Basingstoke & District Saturday League Match Reports

It is Twentyten who leap to the top of Division One for the first time after making it five straight league wins when beating Bounty United 5-1. I was at Castle Fields to see this encounter, quite easy after Joe Hill had given them a tenth minute goal with a 25 yard shot that proved too good for keeper Martin James. Hill made it 2-0 from the penalty kick after he had been pushed over by George Lungley in the 32nd and still on top in the second half James Arnold hit the bar before Hill completed his hat trick by the 50th. On the hour Jake Tanner made it 4-0, a side footed easy chance after a perfect cross from Joe Osborne. A brief comeback from Bounty saw Craig Williamson force a diving save from Harry Nash and then substitute Lawrence Benze scored their lone goal with a low cross shot. In the last few minutes Jack Clarke put away another cross from Osborne to compete the scoring.

It looks to be a very competitive division with five of the nine clubs all contesting and none slipping last Saturday. Hook found Basingstoke United no problem and won 4-0 against them at home. United contested the game until the 29th minute and then Tom Davies was brought down in the box and then put away the spot kick. In the 66th James Westwood took a pass from James Neville to make it 2-0 and Westwood added another when Dan Mellors and Charlie Page combined to give him the opportunity. With four minutes left to play Page sent through for Dan Mouradian to score with a neat shot on the turn.

AFC Aldermaston Reserves were on the end of a very heavy defeat at Bramley against Basingstoke Royals, who came off 8-1 winners. Royals signed the former Hartley Wintney and more recently, Cove manager Ben Dillon and he proved to have none of this eye for goals when playing up front, as he scored four of the eight. It took him fifteen minutes to open his account and after Stuart Urquhart made it 2-0 by the 20th Aldermaston replied when Peter Waring netted a pass from Kieran Hilton. Dillon scored his second before the break for a 3-1 lead and completed his hat trick early in the second half. Ama Bhuller netted number five and Urquhart headed his second from a Stephen Price corner kick. Dillon then scored his fourth and a rasping shot from Price completed the rout.

Tadley Calleva A looks still well in with a shout with just one defeat. Their latest win was 4-1 against Basingstoke Athletic away. A poor punch out by the Tadley keeper Dave Hicks gave James Lowton the opportunity to pick it up and round him for the Athletic lead in the 20th minute, A fine save by the new Athletic keeper James Kelly stopped Kye Theodore equalizing and it was Peter White, having his first game of the season after injury, who made it 1—1, a header from a Dan Walkley long throw. Theodore then gave them the lead in the 55h and it became 3-1 following a solo run and good finish by Charlie Saunders. Five minutes from time after some pressure by Liam Belcher, Theodore scored his second.

Division Two

As they go into November with a 100% record and top of the Division Two table, Herriard Sports now face a month of cup matches. Their latest league win was against bottom of the table Origin, but although they finished 4-0 winners it was no easy push over with Dave Hawkins side giving their best performance of the season and only early saves from their keeper Dave Purt stopped them leading. It was inevitable Herriard would take the lead and in the 18th Sam Cato’s low shot from a Craig Lewington cross saw them in front, another from Cato, this time Stuart Minton with the assist. Origin held out and a created a couple more chance, but in the 68th minute Cato completed his hat trick from a Chris Smith pass. In the last minute came the fourth, Smith again with the pass and Matt Goodman with the finish. .

Basingstoke Labour Club remains just two points adrift from the leaders after a 4-0 win against Longdog Soldiers, who again have their keeper Jake Barnes to thank for keeping the score down to just four. Jake Pratchett also impressed in midfield and in the end they were happy to keep it down to just four goals. The only goal in the first half came in the 20th minute when Martin Wieczorek had a simple tap in following a Wayne Barlow free kick. A penalty kick was converted by Matt Kelly to make it 2-0 in the 55th and after Barlow scored their third, Kelly netted his second after Barlow had headed against the crossbar.

Chineham, following their 6-0 cup win the previous week, could not repeat against Twentyten Reserves who gained maximum points with a narrow 2-1 win, the decider from Player/Manager Graham Jenkins three minutes from time. In a nervy first half, Fin Thompson and Eugenio Carrasco tested the 16 year old Twentyten keeper Sam Morgan, but it remained goal less until the 62nd minute when Dan Hancock beat the Chineham keeper Nick Tucker, recently transferred from AFC Berg. The long ball over the top from Dan Mellish was picked up by Hancock who made no mistake with his finish. In the 69th Chineham drew level when Thompson beat two men and played through for Luke Russell to net. With five minutes left Carrasco forced a fine save from Morgan, but two minutes later Jenkins, who had came on as substitute, headed home with winner from a Franklin Spacagna centre...

Overton United B and AFC Berg fought out a well contested 3-3 draw at Berrydown, with the equalizer coming in added time. The newly signed Lee Neal gave Berg the lead, but goals from Jamie Smith and Wat Jones had Overton 2-1 up at the interval. A 35 yard free kick from Smith gave United a two goal advantage, but they conceded a penalty for a foul on Ben Clarke and Carlos Gonzalez put away the spot kick. Scotty Winterborne had a great chance to wrap it up for Overton when put through by Ben Wooton but blazed over the bar and they paid for this miss when at the death Kieran Alleyne broke a away to score the equalizer.