Match Report: AFC Totton 2 - 2 Basingstoke Town
Dec 27, 2023 8:59:30 GMT
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Post by martinfrench on Dec 27, 2023 8:59:30 GMT
Southern League Premier South Division – Saturday 26th December 2023
AFC Totton 2 v 2 Basingstoke Town Attendance – 1,164
Where: The Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton. SO40 2RW
Dan Brownlie’s Boxing Day line-up was : 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster (Capt), 3. Massimo Giamattei, 4. Anthony Cheshire, 5. Scott Armsworth, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Mal Nichols, 9. Stefan Brown, 10. D’Andre Brown, 11. George Reid
On the bench: Callum Winchcombe, Dan Rowe, James Clark & Mark Scott
Referee – Jordan McRitchie
Basingstoke travelled down to fifth-placed AFC Totton, for this Bank Holiday game as clear underdogs, with a need to turn the recent run of results, however it was the fast passing Totton’s back four that set-up numerous breaks down both flanks in the first twenty minutes, which produced three good saves by Paul Strudley in goal, some last ditch blocks and fortunately some poor finishing by Totton forwards.
Stoke were struggling to get a foothold in the game, but in the twenty-third minute, we should have been awarded a penalty after a cross into the heart of Totton’s penalty area, saw Billy Upton get clearly shoved in the back. The referee’s only possible excuse for not giving a penalty, was that Upton never threw himself to the ground.
The game continued with further attacks by the homeside, but good defensive blocks by Upton and Markus Johnson-Schuster, kept Totton from opening the score.
Then on thirty-minutes, another Stoke free-kick saw Upton win the header, which bounced to Stefan Brown, who made a slight contact from an overhead kick that saw the Totton keeper push the ball away before a Stoke player could pounce on the loose ball.
Stoke’s stout defence was however breached on the thirty-eighth minute, when another attack down, the right, saw the ball fall to a Totton forward, who smashed a shot that although Strudley got a hand to, he was unable to prevent it from crossing the line. AFC Totton 1-0 Basingstoke
Although Stoke were winning a little more possession in Totton’s half, a further Totton attack saw them miss a golden chance to double their lead from close range.
Now in added-time in the first-half, George Reid appears to have picked up an injury as the referee blows for halftime.
Halftime Score: AFC Totton 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town
Reid has received treatment and is out for the second-half which gets underway, and immediately Totton push forward, but a strong tackle by Anthony Cheshire, puts an end to that attack. However, two minutes, a Totton forward picks up a loose ball in our half, and three neat passes later the ball is in our penalty area, and a challenge in the back by Johnson-Schuster, sees the referee award a penalty to the homeside. Their leading goal-scorer Scott Rendell steps up and sends Strudley the wrong way and we trail by two. AFC Totton 2-0 Basingstoke
In an effort to change things up, we make a double substitution, with Stefan Brown replaced by Dan Rowe, and Mal Hughes replaced by Callum Winchcombe (57 mins)
This change seems to bring an instant change to our play as, good work forces a corner on the left. The cross is met by Reid’s head, which flicks off a Totton player and flies just past the post for another corner. This corner from Giamattei has the keeper struggling to get a hand to it and Totton scramble the ball clear.
Stoke are now winning more possession and we push forward through Reid, who gets hacked down. The free-kick takes two minutes to take, after Bradley Wilson and then one of the Totton players get booked for encroachment before the kick. The kick rebounds in the air which Scott Armsworth flicks it back across the goalmouth to Upton whose header, is hooked off the line by a Totton defender.
Stoke are starting to win the initiative, as Wilson finds Reid on the right, as we break with speed, who then slides the ball on to Johnson-Schuster, who sends a cross to the far post, where Dan Rowe is free and he plants his header back passed the keeper into the far corner of the net GOAL! AFC Totton 2 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Rowe 66 mins)
The game restarts and we win the ball immediately, only for an awful tackle on a Stoke player see the Totton player get booked. The free-kick bounces around the penalty area, which ends when Cheshire flicks a shot just wide of the post. A minute later, the comeback is complete, as another cross sees the ball fly to Armsworth who header forces the keeper to push the ball onto the post, and is then knocked back across the goalmouth and Johnson-Schuster is first to the loose ball and hooks the ball past two defenders on the line and into the net. GOAL! AFC Totton 2 – 2 Basingstoke Town (Johnson-Schuster 69 mins)
The substitutions clearly have a positive impact on the team as Rowe brings a completely different threat and Giamattei is now pushed in the middle to support D’Andre, who both seem to have put a new fire into our play, and Totton are struggling to create anything of note with fifteen to go.
We win two further corners but both are cleared by Totton. Another move between Rowe, Reid & Wilson earns us a further corner, which has Upton flicking on the ball to Johnson-Schuster who just fails to hook his shot on target, as it flies out for a goal-kick.
Totton’s fluent first-half play has disappeared, as D’Andre again wins the ball in midfield, and sets up another attack, which Totton are able to stop.
Totton make further changes to their team, as they look to push for the winner as we hit the final five minutes, which include two free-kicks which are defended well by the Basingstoke defence.
The referee has confirmed a minimum of four added-minutes, which starts with a Totton shot, that is blocked and the ball rolls harmlessly to Strudley in goal.
Then another Totton attacker enters the penalty area and goes over, but the referee has seen his dive, and awards Stoke the free-kick and then books their player. Totton have another attack, which flies wide.
We are now in seventh minute of added-time, and the referee blows the final whistle, and the fans behind the goal and down the side celebrate the well-earned point with the players.
Full-time Score: AFC Totton 2 v 2 Basingstoke Town
Maloney 38 mins Rowe 66 mins,
Rendell 50 mins (Pen) Johnson-Schuster 69 mins
Match Thought’s
A superb fighting second-half comeback, sparked by two positive substitutions, the spark of Dan Rowe and the pushing of Giamattei into the midfield, to support D’Andre Brown, earned us a valuable point and some much needed positivity going into Saturday’s battle with Salisbury.
Up Next:
Up next we host second-placed Salisbury at Winklebury this Saturday afternoon
Match Report by Martin French..
AFC Totton 2 v 2 Basingstoke Town Attendance – 1,164
Where: The Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton. SO40 2RW
Dan Brownlie’s Boxing Day line-up was : 1. Paul Strudley, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster (Capt), 3. Massimo Giamattei, 4. Anthony Cheshire, 5. Scott Armsworth, 6. Billy Upton, 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Mal Nichols, 9. Stefan Brown, 10. D’Andre Brown, 11. George Reid
On the bench: Callum Winchcombe, Dan Rowe, James Clark & Mark Scott
Referee – Jordan McRitchie
Basingstoke travelled down to fifth-placed AFC Totton, for this Bank Holiday game as clear underdogs, with a need to turn the recent run of results, however it was the fast passing Totton’s back four that set-up numerous breaks down both flanks in the first twenty minutes, which produced three good saves by Paul Strudley in goal, some last ditch blocks and fortunately some poor finishing by Totton forwards.
Stoke were struggling to get a foothold in the game, but in the twenty-third minute, we should have been awarded a penalty after a cross into the heart of Totton’s penalty area, saw Billy Upton get clearly shoved in the back. The referee’s only possible excuse for not giving a penalty, was that Upton never threw himself to the ground.
The game continued with further attacks by the homeside, but good defensive blocks by Upton and Markus Johnson-Schuster, kept Totton from opening the score.
Then on thirty-minutes, another Stoke free-kick saw Upton win the header, which bounced to Stefan Brown, who made a slight contact from an overhead kick that saw the Totton keeper push the ball away before a Stoke player could pounce on the loose ball.
Stoke’s stout defence was however breached on the thirty-eighth minute, when another attack down, the right, saw the ball fall to a Totton forward, who smashed a shot that although Strudley got a hand to, he was unable to prevent it from crossing the line. AFC Totton 1-0 Basingstoke
Although Stoke were winning a little more possession in Totton’s half, a further Totton attack saw them miss a golden chance to double their lead from close range.
Now in added-time in the first-half, George Reid appears to have picked up an injury as the referee blows for halftime.
Halftime Score: AFC Totton 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town
Reid has received treatment and is out for the second-half which gets underway, and immediately Totton push forward, but a strong tackle by Anthony Cheshire, puts an end to that attack. However, two minutes, a Totton forward picks up a loose ball in our half, and three neat passes later the ball is in our penalty area, and a challenge in the back by Johnson-Schuster, sees the referee award a penalty to the homeside. Their leading goal-scorer Scott Rendell steps up and sends Strudley the wrong way and we trail by two. AFC Totton 2-0 Basingstoke
In an effort to change things up, we make a double substitution, with Stefan Brown replaced by Dan Rowe, and Mal Hughes replaced by Callum Winchcombe (57 mins)
This change seems to bring an instant change to our play as, good work forces a corner on the left. The cross is met by Reid’s head, which flicks off a Totton player and flies just past the post for another corner. This corner from Giamattei has the keeper struggling to get a hand to it and Totton scramble the ball clear.
Stoke are now winning more possession and we push forward through Reid, who gets hacked down. The free-kick takes two minutes to take, after Bradley Wilson and then one of the Totton players get booked for encroachment before the kick. The kick rebounds in the air which Scott Armsworth flicks it back across the goalmouth to Upton whose header, is hooked off the line by a Totton defender.
Stoke are starting to win the initiative, as Wilson finds Reid on the right, as we break with speed, who then slides the ball on to Johnson-Schuster, who sends a cross to the far post, where Dan Rowe is free and he plants his header back passed the keeper into the far corner of the net GOAL! AFC Totton 2 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Rowe 66 mins)
The game restarts and we win the ball immediately, only for an awful tackle on a Stoke player see the Totton player get booked. The free-kick bounces around the penalty area, which ends when Cheshire flicks a shot just wide of the post. A minute later, the comeback is complete, as another cross sees the ball fly to Armsworth who header forces the keeper to push the ball onto the post, and is then knocked back across the goalmouth and Johnson-Schuster is first to the loose ball and hooks the ball past two defenders on the line and into the net. GOAL! AFC Totton 2 – 2 Basingstoke Town (Johnson-Schuster 69 mins)
The substitutions clearly have a positive impact on the team as Rowe brings a completely different threat and Giamattei is now pushed in the middle to support D’Andre, who both seem to have put a new fire into our play, and Totton are struggling to create anything of note with fifteen to go.
We win two further corners but both are cleared by Totton. Another move between Rowe, Reid & Wilson earns us a further corner, which has Upton flicking on the ball to Johnson-Schuster who just fails to hook his shot on target, as it flies out for a goal-kick.
Totton’s fluent first-half play has disappeared, as D’Andre again wins the ball in midfield, and sets up another attack, which Totton are able to stop.
Totton make further changes to their team, as they look to push for the winner as we hit the final five minutes, which include two free-kicks which are defended well by the Basingstoke defence.
The referee has confirmed a minimum of four added-minutes, which starts with a Totton shot, that is blocked and the ball rolls harmlessly to Strudley in goal.
Then another Totton attacker enters the penalty area and goes over, but the referee has seen his dive, and awards Stoke the free-kick and then books their player. Totton have another attack, which flies wide.
We are now in seventh minute of added-time, and the referee blows the final whistle, and the fans behind the goal and down the side celebrate the well-earned point with the players.
Full-time Score: AFC Totton 2 v 2 Basingstoke Town
Maloney 38 mins Rowe 66 mins,
Rendell 50 mins (Pen) Johnson-Schuster 69 mins
Match Thought’s
A superb fighting second-half comeback, sparked by two positive substitutions, the spark of Dan Rowe and the pushing of Giamattei into the midfield, to support D’Andre Brown, earned us a valuable point and some much needed positivity going into Saturday’s battle with Salisbury.
Up Next:
Up next we host second-placed Salisbury at Winklebury this Saturday afternoon
Match Report by Martin French..
