Basingstoke & District League Match Reports from Saturday 14th October, By Peter Raynbird.

Peter Raynbird Cup

Two weeks ago, Winklebury Wizards travelled to King George V Playing Field to play the league leaders Hook in a league match and returned with a 13 -0 defeat. Anyone who went their last Saturday expecting another cricket score in this Peter Raynbird Cup second round match, when the two met again, would have been disappointed. It was a great performance by Harry Grainger’s side, who matched Hook for much of the game and eventually. Hook managed to get through into the next round, winning 2-1 with the winner coming four minutes from time. It was Wizards who took the lead in the second minute when a ball from Adam Barton had keeper Greg Archer and defender Sam Baker in trouble and Matt Dean poked the ball into the net. It was in the 27th minute when Hook equalised. A half clearance by the Wizards defence from a James Neville cross found the head of Aaron King and his flick header beat the keeper. Dan Goodyear hit the post with fine 20 yard shot as Wizards came back and they battled hard to reply and then inn the 86th minute came the Hook winner. Jon Noakes played through to Jack McKee, his pass caught Greg Adams flat footed and Tom Davies snapped up the chance.

The Division Two leaders Sherborne Saints were entertaining Basingstoke Colts in the First Round of the Peter Raynbird Cup and I went to the Charles Chute Ground to see this very one-sided game that ended with a 10-0 win for Saints. In the end there were hat tricks for both Alex Izzo and Matt Livingstone, but it took them 22 minutes to take the lead. Matt Kelly hit the bar and shot an easy chance wide before Izzo opened his account with a shot on the turn and in the 28th scored his second after the ball hit a defender and fell nicely for him. Centre back Sam Hylton was at the back post to head a free kick taken by Warren Hill and before the break Kelly lobbed the fourth. Benica Oprea always looked dangerous for Colts when he received the ball and besides hitting the post, also scorned a good scoring opportunity. The second half saw Sherborne having most of the ball and by the 60th minute Colts were 8-0 down, goals from Izzo, Livingstone and a 35 drive from Graham Dwyer beating keeper Reece Emery under the bar. Jimmy Sallows in the home goal had little to do, but did well to tip over a 25-yard shot from Bailey Craig and another good effort from Operea. The final goal for Saints was scored by Andy Darmody, a solo run and lob into an empty net.

Basingstoke B Cup.

Twentyten Reserves are through to the Quarter Finals of the Basingstoke B Cup with a 3-0 win against Longdog Soldiers, but they left it late to ensure they won through. They took the lead in the 20th minute when Dan Hancock ran onto a through ball from Adam Sawko and although Terry Dingly had a couple of chances Longdog could not produce the form of the Chineham match when they scored eight, but did well to hold it to 1-0 until the 80th minute. Adam Elesgood then came up with a couple of good assists. His first was a perfect cross for Frank Spacagna to score with fine header and then he sent through Hancock, who netted his second,

North Hants May Cup First Round.

With Division One Twentyten drawn against Division Two Origin Headley, there was always going to be plenty of goals and in the end a 9-1 win for Alan Spacagna’s team. Origin are having a manager problem at the moment, something their secretary Sara Douglas is hoping to solve and with several players also having left it was always going to be difficult. Twentyten went into a 4-0 lead, a brace apiece from Joe Hill and
Ryan Lupton and after Luke Sorrell pulled one back, Craig Atkinson made it 5-1. Atkinson went on to complete his hat trick and further goals came via James Arnold and Ben Osborne. Lucas Pickett stood out in the Twentyten midfield, while the Origin keeper Douglas Gray did well to keep the score down.


Division One

Things are not going well for Tadley Calleva A this season as they have now lost five of their six matches played so far. This week it was Bounty United who travelled to Barlow’s Park and inflicted a 5-4 defeat upon them, the winner coming three minutes from time from Henry Johnson, who ironically used to play for Tadley. Bounty took the lead through Matt Love, beating keeper Dan Nocella in a one on one following a through ball from Ashley Neal. Tadley had plenty of the ball and hit back to lead 2-1 at the break. Cameron Sweeney and Kye Theodore combined to lay on the equaliser for Jason Graham and then a superb pass from Theodore handed Graham his second. In the 50th Love set up the equaliser for Connor Stewart and then two quick goals from Love completed his hat trick to see Bounty 4-2 up. Substitute Peter White then headed home a Sweeney cross and Gary Hibbs put them right back in the game to level by the 74th. With three minutes left came the Bounty winner when the newly signed Henry Johnson beat Nocella with 25 yard shot into the top corner. Goff White, who was still in charge of Tadley this week, said, we missed plenty of chances and were punished for losing possession for some of the goals and we also had a strong shout for a penalty just before half time, turned down.

Division Two.

The clash between the top two clubs in Division Two between Somesay and AFC Berg ended in a 1-1 draw, with Berg retaining top spot on goal difference. Berg were missing four players suspended, due to the melee them took place in their recent match against Origin Headley and there could by more problems following another altercation at the end of this game, with both teams involved. It was a very tight first half with the closest from either side being a shot from Ashley Elward that hit the post. Jake Lear pulled off a couple o decent saves for Somesay before his team broke the deadlock in the 70th minute when a fine cross from Bradley McGuigan gave Joe Sandwell a tap in. Berg pressed, with Elward hitting the post again and then with five minutes left Kieran Allayne managed to scramble home the equaliser.