Basingstoke & District League Match Reports from Saturday 21st October, By Peter Raynbird.

North Hants May Cup
It was the North Hants May Cup matches that took priority at the weekend in which all clubs in the area takes part, including the Andover League clubs, with the winners obviously going into Round Two and the losers then placed in the North Hants Junior Cup. It was an Andover club who won the trophy last season when Broughton won the trophy after beating Twentyten on penalties in the final at Whitchurch and the Andover club commenced this season’s campaign with a 6-1 win against Bounty United. Without their regular keeper Bounty were under the cosh and conceded all six goals in the first half. There was an improvement after the break, but their only response was a goal from Jordon Willis in the 65th minute, a delightful strike some 20 yards out into the top corner.

Hook were the visitors to Swifts and returned with a 3-0 win. It was a ball from Dan Mellors to Dan Maurdian who then put Andy Parker through for the opener in the tenth minute and in the very windy conditions that had to wait until the 46th for the second. Mellors again involved, this time it was Mauridian who picked up the through ball and finished well. New Street did much better in the second half when the Hook defence held firm and then in added time a Mellors free kick was parried by their keeper, the follow up shot from Mauridian was blocked but fell to James Westwood who slammed the rebound into the net for the third.

Herriard Sports saw off visitors CK Andover although they fielded nine men throughout. They had a problem getting a team due to work commitments and then two failed to appear. The opposition were not that good and Herriard took a two-goal lead by the 22nd minute, both scored by Nick Saunders, the first a 50-yard lob and then he took a good pass from Ben Haskins. In the 32nd Saunders completed his straight hat trick following a pass from Sam Weber. A scissors kick from John Mumford in the 48th minute put CK back in the game and with the wind advantage they drew level with goals from Elliott Field and Ben Lock. There was eight minutes left when Weber went past three men and regained the lead and a header from Player/Manager Craig Lewington from a Weber cross and a late sixth from Adam Francis from a Saunders assist saw Herriard easy winners in the end.

AFC Berg took on Division One opponents Winklebury Wizards and won 4-0. A long ball from keeper Torrin Kerridge was chased by Carlos Gonzales who rounded keeper Aiden Parker for the opening goal in the 17th minute. Kieran Alleyne put Ashley Elward through for a two-goal lead. In the 44th minute Wizards went down to ten men when Alex Caine was sent off for handball on the line from the Lee Neal shot. Two penalties were then hit wide by Gonzales. and for Wizards Liam Grainger also missed a spot kick, his effort clipping the post in the 50th minute. Two goals from Lee Neal in the last ten minutes sealed the match for Berg.

Tadley Calleva A saw off CK Andover U21 with an 8-1 win at Barlow’s Park, with Kye Theodore back among the goals scoring two in each half. It was in fact the young Andover side who took the lead in the 2nd minute. In the 7th Cameron Sweeney found Gary Hibbs with s good cross and they were level but the two for Theodore and Sweeney with the fourth saw Tadley 4-1 up at half time. Theodore soon completed his hat trick and Luke Allison added another, but the goal of the match was the eighth when Stephen (Stumpy) Burgess went on a solo run past four players and finally the keeper.

Another Division One side fell to Division Two opposition when Somesay travelled to Berrydown to play Overton United A and came away with a 2-0 win. It was a goal less first half and then both teams went down to ten men when Armond Ince (Overton) and Cullum Greenley (Somesay) were sent off for fighting each other. It was Sam Lovelock who broke the deadlock in the 65th minute when he intercepted a poor back pass from Ben Wootton. Kyle Buckland hit the bar for Overton and when the visitors went down to nine men when Connor Stratton received a straight red, they pressed strongly. They were unable to level and were again caught on the break when Joe Hodge chased a long ball from Harry Knapp and ensured their place in the second round.

Longdog Soldiers had a good first half against Division One AFC Aldermaston Reserves having much the better of play and taking the lead in the 30th minute. The goal came from a penalty, taken by Terry Dingley, although keeper Matt Desay did get a hand to it and onto the post. Steve Lewis equalised in the 50th minute, heading home a Chris Allen free kick and five minutes later Reese Barrett headed them in front from Luke Jones corner. Carl Allen converted a penalty in the 60th after he had been fouled and Luke Jones made it 4-1 in the 75th. Chris Allen added another after taking a pass from his brother Carl. Longdog kept battling and were awarded a penalty with five to go, but this time Desay pulled off a good save from the spot kick.

Basingstoke Athletic won through after beating AFC Aldermaston A 2-1, although in the first half neither side could find the net, Aldermaston had their chances with Tom Channon hitting a great opportunity over the bar and when awarded a penalty Liam Belcher saw it well saved. It was Aldermaston taking the lead in the 60th when they had another penalty given and this time Vinny Kennedy made no mistake. As Athletic pressed both Ryan Watts and Paul Taylor missed chances before in the 70th Marco Howard equalised from a
free kick and the decider five minutes later, a well struck penalty kick taken by Kieran Challis.

It was a close affair between Chineham and Twentyten Reserves, with Twentyten going through, winning 4-3, the winner three minutes from time from Dan Hancock and so completing his hat trick. By the tenth minute it was 2-2. Tom Rogers for Chineham the first and they then went 2-0 up when Finlay Thomson netted a Rogers corner kick. Hancock put away a penalty and then. levelled the scores from a Jack Hulbert assist. Hulbert then put his team in front from the pass from Franklin Spacagna in the 30th, but in the 42nd Ricky Smith put away a pass from Paddy Callahan to make it 3-3. With three minutes left came the winner. A shot from Spacagna was spilled by the keeper and Hancock snapped up the rebound,

On the down side Basingstoke Town Colts bowed out after losing 10-2 to Andover League club Kingsclere.Manager Trevor Craig felt the big score line the home side and had a good first half only trailing 2-1 at the Fieldgate Centre. They took the lead after ten minutes when Benica Oprea raced through to an over the top ball from Oliver Owen and then Owen missed a sitter that would have levelled. In the second half Owen missed another golden opportunity before the youngsters became overwhelmed as Kingsclere brought on fresh legs.