Basingstoke 1-0 Eastleigh
BASINGSTOKE TOWN 1-0 EASTLEIGH
SATURDAY 21st JANUARY 2012
Blue Square Bet South
Match Report by Ray Murphy
When these two teams met on the opening day of the current season, some twenty-three weeks ago, the expectation on Eastleigh was nowhere near as high as it is now. That was reflected in the team sheet for the two sides in this fixture where from that opening fixture Basingstoke Town showed only one change in centre back Angus MacDonald on loan from Reading, whilst the Eastleigh side showed eight changes from that initial starting line up.
The latest arrival at the club, Gary Elphick, started his career as an Eastleigh substitute where he was joined on the bench by Graeme Montgomery who lost his wide roaming role to Chris Flood from the last league outing two weeks ago at Dover Athletic. The injured Jamie Slabber's number nine shirt was taken by recent loan signing Bradley Bubb from parent club Aldershot Town though his last outing was for Basingstoke Town whilst on loan at The Camrose.
The game as a spectacle never reached any heights, the strong wind doing neither side any favours. Eastleigh attacked with the wind behind their backs in the opening half with a lowering afternoon sun also being a hindrance for the Basingstoke captain goalkeeper Ashley Bayes, though the experienced campaigner was never tested against the elements.
Eastleigh had the majority of the possession in the first half with both Chris Flood and Philip Appiah giving impressive performances. The only time though that Bayes was extended was in the thirty-seventh minute when Damian Scannell's swirling cross was palmed away by the goalkeeper.
Basingstoke found themselves two opportunities late in the first half. On forty minutes, MacDonald's header from Wes Daley’s free kick was saved by Jack Dovey, then three minutes later Eastleigh old boy Shaun McAuley saw a shot blocked after Tim Sills had flicked on Robert Rice’s long throw.
The latest arrival at the club, Gary Elphick, started his career as an Eastleigh substitute where he was joined on the bench by Graeme Montgomery who lost his wide roaming role to Chris Flood from the last league outing two weeks ago at Dover Athletic. The injured Jamie Slabber's number nine shirt was taken by recent loan signing Bradley Bubb from parent club Aldershot Town though his last outing was for Basingstoke Town whilst on loan at The Camrose.
The game as a spectacle never reached any heights, the strong wind doing neither side any favours. Eastleigh attacked with the wind behind their backs in the opening half with a lowering afternoon sun also being a hindrance for the Basingstoke captain goalkeeper Ashley Bayes, though the experienced campaigner was never tested against the elements.
Eastleigh had the majority of the possession in the first half with both Chris Flood and Philip Appiah giving impressive performances. The only time though that Bayes was extended was in the thirty-seventh minute when Damian Scannell's swirling cross was palmed away by the goalkeeper.
Basingstoke found themselves two opportunities late in the first half. On forty minutes, MacDonald's header from Wes Daley’s free kick was saved by Jack Dovey, then three minutes later Eastleigh old boy Shaun McAuley saw a shot blocked after Tim Sills had flicked on Robert Rice’s long throw.
Within thirty seconds of the restart for the second period the home side used the wind to their advantage. David Pratt won a challenge with Tom Jordan allowing the striker to run to the bye line playing the ball across the face of goal where McAuley was unfortunate to see another effort blocked by the recovering Eastleigh defence.
Scott Rogers sent a rising drive over the bar after fifty-seven minutes but it was the home side that were creating the better chances. Sills headed a McAuley corner over on fifty-nine minutes before Elphick was introduced to the action with Michael Green being replaced. Elphick joining Jordan in the centre back roles and Andy Forbes switching to left back.
Sills had another effort blocked before MacDonald saw a header from another McAuley corner thunder down off the cross bar and land the right side of the goal line for Eastleigh to be able to clear. Jordan had a header from a Scannell cross turned away by Bayes after sixty-seven minutes, but ten minutes later the warnings that had been sent Eastleigh’s way was confirmed with the only goal of the game.
McAuley’s left wing corner saw Sills meet the ball in the six-yard box and his header this time grazed off the underside of the bar and into the net for his ninth goal of the season and to lead Basingstoke Town to their first home league win in six attempts.
Rogers fired narrowly wide of the target after being set up by Bubb shortly after the goal but again despite the midfield working to get the ball forward their was a lack of quality in the final third for Eastleigh.
With Eastleigh trying to force their way forward in search of an equaliser they left themselves wanting at the back which Basingstoke never capitalised on, the final chance falling for Pratt on a breakaway but this final effort was too weak to worry Dovey.
Worryingly for Eastleigh that is only one point from their last three league games with no goals on the goals for column being added either.
Scott Rogers sent a rising drive over the bar after fifty-seven minutes but it was the home side that were creating the better chances. Sills headed a McAuley corner over on fifty-nine minutes before Elphick was introduced to the action with Michael Green being replaced. Elphick joining Jordan in the centre back roles and Andy Forbes switching to left back.
Sills had another effort blocked before MacDonald saw a header from another McAuley corner thunder down off the cross bar and land the right side of the goal line for Eastleigh to be able to clear. Jordan had a header from a Scannell cross turned away by Bayes after sixty-seven minutes, but ten minutes later the warnings that had been sent Eastleigh’s way was confirmed with the only goal of the game.
McAuley’s left wing corner saw Sills meet the ball in the six-yard box and his header this time grazed off the underside of the bar and into the net for his ninth goal of the season and to lead Basingstoke Town to their first home league win in six attempts.
Rogers fired narrowly wide of the target after being set up by Bubb shortly after the goal but again despite the midfield working to get the ball forward their was a lack of quality in the final third for Eastleigh.
With Eastleigh trying to force their way forward in search of an equaliser they left themselves wanting at the back which Basingstoke never capitalised on, the final chance falling for Pratt on a breakaway but this final effort was too weak to worry Dovey.
Worryingly for Eastleigh that is only one point from their last three league games with no goals on the goals for column being added either.
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