Basingstoke & District League Handbook
Basingstoke & District League Handbook
30/08/24
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The new season commenced with Rising Sun DC, one of the favourites to win the Premier Division title, held to a 4-4 draw away to Tadley Calleva A.
Tadley swept into a two goal lead with goals from Ashley Saunders and Simon Penfold, but the visitors replied to level when first Ben Nicholls, the former Welly Old Boys top scorer Lorne Howard with a 40 yard free kick made it 2-2. Kye Theodore regained the lead for Tadley by the break but an own goal in the 60th put Rising Sun on level terms again. Theodore scored again, but with five minutes left to play another former Welly player Jamie Ballantine came up to net the equalizer. The other Premier game was at Newfound where the much changed Welly Old Boys, now led by Graham Jenkins, were beaten 4-1 by Bramley United. United have signed the ex Skewers striker Sam Cato and by the 20th minute he had two past new keeper Gavin Alexander and Josh Harper had also scored for them as they led 3-0. Welly had ex Old Basing striker Andy Tottman and former Pure Spartan striker Russell Williams on view and they did manage to pull a goal back through Shane Third with a 40 yard free kick,. Debutant Cato was on top form and after hitting the bar in the 70th minute, he completed his hat trick with five minutes left
Division One. Promoted Hampshire Irons had a great start by beating Hook Reserves 6-1 and it was ex Pure Spartan hit man Chris Dobbie who took the eye with five of the six. His first after 12 minutes was a header from a Tom Chant cross. James Arnold then made it 2-0 and it became 3-0 by the break when Dobbie put away a Craig Hopper pass. Although keeper Rob Matthews saved plenty, in the 50th he could not hold a shot from Arnold and Dobbie followed up to net number four by the 53rd and his fifth came from another Chant pass. The lone Hook reply came from Jack McKee after being set up by Andy Parker. North Warnborough are back in the league with a very young side on view against Twentyten, now moved up from Division Two. They went a goal down when Joe Hill netted after good spade work by Jake Hannah. Brian Matthews in the Borough goal made some good saves but was beaten in the 47th with fine solo effort by Joe Osbourne who beat two and then Matthews. The third was scored by Jordon Wainwright following a fine cross from Carl Pearson. Overton United A got off to a good against promoted DJS Telecoms, winning 2-1. However the game ended in an unsavory faction with Dan Dedman of DJS sent off by Referee Bob Scotford who has also reported their manager Danny Stafford for alleged abusive language to him. It was DJS who took a 55th.minute lead through Carlos Gonzales with a deflected free kick. Ten minutes later John Sayers found John Gurney who cut in and after a good run found the back of the net to level and in then75th Siyanni Thomas put away a cross from Dan Manton to go ahead. It was in the 85th minute when the incident occurred that led to the send off. Terry Blackburn in the Overton goal was involved in a clash that led to Mark Howell being taken to hospital with a suspected broke arm. Dan Deadman became involved and is alleged to have struck Blackburn who was also booked. The manager Danny Stafford then had words with the referee and he too was shown the red card.
The surprise package in Division Two could be Basingstoke Athletic. During the summer they have signed former Welly Old Boys first teamers Ryan Evans, Matt Button and Dale Bristow with some more to follow; hence their 5-2 win against Sherborne Reserves. It was Sherborne with the better start when James Price gave them the lead and although Athletic leveled through Ryan Evans Ben Harman regained the lead by half time. Lee O Grady and Sam Paterson soon made it 3-2 and Evans came up with goals late in the game to complete his hat trick. The two newcomers Winklebury Wizards,from the Peter Houseman League and Basingstoke United, a new team, comprising of players who played in the Power League, met at Winklebury and Wizards managed by former Basingstoke Town centre back Tommy Clegg won 3-0. Robson Poreria gave them a tenth minute lead following a lay off by Liam Grainger. Ashley Pearce had an equalizer ruled out for offside and Britten headed just over the bar for United. After 30 minutes ex Overton United winger Scotty Winterbourne made it 2-0, beating keeper James Sallows following good play by Josh Dickens. Britten hit the post and Jay Butt forced a good save from in the Wizards goal, but Winterbourne came up with his second, again in a one on one with Sallows. It was a close affair at Preston Candover, formerly known as Bengal Brasserie, where Preston just managed the points with a 4-3 win. An injury to Gary Bone forced Aldermaston to bring on substitute Tony Johnson early and his goal in the 44th minute saw them go in ahead. Kevin Flain then put Aldermaston two up on the hour and things looked bad when Preston lost keeper with Ben Coe, ex Old Basing Rangers full back, taking over in the unfamiliar position. It was in the 65th.when Clayton Deacon pulled one back and soon after Kyle Buckland took a pass from Richard Spears to level. Aldermaston came back quickly for Jon Rooney to beat Coe, but back came Preston to level again with a Spears header. The decider came with seven minutes to go when Buckland nodded in a Tommy Black centre. Relegated Herriard Sports managed just four points all season in Division One, but has one already after drawing 2-2 against Labour Club. It was a free kick from Player/Manager A Craig Lewingdon that found Stuart Minton and his powerful 20 drive proved too much for the keeper. This was after 18 minutes and playing well they increased this in the 50th when Sam Weber was too quick for the Labour defenders and scored the second. In the 75th Labour were awarded a penalty when Matthew Kelly was fouled in the box and he struck home the spot kick past the helpless Sam White who had a good afternoon in the Herriard goal. He was however beaten following a corner kick put away by Mark Thorpe. The points were also shared between AFC Berg and Overton United B in a 2-2 draw. New Overton manager Les Hayes was when his side went into a two goal lead, when first Neil Ryan went on a solo run with a good finish and then Archie Fletcher followed up when his first effort which was blocked, to score their second. The Berg reply came in the 65th when Matt Goodman cut in, went past two men and buried the first and ten minutes later Spencer Kirby put Kieran Alleyne through to earn a draw. Hayes praised his full back Jimmy Wheeler for his contribution in picking up a point.