Eastleigh back to winning ways - Happy New Year!

EASTLEIGH v BASINGSTOKE TOWN



THURSDAY 1ST JANUARY 2009
Blue Square South

Report by Jamie Montigue
Seeking revenge on the Boxing Day defeat, Eastleigh entertained neighbours Basingstoke Town for round two of this Hampshire derby on the opening day of 2009.

A solitary goal from Andy Forbes on the stroke of half time was enough to settle the scores for a New Year's Day win.

Lots of play in the air contributed to neither side taking charge of the game in the opening stages. 'Stoke captain Joe Dolan, risked a casual back flick towards former Eastleigh goalkeeper Ross Kitteridge with Andy Forbes chasing in, though fortunately for the visitors, nothing came of it.

Eastleigh's first attempt on goal came in the fourteenth minute. Dolan conceded a corner kick under pressure from Tony Taggart and from it Andy Harris' delivery picked out Andy Forbes at the far post. Forbes' downward header found the side netting of goal though Kitteridge appeared to have his post covered.

Two minutes later Luke Byles played the ball into Jamie Brown who controlled exquisitely on the chest before turning sharply and volleying comfortably over the cross bar on the turn from 25 yards.

The Spitfires' troubled Kitteridge for the first time in the nineteenth minute. Peter Adeniyi was instrumental in the move as he calmly stroked the ball out to the left to spread the play, where Byles took over and sent a good ball into the penalty area. Jamie Brown was well placed and flicked a header towards goal that saw the Dragons stopper scrambling across goal just in time to keep the ball out.

Brown perhaps should have done better in the very next phase of play. A typically teasing Taggart delivery from the near side found Brown running free into the six yard box. The majority of the bumper attendance of 1,015 were already cheering and ready to celebrate Eastleigh taking the lead though it was in vain as Brown dived in and nodded wide of the mark.

Ian Baird's side maintained the increasing pressure as Brown was yet again involved, clipping the ball into the feet of Peter Adeniyi. The ball sat up well for the shot as the sky-scraping midfielder let fly from 30 yards only to see his effort spilled initially by Kitteridge, who gathered at the second attempt.

Basingstoke had to wait until the 25th minute to register a shot on goal. Allan Tait played the ball to his right for Tom Williamson on the edge of the area who drilled a shot towards Jason Matthews at a comfortable height. The Eastleigh stopper got behind the ball and looked to take a routine catch. Just when Basingstoke had turned their backs to regroup, Matthews dropped the ball behind him where it started rolling dangerously towards his own goal before he could get back and recover to spare his blushes.

Eastleigh went straight up the field and produced the finest move of the game. Intertwining passes on the deck combined with excellent off the ball movement, liveliness and a rare sign of creativity as displayed by the step-overs, resulted in a shot on goal that couldn't quite provide the end product that it so deserved.

The visitors were restricted to half chances only as Eastleigh eventually took the lead a minute before the break. Tony Taggart's corner was punched away by Kitteridge straight back to the feet of the former Havant & Waterlooville midfielder who promptly swung the ball back into the danger area with an inviting cross to the far post. ANDY FORBES rose high from inside the six yard box to head home his first league goal since scoring four goals in two successive away victories in November to open the scoring.

HALF TIME: Eastleigh 1–0 Basingstoke Town

Eastleigh looked set to build on this crucial goal with a promising start to the second half.

Moments into the half, Luke Byles in an advanced position from left back, made a positive run into the area and drilled a cross cum shot into the danger zone where the ball was cleared by an all-important header off the line.

Steve Clark ensured Eastleigh kept momentum with a powerful run down the right hand side where he started from within in his own half before finding Jamie Brown in the middle with the cross. Brown's luck in front of goal did not look like changing despite his constant effort as he glanced the ball narrowly wide of goal.

In the 52nd minute Clark found Forbes this time, with a deep cross from the right though the header from the goalscorer proved to be a comfortable take for Kitteridge.

Shortly after the hour mark, Kitteridge came along way out of goal to deal with a tricky high ball into the box from Byles. The keeper failed to get decent contact with the punch as the ball fell to the feet of Clark. Basingstoke had done well to cover their goalkeeper as a whole host defenders were well placed on the goal line to keep Clark at bay.

Kitteridge was increasingly jittery and was so nearly caught out once more due to a further poor clearance in quick succession. With the keeper caught in no man's land, Andy Forbes chipped the ball towards goal with his left foot and was agonisingly close to doubling both his and Eastleigh's tally as Kitteridge struggled to get back and the ball landed just an inch the wrong side of the post.

Eastleigh made two substitutions as the game wore on with Matt Groves replacing Jamie Brown in attack and a little later, Tony Taggart making way for Lee Roache.

With ten minutes remaining, and virtually Roache's first touch of the game, Clark pulled the ball back across goal where it just needed a finishing touch. Roache was well placed but got his feet mixed up and the opportunity was gone as quickly as it had come.

A cagey finish towards the end of the game saw Eastleigh playing on nerves slightly as Basingstoke applied late pressure and threatened to claim a point in a game that they were never really in up until this point.

Before this however, there was time for one last effort from Eastleigh, five minutes from time. The two substitutes combined with Groves returning a one-two with Roache, who in turn shot across goal and wide.

Basingstoke's best effort of the match came in the 87th minute when the lively David Tarpey, a second half sub from the Dragons, held the ball up to the left of goal where Matt Warner connected with a flying volley. Matthews did well to parry the ball away and beyond Phil Ruggles who was running in looking for a rebound.

Thankfully Eastleigh had done enough to get back to winning ways and start the new year with the right result and avenge their narrow loss on Boxing Day.

FULL TIME: Eastleigh 1–0 Basingstoke Town