall were clearly set-up not to concede a goal, with six at the back.
Twenty minutes in and neither team have yet to trouble the keeper.
Stoke are the team still looking to find an opening, and a pass from Bradley Wilson down the left finds Sam Argent, whose neat clip across the face of the goal, is crying out for a Stoke player at the far post, as the ball flies out for a goal-kick.
On the half-hour, a neat move finds Paul Hodges whose volley is matched by a decent save by the keeper, who knocks it out for a corner. The corner kick is met by Billy Upton’s header that is knocked away by a defender a yard off the line.
A minute later Hodges receives the ball about the thirty yards out and he turns, takes a touch then smashes a shot that forces a full length diving save from the keeper.
We come forward again as the ball is fed to Wilson down the left who sends a cross over that the keeper gets a hand to, but is unable to hold on to and George Reid, neatly takes a touch then slides the ball back on his left, where Ben Cook is first to the ball, and drills a low shot past two defenders into the net. GOAL! Southall 0 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Cook 36 mins)
Then just a minute later we have the ball in the net, as Hodges clips a rebounded shot off the keeper into the net, but the linesman has his flag up for offside.
Southall win a freekick just outside our penalty area, but the kick is poor, as it flies out harmlessly past the far right-hand post.
The referee plays a minute of added-time before blowing the halftime whistle.
Halftime – Southall 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town
The game gets back underway with us attacking the small covered end, and the first attack of note is when a through ball finds Wilson down the ball and a good tackle by the Southall defender wins the ball, despite claims for a penalty.
We then create the next attack, as a decent move by finds James Clark outside the box, but he chooses not to shoot, but slides the ball down to Reid, who clips the ball back from the byline, but again there is no Stoke player to get a touch on the ball, that flies out harmlessly for a throw-in on the left.
Stoke then win a corner down the left. The cross is met by Scott Armsworth, whose header is pushed away by the keeper to Sam Argent, who hooks a shot that the keeper makes a superb close-range save.
Sam Argent goes in the book for a challenge on a Southall player.
Southall have clearly had to push players forwards, and two attacks are defended, the first by Markus Johnson-Schuster, the second by Billy Upton.
There’s more possession by Southall in our final third and again Johnson-Schuster and George Reid hold them off.
We make our first change with D’Andre Brown replacing Sam Argent (71 mins).
It’s still Southall pushing forward and a through ball has a Southall forward breaking away, who then slides it to his right to another forward, who has one-on-one with Paul Strudley who makes a crucial save to keep us ahead.
We then break over the halfway line through Hodges who sends Wilson away clear, but the referee has pulled the playback as Hodges gets up-ended by a Southall defender.
We move into the final five minutes of normal time holding our slender one-goal lead, and we are able to defend two Southall corners, this includes their goalkeeper has an extra attacker.
We make our second change with Nathan Smart replacing George Reid with a minute to go.
The referee has stated that there’s five minutes of added-time, and we are still able to hold them out, as we make our final change with Marcio Neves replacing Bradley Wilson in the ninety-third minute.
Southall win a corner, and the cross is met by Paul Strudley who makes a superb catch.
We’re now into the sixth minute of added-time and the referee has seen enough, and blows the final whistle, and Stoke extend their winning streak to twelve games.
Full-time Score: Southall 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town
Cook 36 mins,
Match Thought’s
A very defensive based game, saw us grab the only goal on a poor pitch and we take the points. Ben Cook’s fourth goal of the season, and both he and James Clark worked hard all game in the middle. The defence stood up tall this evening after last Saturday’s first-half performance and Markus Johnson-Schuster never put a foot wrong tonight. Paul Hodges also proves yet again what a good signing he was by Dan Brownlie.
Up Next:
Following back-to-back away games, we head back to Winklebury this Saturday to host Leatherhead with a 3pm Kick-off.
Match Report by Martin French..
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