Basingstoke & District Saturday League Match Reports

The top game in Division One was at Bramley where Basingstoke Royals are playing this season. They faced Tadley Calleva A and a great fight back by the visitors saw them come back from trailing 4-1 to snatch at point from a 4-4 draw. A back pass from Lee Calcott in the 15th minute, took a bobble and beat keeper Dave Hicks for an own goal Royals lead. In the 25th a corner by Rob Kelly was headed home by Stephen Aldridge to level, but an indirect free kick in the box led to Steve Price regaining the Royals lead. This was in the 32nd and then before the break Steven Horton headed home a corner from Dan Grimes for a 3-1 lead. It became 4-1 in the 49th with the goal of the game when Horton headed home a corner from James Grove. Within two minutes Tadley scored their second, a cross from Allison and Michael Abbott heading home. Three changes put more pressure on the Royals defence and in the 72nd Jack Nesbit found Kyle Theodore and his volley proved too good for the keeper. The late equalizer also came from Theodore, who riffled in another to earn a point.

The only other Division One match was at Aldermaston where title challengers D.C.U.K. played AFC Aldermaston Reserves and they came away with a 4-1 win to take them one point behind leaders Basingstoke United. In the 8th minute a through ball from Jonnie Irvine found Ben Nicholls and he ran through give DC the lead. In the 11th Nicholls was on the end of a Stuart Austen cross to lead 2-0 and before half rime a long clearance from keeper Darren Collins led to Harry Rudd adding a third. Chris Allan had a good looking free kick ruled offside for the hosts, but they did manage to pull a goal back through Dan Alliston. DC made it 4-1 when Nicholls was fouled in the box and put away the spot kick for his hat trick. Aldermaston had Kieran Hylton sent off for two yellows, both for dissent, but good news for them was the return of their keeper Matt Desay who has been out for six month following a knee operation, he came on for the second half and was only beaten by the penalty kick and even managed to get a hand to that.

Division Two

Basingstoke Labour Club moves to the top of Division Two on goal difference. Dan Poulter’s team followed up their 9-4 win against AFC Aldermaston A the previous week when Jack Barlow scored four times in the 11-1 rout of Chineham. This week at the Everest School, they swept into a four lead by the 30th minute. Two came from Ibrahian Waheed with singles for Barlow and Matt Kelly. Chineham made it 4-1 in the 34th through Tommy Collingridge from a Elliot Forse assist and held out until the 50th minute and then up came centre back Gavin Harkness . Harkness scored a second later in the game when Taylor Douglas (2), Grant Smart and Kelly completing his hat trick.

Herriard Sports have had it easy so far this season, scoring 33 goals in their three matches, but his week it was different and they only just managed to beat Overton United B 2-1 at home. It was all Overton in the first half and they took a deserved lead in the 25th minute when Scotty Winterbourne put away a pass from Richard Budd. Herriard stepped up a gear in the second half and drew level in the 53rd minute. Sam Weber with a 40 yard cross and a half volley from substitute Matt Goodman. The Overton keeper

Gavin Alexander pulled off some good saves, one in particular, point blank from Sam Cato. It was however Goodman who came up with the winner. Excellent play by Chris Smith and Adam Nelson ended with Goodman lobbing home his second from 35 yards.

I went to Stratton Park to watch the two matches there. On pitch One AFC Berg played Longdog Soldiers, the match ending in a 2-2 draw and Soldiers manager Matt Morrison was pleased with their performance, but disappointed to concede after leading 2-1. It was Berg who took the lead through Joe Hodge, but Soldiers improved as the half progressed and equalized in the 42nd minute when Sam Mosdell netted from a Sam Trodd touch on.

A great tip over the bar from keeper Jake Barnes stopped Hodge regaining the lead and then in the 62nd minute a cross from Mosdell led to Gavin Curry turning the ball into his own net. The decider came in the 68th minute, Danny Deadman managing to slip the ball home in the packed six yard box.

Origin entertained AFC Aldermaston A on the other pitch and it ended in a very comfortable 6-1 win for the visitors. The Origin manager Dave Hawkins had to play in goal again and he was beaten twice in the opening 20 minutes. The first from a penalty after Kennedy was fouled by Joe Baston and put away by Alex Goodall and Jordon Deeper, beating Hawkins in a one on one. Origin did well to hold out until Kevin Flain came on as substitute and the Origin defenders had trouble holding him. It was Flain making it 3-0 in the 60th after a square ball from Tomas Yates and although Hawkins pulled off two fine saves from Vincent Kennedy he was beaten when Goodall made it 4-0 . Origin pulled a goal back when Mark Bone scored following a Luke Mitchell corner, in the closing stages Aldermaston were right on top and Flain scored his second from a Kennedy assist and Goodall completed his hat trick when put through by Taylor Mullett.

Dave Hawkins is looking for goalkeeper with regular McKenzie Collins out of action with cracked ribs. If anyone is interested they should rin him on 07393176083..

Challengers Winklebury Wizards traveled to Preston Candover to meet Twentyten Reserves and just managed to secure maximum points with a 3-2 win. The Twentyten manager Graham Jenkins had to referee the game as no official was available. His team did have early chances, but it was Wizards taking the lead in the 20th when Jack Arthur headed home a corner from Liam Grainger. Arthur headed his second in the 33rd with Grainger again, this time from a free kick. Franklin Spacagna replied for Twentyten with 30 yard free kick, but just before half time George Lagden took a 30 yard pot shot that proved too good for the keeper. Twenty had plenty of chances mainly through Hancocks, but failed to find the net and was Nick Saunders who came up with their second with ten minutes left. Jenkins felt his side deserved a point.