Basingstoke & District League Match Reports from Saturday 6th January, By Peter Raynbird.

There were just three matches played as the wet weather again affecting the Basingstoke Saturday Fixture programme. All matches due to be played on Council pitches were called off as early as Thursday and the Hampshire Junior A Cup tie Herriard Sports were due to play away to Sandhurst, was also one of them and that is back on again for this Saturday.
Twentyten managed to get their Hampshire A Cup tie against visiting Bournemouth Manor at Preston Candover and are through after winning 6-1. They will now meet the winners of the Tadley Calleva A and Athletico Romsey away in the Quarter Finals next month. They swept into the lead after ten minutes when Joe Osborne on the right, cut the ball back for Jake Tanner to net and two minutes later it was 2-0 when Ryan Lupton reacted to a mix up in the six-yard box. In the 30th they scored the third after a run and cross from Lucas Pickett led to James Arnold scoring. Osborne was fouled in the box, but the penalty taken by Joe Hill was well saved by the visitor’s keeper, however before half time Osborne beat two men and made it 4-0. The Bournemouth side did stage some attacks and pulled a goal back before in the 55th minute Lupton headed home a Christian Cox corner and Lupton almost scored again when his shot hit the bar from a Pickett pass. His hat trick did come in the 70th following a short corner by Mikey Davies and he could have scored his fourth when a blocked shot by Tanner fell to him. Rich Gary was unable to play due to his wife Emma in labour and at 4.30 p.m. their son Archie was born. Ryan would like his hat trick to be dedicated to him to celebrate the occasion.
AFC Berg travelled to the Isle of Wight to play Venter Reserves in the Semi Final of the Hampshire B Cup and retuned beaten 7-2. The pitch was very boggy and in fact was the only game played on the Island on Saturday. Berg had quite a good first half and took the lead after just four minutes through Kieran Alleyne following a comer taken by Carlos Gonzales. Ventnor equalised in the ninth, but Berg restored their lead when Gonzales scored from a penalty after he had been fouled in the box. Ventnor equalised again in the 25th, but it was Berg with the chances and Ash Elward forced a fine save and Lee Neal hit the post, but it remained 2-2 at the break. In the 49th minute the home side took a 3-2 lead and increased this in the 55th minute and after this Berg were not at he races, and the home side dominated.
The one league game was at Berrydown where Overton United A defeated Bounty United 1-0 to go second in the Division One table. Matt Love for Bounty was very despondent after this narrow defeat and said we were at full strength for the first time this season and had plenty of chances, particularly in the first half and certainly deserved something from the game. Craig Williamson for Bounty put Jordon Willis though only for him to shoot over the bar and Williamson was right through and one on one with keeper Gavin Alexander who pulled off a fine save and Love had an on-target effort deflected over the bar. In the second half before Overton took the lead, only a fine save from Alexander from 30 yards shot by Connor Stewart stopped the visitors leading, but in the 60th came the decider. Nino Franco curled a good ball into the box, it caused big problems to deal with and eventually Andy Barfoot slipped it into the net. Ben Wootton almost made it 2-0 two minutes later with a header and although Bounty did come again with two efforts from Ashley Neal comfortably saved by Alexander, no equaliser for them.