Eastleigh 6-0 Basingstoke - Six of the very best!

EASTLEIGH v BASINGSTOKE TOWN

SATURDAY 26th DECEMBER 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Jamie Montigue

After much hard work from a number of volunteers, today's match officials deemed the pitch playable following an early morning inspection.

Eastleigh made just one change to the starting line up that saw off Weston-Super-Mare last time out in a 3-1 home win. Richard Gillespie was the man to be given a starting berth, taking the suspended Jamie Brown's place in attack.

On this annual festive fixture, the Spitfires looked to continue their fine form of late, and did so in some style. Winning by the Spitfires biggest margin in the Blue Square South with a record 6-0 win; the free-scoring side made it eight games unbeaten with a third straight league win.

It has been an excellent couple of months for Eastleigh that has seen Ian Baird’s side leap a whopping ten places from 15th to 5th in just under 8 weeks. Today’s fantastic win was the perfect way to end the last home game of 2009 and means the club are now just three points off second-placed Dover Athletic with two games in hand.

The game begun with Eastleigh full on the front foot, attacking towards the clubhouse end in front of a 623 crowd. Tony Taggart was brought down on the near side inside the first minute and from Brett Poate’s inch-perfect delivery, it was the hosts who found themselves with an opportunity for an ultra-early opening goal. The ball fell for Andy Forbes who brought the ball down well with a smart first touch, but with time and space to shoot, the striker blazed over the cross bar with his left foot.

Apparent from the first whistle was the fact that both Tony Taggart (left wing) and Shaun McAuley (right) would cause the Basingstoke full backs a number of problems with their sheer pace and skill, which indeed proved to be the case as the game progressed. With four minutes on the clock, Taggart cut back on to his right foot in side the penalty area when an excellent block tackle came in to prevent a clear shot at goal.

After more threatening runs from Taggart, the winger forced a corner from which the delivery to the near post was cleared acrobatically.

At the opposite end, David Pratt appeared to stroll into an offside position in the ninth minute. The flag stayed down and the Basingstoke striker latched on to a neat through ball only to fire straight at Jason Matthews.

RICHARD GILLESPIE broke the deadlock for the hosts with a tenth minute goal. On-loan Brighton defender Steve Cook launched a long throw into the Basingstoke penalty area, which was flicked on and nodded home from close range by the former Bashley hot-shot.

Soon after taking the lead, Taggart almost stole in on goal as McAuley squared the ball to his left. Ross Kitteridge just about did enough in dealing with the threat by racing off his line and getting an all-important touch to intervene.

Jason Matthews meanwhile, had very little to do all game but came a long way out of goal to get in on the action and sweep up behind his defence to clear for his side. The Spitfires turned their attentions firmly back to the offensive with sustained pressure leading to a deserved second goal.

An unstoppable 30-yard free kick from BRETT POATE was struck superbly well, right out of the top drawer and going in off the underside of the cross bar. Kitteridge was left completely motionless as Eastleigh made it two goals in the space of four minutes.

With little over quarter of an hour played, Tom Jordan couldn't quite connect with a Poate corner having lost his man in the centre. This half-chance was followed by a sweeping Eastleigh move down the left. A ball was clipped in to the box from Poate evading the Basingstoke defence to fall kindly for McAuley on the far side. The winger lost his footing however, and shot into the side netting with two waiting in the six-yard box.

Eastleigh had a ‘goal’ ruled out for offside when Forbes headed home with aplomb from a fine Steve Cook cross to find the bottom corner in the 22nd minute.

Another magnificent delivery in to the Basingstoke penalty area from Poate saw the left back’s cross headed away under pressure by Sean Hankin. The Dragon's skipper conceded a corner and from it Kitteridge once again found himself under severe pressure. Punching the ball half to safety from one ball into the box, the waves of Eastleigh attacks just kept coming on the visitors goal, who were forced to defend desperately in numbers. Danny Smith had a shot deflected behind in this dominant spell of play and it truly was all Eastleigh.

Poate and McAuley were sharing the corner duties between them sending in one in-swinging cross after another into all the right areas from consecutive set pieces as Eastleigh threatened to add a third.

Shaun McAuley, who has been playing exceptionally well of late, broke from the halfway line in the 28th minute but was forced on to his weaker side and could only muster a tame shot in to the keeper's gloves.

A minute later, Jason Matthews made his first save of the game in a quiet day’s work for the Eastleigh number one as he saved low down at his near post following a Mitchell Bryant effort.

The far-more strained keeper of course was Kitteridge who rarely had a moment’s peace and was always vulnerable which was testament to the quality of Eastleigh’s performance. An unconvincing one-handed punch in the style of superman from Kitteridge saw Eastleigh force a further corner. McAuley's set piece saw Tom Jordan right underneath the ball to put the Basingstoke keeper under pressure once more but the ball was watched over the cross bar.

Two became three nil as ANDY FORBES fired the ball into the roof of the net from close range following great work by Gillespie. Richard Gillespie, who scored the game’s first goal, left Lewis Christon for dead to cross from the left. Kitteridge panicked, pushed the ball on to his own crossbar and his blunder allowed Forbes to take full advantage to find the net. This was Forbes’ second goal in as many games and his 8th league goal of the season.

Eastleigh resumed full control as Pratt sliced wildly behind his own goal and McAuley’s corner saw Forbes nod the ball back across the six yard box at the far post. Forbes' strike partner Gillespie rose high in the middle to head just inches over goal with an improvised and excellent, diving attempt.

A minute before the break Basingstoke’s afternoon went from bad to worse as Frank Gray’s side went down to ten men. Jide Ogunbote was shown a straight red card for kicking out at the grounded Danny Smith, after a strong challenge in front of the main stand. Smith was given a yellow card for his part in the scuffle and, as if Eastleigh needed a helping hand with a commanding three-goal lead, they now found themselves a man to the good as well.

The first forty-five minutes really couldn't have gone much better for Ian Baird's side.

HALF TIME: Eastleigh 3-0 Basingstoke Town

Eastleigh introduced Peter Adeniyi at the start of the second half for the injured Brett Poate. The change saw Danny Smith slot in at right back and Aaron Cook shuffle across to left full back.

Basingstoke had the first opportunity of the half as Matt Finlay slipped the ball to his right to find David Pratt, who in turn sliced his shot horribly wide from 18 yards out.

Four minutes in, the hosts forced a corner on the far side. Shaun McAuley's delivery went all the way through a crowded penalty area as the ball flew right across the face goal evading both Kitteridge and Andy Forbes.

In the 51st minute, Richard Gillespie raced into the penalty area and found himself clear of the last defender but couldn't quite find a way past the keeper, who stood tall to block with his legs.

Basingstoke were becoming increasingly frustrated and let their tempers get the better of them as both their strikers Pratt and Bryant picked up yellow cards in quick succession. Pratt in particular was perhaps fortunate not to receive a stronger punishment as he appeared to stamp on Tom Jordan. Both of the carded players were soon hauled off the pitch by their manager in a double substitution. Prior to this, Jamie White was introduced to the action in place of Gillespie for Eastleigh.

As for the Spitfires, Baird’s men let the football do all the talking. Firstly, Anthony Riviere played a one-two with Andy Forbes on the edge of the penalty area and had a shot deflected for a corner just minutes before the hour mark.

Eastleigh’s fourth goal came in the 62nd minute as ANTHONY RIVIERE side-footed home to apply the finishing touch to Jamie White's exquisite assist. The Southampton youngster nutmegged his marker before displaying the excellent vision to pick out the pass and create a lovely team goal.

Peter Adeniyi and Shaun McAuley, once again a constant menace to the visiting back line, combined down the right to devastating effect. Adeniyi's ball into the box came back out to Riviere whose flying volley was just too high to cause a problem.

Thirteen minutes from time, JAMIE WHITE put the game well and truly beyond doubt with his first goal for the club. Tony Taggart's neat footwork inside the area was pivotal in creating the goal and White finished off by lashing a fierce left foot strike into the top corner for goal number five.

In the 85th minute, White’s immense flick set McAuley in behind the Basingstoke defence to storm into the penalty area. Only a well-executed sliding challenge from a covering defender prevented further misery for the Dragons. From the corner, Taggart's high ball into the box was cleared.

Four minutes from time, PETER ADENIYI played his part in helping Eastleigh dish out six of the best with a cool finish slotted through the keeper's legs from 8 yards to complete the rout.

Riviere may well have made it seven with a low drive from 20 yards out. The tireless midfielder’s shot was deflected just an inch wide of the upright.

Eastleigh can be very pleased with the result and the football they produced which was some of the best that has been played at the Silverlake Stadium in a number of years. Us fans were given plenty of festive cheer and can look forward to starting 2010 in the same vein when the two sides meet once more on New Years Day.

FULL TIME: Eastleigh 6-0 Basingstoke Town