Basingstoke & District Saturday League Match Reports

North Hants May Cup Second Round.
Four Basingstoke League clubs go through to the next stage of the North Hants May Cup, but five made their exit. Hook who are the current holders and seven times winners of the trophy, had a comfortable 6-2 win Over Wallop away. It was the Andover side who knocked out one of the favourites Basingstoke Royals in the last round by winning 3-2 and they took the lead in the fifteenth minute when a corner kick was not dealt with.. Dan Mellors soon equalized and long shot by Andy Parker saw them go in at the break 2-1 ahead. Tom Davies followed up a parried shot to make it 3-1 and a corner taken by Dave White was headed home by Kieran Farmer. Mellors then scored his second and Farmer headed another to give them a 6-1 advantage. In the late stages a hand ball decision in the box against Sam Barker was put away for a consolation second for the home side.

It was a bad day for Tadley Calleva A who went home well beaten by Twentyten 3-0 at Preston Candover. Although the first half was goal less, Christian Cox hit the post from 30 yards out and Jake Tanner the bar with a hot shot as Twentyten dominated. Although not at full strength Tadley improved after the break and forced two good saves from 17 years old keeper Harry Nash. Two quick goals saw Tadley trailing by the 60th minute. A square ball pass from Joe Hill led to Joe Osbourne scoring in the 50th and then a clearance fell to Tanner who buried the chance from 20 yards. Another save from Nash from a Kye Theodore header kept their two goal advantage and their third came when Cox went on a good run, played through to Osborne who netted his second.

Herriard Sports are through, beating Longdog Soldiers 7-2. This looks like a walkover on form, but for the opening half hour underdogs Longdog on looked on top after taking a second minute lead. Jake Pratchett was the scorer following a pass from Max Trodd. The Herriard defence kept them out until the 35th minute and then came the first of three goals in three minutes. Chris Dobbie with the first from a Sam Cato pass and then Cato scored twice. A dazzling run and finish by Sam Weber made it 4-1 by the 41st. Longdog came at them again and pulled a goal back in the 59th through Trodd. In the 62nd Cato completed his at straight hat trick from a Simon Jane cross and added another, this time from a Karl Buttle assist. With five to go Weber waltzed through the Longdog defence to score his second

Basingstoke Athletic found the opposition easier than in Division One and won easily 5-0 against Chineham. Ryan Evans had given Athletic a 3rd minute lead, but in the 14th. Damian Carnasco scooped a chance over the bar for Chineham After this the Chineham defence kept their shape and held out until th 43rd minute when Evans scored his second. A curling shot by Evans in the 50th minute completed his hat trick and this was soon followed by nice goal by Nathan Read. The final goal came in the 90th minute, an own goal.

It was bad day for the other three Basingstoke clubs in this competition. Bounty United were outplayed by Andover League club Kingsclere, going down 7-0 at Castle Fields.

Origin crashed out, beaten 7-0 by Broughton and Overton United B made their exit after losing a penalty shootout against Sutton Scotney 3-1 after a 3-3 draw after 90 minutes.

North Hants Junior Cup First Round
Two of the North Hants Junior First Round matches were not played’ Basingstoke United, through lack of players, had to cancel against AFC Aldermaston Reserves, who will now receive a walkover and also the Aldermaston A team were also out of action as they could not raise a team to play SparTen Vets.

In the one match played there was a real upset as AFC Berg knocked out Basingstoke Labour Club after a penalty shootout. The score after 90 minutes was a 4-4 draw, but with no extra time in this competition they went straight into penalties and Berg won 3-2.

Labour looked shaken when Berg took a third minute lead and were three goals ahead after just fifteen minutes play. Joe Hodge gave Berg the lead after just two minutes and this was followed by another, this time Mason Saunders following a good run. Richard McCoubrie has recently joined Berg and his long throw fell to Dan Deadman who put them 3-0 ahead. Labour came back strongly and by the break they were on level terms, goals from Aaron Johns, Mark Thorpe and Mark West. McCoubrie then edged Berg 4-3 in front, but on 90 minutes Johns went on a solo run past three men to level. In the shootout, Johns and Thorpe converted for Labour and for Berg, Hodge, Saunders and Carlos Gonzalez, the winner.

Basingstoke League Division One
The big game in Division One ended with Basingstoke Royals taking all three points after a 3-2 win against D.C.U.K. the winner coming with ten minutes to play from a Craig Barker volley. Royals led after 20 minutes when a free kick taken by Craig Atkinson was headed home by Brendon Vickery. In the 30th a pass from Ama Bhuller led to Stephen Price finding the bottom corner for two goal lead. DC had the better of play and Ash Elward pulled a goal back in the 65th and they drew level with a 30 yard shot from Harry Rudge, but the late strike from Barker proved enough.

Division Two
Winklebury Wizards dropped two vital points in their bid for the Division Two title, when only drawing 1-1 with lowly placed Twentyten Reserves. Player manager Graham Jenkins, although please with the point, was disappointed they did not get more from the game. Jenkins played himself this week and in a goalless firtst half put two chances over the bar. Although Wizards had more of the play, with Jack Arthur, Jack Mellish and Alex Stevens all having good chances, but failing to beat keeper Sam Morgan, they fell behind in th 60th minute when Jenkins found Dan Hancock and his shot from 20 yards beat the keeper. There was just three minutes left when Wizards came up with the goal to preserve their unbeaten record. It was George Lagden with the spade work and Dan Goodyear with the finish.