Basingstoke & District Saturday League Match Report

Division One
There was a full fixture list this week and I went to the Old Basing Recreation Ground to see the clash between two clubs who were in second position in the Division One table before the match and after an end to end game, Tadley Calleva A ran off 4-3 winner against DCUK, the winner coming with eight left from Michael Abbott. .The DC cause was not helped when they lost Jamie Ballantyne, sent off for descent in the 78th minute when they were 3-2 down. Ben Nicholls opened the scoring for DC in the 26th minute, he fooled his marker and scored with a low shot into the corner of the net. They remained ahead until the 55th minute when a very bad mistake by the keeper Daniel Burrows handed Tadley their equaliser. A hopeful cross shot near the corner flag by Simon Yelland landed at the near post and was flapped into the net by the keeper. In the 60th Kye Theodore, who was starved of chances in the Final the previous week, took a free kick twenty yards out and it flew past the helpless Burrows. Stuart Austen forced a fine save from keeper Greg Harper in the 65th and three minutes later following a back pass, he made it 2-2. In the 75th a shot from Gavin Sweeney was deflected in off Lorne Howard to put Tadley back in front, but despite going down to ten men after Ballantyne left the proceedings, Stuart Austen scored with an outstanding overhead kick some 45 yards out. Both teams went for the decider and it was Abbott who came up with the goods with another hot shot from well outside the box.
It is still Twentyten top of the table after beating bottom of the table Basingstoke Athletic 4-0. It was another hat trick for Joe Hill, his fourth of the season. Athletic put up some stiff resistance in the first half and came closest to scoring when Matt Dean hit the bar, but just before half time when Hill scored his first. A corner by Christian Cox came back out to him and his excellent cross was slammed home at the back post. Hill then made it 2-0 in the 55th. Joe Osborne with the cross from the left and a six yard finish. His third came shortly afterwards when James Arnold created the chance and the fourth was scored by Cox following a 30 yard run and 20 yard shot.
Hook remains in contention after a 4-2 win against Basingstoke Royals. It was a good first half for Royals who took the lead after ten minutes through Stephen Horton Dan Mouradian hit the bar for Hook, but they had to wait until the 55th minute to level and that was from a penalty after Adam Arthurs was brought down. Mouridian put away the spot kick. Dan Mellors put Hook in front from a James Neville assist and Mouradian scored his second following a good run and pass from Dan Framp. A shot from Jack McKee led to an own goal from Craig Atkinson and it was too late when Craig Barker netted a penalty for Royals. Any hope of the league title this season have long disappeared
Division Two
Winklebury Wizards pulled off one of the best performances of the season who beat Overton United B 4-2 and although their hopes of the title are slim, at least they still have a sniff at promotion with just league defeat. For Overton this was a big set back as it opens up a bigger gap on leaders Herriard Sports. Overton looked on course for another win when they took the lead on 37 minutes when Jacob Barlow struck home a 25 yard free kick. With 50 minutes gone they were two goals ahead, Wat Jones with a 35 yard lob. It was in the 60th when the Wizards come back started and they were to score their four goals in the next 13 minutes. Ryan Watts with a half volley after a cross from George Lagden. Scott Large made it 2-0 after good play by Alex Stephens and Stephens then netted a pass from Dan Costen for them to take the lead and the fourth came from Lagden after being set up by Large.
Herriard Sports had a very easy game against Origin, winning 8-0 and their lead at the top of the table is now extended to eleven points. It was their goal scoring duo Sam Cato and Chris Dobbie both scoring hat tricks and the other two netted by Matt Goodman. It took them eleven minutes to break down the Origin defence who were without a proper goal keeper. It was Dobbie with the opener, a header from a Chris Smith cross and his second game from an assist from Neil Minton. Cato came up with the third and fourth before the interval. Cato scored again in the 48th and Matt Goodman made it 6-0 with a 45 yard free kick. On the hour Dobbie completed his hat trick and the final goal in the 70th came from another curling 20 yard shot by Goodman.
Basingstoke Labour Club take over second spot after a 1-0 win against lowly placed Longdog Soldiers. The losers had a great chance to go in front on 27 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after a foul by Gavin Hartwell, for which he was booked. Sam Mosdell was entrusted with eh spot kick, but it was saved by keeper Adam Burridge. It was a fairly even contest with neither side able to score until in the 87th minute a horrendous mistake by the Soldiers keeper handed Labour the three points. A hopeful 50 yard punt by Marcin Wieczorek looked easy to clear, or even be picked up by the keeper, he opted to try and control with his feet and the ball ended up in the net.
Twentyten Reserves played AFC Berg and after a disappointing performance lost 4-1. At half time they were trailing 3-0 after Paul Crowe had given Berg the lead, a header following a Carlos Gonzales corner kick. This was after ten minutes and it was Crowe again, scoring his second in the 40th. Dan Hancock forced a fine save from the Berg keeper, but just before the break Richard McCoubrie added a third. Twentyten had a good spell after half time and in the 55th minute Hancock reduced the arrears when he finished off a cross from Danny Vallance and they continued this good spell when Franklin Spacagna hit a good chance over the bar. Berg finished the stronger team and added another, a good header by Dan Deadman from another Gonzales cross.
The other match in this division was between AFC Aldermaston A and Chineham. The match had to be abandoned after 62 minutes when Terry Collingridge fell heavily and looked to have a broken elbow and could not be moved. It turned out after a visit to A & E to be dislocated. The score at the time was 1-0 to Aldermaston A, the goal scored by Anthony Gray. The match is likely to be replayed.