Basingstoke & District League Match Reports from Saturday 15th September, By Peter Raynbird.

Division One

With the other three clubs in Division One sharing the points with drawn matches, Silchester Village defeated AFC Berg 5-1 to top the table. It was Berg on attack from the off and they took the lead after just two minutes. Kieran Allayne sent over a good centre and Ashley Elward with the finish. Berg then went down to ten men after Paul Crow was sent off for bringing down Kye Theodore as he advanced clear on goal. In the 7th minute Theodore tried a shot from 25 yards out and keeper Torren Kirrage should have down better keeping it out. By the tenth minute Silchester were ahead when Jack Nisbett received a pass from Gary Hibbs and by the 21st minute Nisbett scored again to see his side leading 3-1 at the break. Berg held out until the 77th minute when Jason Graham beat Kirrage in a one on one and in added time Mark Howells gave away a penalty and Theodore made no mistake from the spot.

Hook and Twentyten had a 1-1 draw at King George V Playing Fields . It was good quality football from both sides with Twentyten shading the first half when they held a 1-0 lead. It was Rich Gary with the goal, when he put away a cross from Han Hancock. Michael Abbott, who has moved to Hook from Tadley Calleva, had a couple of long-range shots wide and Nial Day fired a good chance over he bar for them. It was in the 70th minute when Hook levelled the scores when the Twentyten defence was caught out from good play by Dan Mellors and Tom Lucas led to Dan Mauridian with his back to the goal beating keeper Darren Gary, who could only get a slight hand on the frieze shot. Gary is replacement between the sticks form Harry Long, who has won a two-year scholarship with a football academy in America. In the last the Hook keeper Greg Archer got back to clear a certain goal as Hancock squared the ball across the box, but no Twentyten forward could take advantage.

Herriard Sports are suffering with injury problems and could only raise ten men for their away game at Berrydown against Overton United A. To get a point after a 4-4 draw was a satisfactory result after going two goals down after Liam Randall after three minutes and Paul Etheridge in the 21st minute scored. Sam Weber, who started the game at centre back as they were short of defenders, moved up and made it 2-1 in the 38th and just before half time Matt Goodman equalised following a Chris Smith free kick. Despite their handicap Herriard moved ahead in the 65th when Weber scored again. Overton came back to level to 3-3 through Siyani Thomas, but again Herriard replied in the 80th with a Chris Dobbie lob. The three points looked in the bag until in the last-minute Michael Burry netted the equaliser.

It was a keenly fought local derby between Tadley Calleva A and Aldermaston Reserves that ended in a 2-2 draw. Sloppy play at the back allowed Aldermaston to take a 7th minute lead through ????????? and when they were awarded a penalty in the 12th taken by Alex ?????????, Tadley looked up against it. three youngsters, Ellis Theodore Vincent Tyson and Vincent Tyson, three youngsters impressing the Tadley manager Bradley Nash, were playing well a Tadley improved in the second half, with Man of the Match Charlie Neville very good in midfield. It was Fred Ball, who had to come on as substitute in the 60th minute who scored to get them back in the game and then in the 77th Simon Penfold after good play by Simon Yelland and Jack Jones came up with the equaliser. A good-looking shout for a penalty when Penfold was floored, was turned down, so Tadley had to be satisfied with a point.

Division Two

After three matches it is Overton United B who tops the Division Two table following their 5-3 win against Oakridge. Matt Morrison, the Oakridge manager felt his team did enough to get something out of the game and played some good football. They took the lead through Sam Trodd after his team were awarded a free kick inside the penalty area following a back pass handled by the keeper. Overton equalised from a penalty when Harry Major was brought down and goalkeeper ???? netted from the spot. Andy Toittman made it 2-1 from an assist by Sami Eldori and Paul Roffey played Tottman through for a 3-1 lead with a great 25-yard shot. Roffey made it 4-1 from a Tottman cross and it became 4-1 through Alex Spencer. Trodd had a penalty saved before Noah Pratchett netted the late third for Oakridge.

It was a 0-0 draw between Twentyten Reserves and Renegades. Both defences were sound throughout with a shot on goal a rare event. The closest for Twentyten came early on when Matt Osborne put Joe Richards through on goal and his effort was cleared off the line. Ian Pickett was in the Twentyten goal this week and pulled off a fine save, but they should have won the game when awarded a penalty, but the spot kick from Austin Feighery was saved by the keeper.

It was also a goalless draw at Chineham where North Warnborough visited. It was Borough having 80% of the play, said Manager Trevor Craig. His son Bailey Craig and Liam Coppi forced good saves as they pressed but their main striker Banica Oprea was off form this week and failed to find the target. Even when he was brought down in the box and won a penalty, he took the kick and hit it straight at the keeper.
Another great chance for the points came near the end when Liam Cook broke clear and was unable to beat the keeper in a one on one. .

AFC Aldermaston A, who had to cancel their opening game of the season, got off this week with a 5-4 win against AFC Berg Reserves. They swept into a three-goal lead when first Tommy James volleyed home, then a glancing header from Vinny Kennedy and a free kick taken by James. A solo effort by Karl Holborough pulled it back to 3-1 and right-on half-time Mark Bone with an assist from Dan Trussier scored their second. In the 60th a James Brown lob made it 3-3 In the 75th minute a free kick was taken by Bone for Jayce Torrie to regain the Aldermaston lead, but again Berg came back to level with a header by Steve D’eath. The decided came eight minutes from time, Jon Lavender scoring with a cracker from 25 yards with a left footed volley.