Match Report: South Park 0-1 Basingstoke Town

Isthmian South Central Division – Saturday 26th November 2022
South Park 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town Attendance 166
Where: Whitehall Lane, Reigate, Surrey. RH1 8LG
Stoke too strong for South Park and strengthen fourth place in table via Bradley Wilson’s goal
Dan Brownlie’s line-up for today: 1. Mark Scott, 2. Ben Mason, 3. Callum Winchcombe, 4. Michael Atkinson, Lewis, 5. Nathan Smart, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Simon Dunn (Capt), 9. James Clark, 10. Ben Cook, 11. Sam Argent
On the bench: Louis Wilson, E. Abrehart, Noah Chengun & Aiden Lewis
Referee – W Briers

With a number of key players are either out injured or missing, the game kicked off with us attacking the covered seating area, and we attack down the left through Bradley Wilson, but South Park are able to clear, and break down our right, and a cross, come shot is knocked out for a corner on the left-hand side. The cross is headed towards goal, where we clear it off the goal-line and out for a throw-in.

Then in the sixth minute we attack again through Wilson, who finds Ben Cook, but his shot is well blocked from six yards out, and South Park clear.

Very little to note until the 14th minute, when South Park break down our right and the cross is met by a forward who clips it over the bar from close range.

A minute later we win a corner down the left, which is taken short by James Clark to Michael Atkinson, back to Clark, who hits a thunderbolt shot that is met by a full-length dive by the keeper as he pushes it out for a corner on the right. Nothing results from the corner.

Sam Argent forces a good save out of the keeper from the edge of the box (22 mins).
Very little goalmouth over the next ten minutes, which includes Simon Dunn going in the book (29 mins).

Then in the 35th minute, Callum Winchcombe finds Argent whose shot is again blocked five yards out from goal. A minute later Wilson sets-up Argent whose shot although well-hit flies just over the bar.
We are still the team pushing forwards, but South Park are able to keep us out.
The referee plays just a minute of added time before blowing for halftime.

Halftime – South Park 0 v 0 Basingstoke Town
With still a number of Stoke fans in South Park’s clubhouse, the game gets back underway and a long clearance by Stoke is met by the South park No.3 who intentionally looks at his keeper then volleys the ball back to his keeper, who comes out and picks the ball up inside his penalty area. Calls for a back pass are then met by cheers, as the referee correctly blows for a free-kick. The indirect free-kick about 10 yards is side-footed from Clark to Wilson who blasts a low shot that beats the wall and the keeper on the line into the net. GOAL ! South Park 0 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Bradley Wilson 47 mins)

The South Park No.6 goes in the book for continuously complaining as the game restarts, followed by Callum Winchcombe who goes in the book for a heavy tackle. The South Park player has to be replaced as he hobbles off the pitch.

Stoke continue to push forward and from a Stoke corner again taking short, a cross from Michael Atkinson is met by Argent whose headed connection flies over the bar and over the small fence into the grass behind. South Park appear to have literally run out of balls, and finally the game is restarted, and Callum Winchcombe wins a tackle on the halfway line, then wins another 50/50 tackle and then three yards further wins yet another tackle, then slides the ball down to Wilson who cuts inside the penalty area then hits a shot past the keeper and the ball rebounds off the bottom of the far post along the length of the goal-line and a defender puts it out for another corner. Another short-corner finds South Park unaware yet again, and Atkinson thunders a shot that takes a deflection out for another corner. Nothing comes from this corner.

The referee then spends thirty seconds talking to Stoke’s Manager Dan Brownlie.
Stoke continue to push forward and win further corners, which South Park defend, then on 70 minutes Simon Dunn thunders a shot against the bar from ten yards out.

South Park have a minute of play in our half, but our defence deal with it comfortably.

Nathan Smart then goes in the book on 76 mins for a tackle on a South Park player.
We make our first change as Noah Shengun replaces Michael Atkinson (77 mins).

South Park have some more possession in and around penalty area, but we are able to clear.

Then on 82 mins we win a free-kick 30 yards out on the left, which Clark sends over and Billy Upton flick the ball on to Argent who slides and makes a connection from two yards out, that somehow flies over the bar and out the ground once again.

South Park’s old ball boy now has three ball in his arms, which is then added to after Wilson hits a shot out the ground from 23 yards out.

We are now in the last couple of minutes of normal time and Stoke are holding South Park in their own half.

The referee has confirmed there will be five minutes of added-time, as we continue to pin them as Chengun & Argent chase down their defenders each time.

A cross on the 93rd minute is met by Mark Scott and the game is stopped for Scott to receive treatment.

The game restarts and we play out the final two minutes of time and the referee blows the final whistle as we win a corner.

Full-time Score: South Park 0 v 1 Basingstoke Town
                                                           Wilson 47 mins,

Match Thought’s
Another well-deserved win on the road, where the difference between the two sides was more than the single goal by Bradley Wilson. Good to see the return of Ben Cook, who was involved in a lot of our attacking plays, whilst the defence looked solid for most of the game, with Callum Winchcombe a standout with his determined tackling. Bradley Wilson now heads the league goal-scoring chart.

Up Next:
We are back home at Winklebury next Saturday to face Guernsey with an early 2pm kick-off.

Match Report by Martin French..