Basingstoke & District Saturday League Hampshire Cup Reports

Of the five Basingstoke League Division One clubs playing in the Hampshire A Cup, only one was unsuccessful and it was fancied D.C.U.K. who made their exit, beaten 4-3 away to Southampton side FC Independent. They found themselves a goal down early on but came back strongly to level when Ashley Elward took a pass from Zac Reynolds to net and soon after Elward put his side ahead, Lorne Howard was then put through by Johnnie Ervine for a 3-1 interval lead. Both teams went down to ten men when Ervine being sent off along with one of the home players after an incident. DC played poorly after this and although stand in keeper Mark Howell did well, he was beaten three times, the winner coming five minutes from time.

Basingstoke Royals followed up they double figure league win the previous week with a10-0 hammering of their IOW visitors Newport A. The best of the ten was the opener, a 25 yard rocket from Steve Price and after a cut back from Price, Ama Bhuller made it 2-0 and just before the break Cobi Judd put away a cross from Bhuller. In the second half goals flowed with Price ending up with three more and Judd taking his final tally to five.

Twentyten played Kingsclere from the Andover League and ended up 2-1 winners, thanks to a late goal from Carl Pearson. In the 20th minute Joe Hill, with an open goal hit the bar and soon after this Kingsclere took the lead on the break following a Twentyten corner kick. In the 40th minute Joe Hill was on the end of a cut back from Joe Osborne to level. It was all Twentyten in the second half with Carl Pearson hitting the bar and forcing a very good save before the decider came in the 82nd minute. The corner was taken by Cox, picked up by Matt Tamage, he held off two challenges and played through for Pearson to find the back of the net.

The other three matches went into penalties before deciding who would make the second round. Tadley Calleva A were on the road to meet Southampton League side Forest Edge Rovers and after a 4-4 draw won 5-3 after the penalty shootout. Gary Hibbs gave them a tenth minute lead, but Rovers hit back to score twice. Kye Theodore equalized right on half time from a Hibbs cross, but they fell behind again in the 60th. Goals from Theodore and Peter White put them in the driving seat again, but with ten minutes left over came a cross and it went in off Simon Penfold for an own goal and this brought the penalty kicks. Theodore, White, Dan Walkley, Gary Harper and Michael Abbott were all successful and a penalty save by Gart Hicks saw them through.

Hook also had to travel, making the journey to Christchurch to meet AFC Bransgore and came home 5-4 winners on penalties after ending up 3-3 after 90 minutes. The home side took the lead after eight minutes, but Andy Parker, who had earlier hit the post, put them level following a long clearance from keeper Greg Archer. This was in the 39th minute, but the home side led at the break 2-1. Hook went further behind in the 75th from a penalty kick, but with a minute to go James Neville took a pass from Tom Davies to level and on 90 minutes Parker volleyed in from 20 yards to save the day. In the shoot out Davies, Parker, Dan Mellors, James Westwood and Neville made no mistake, while keeper Archer saved the 4th spot kick.

Basingstoke Athletic have not had good season in the league, but they are through to the next stage after winning the shootout against Capital from Southampton 5-3 on pens after a goal less 90 minutes. There was a couple of chances with Ryan Evans through, but could not beat the keeper in a one on one and George Lee hit a chance over the bar for them. In the shootout Evans, Kieran Challis, Tim Webb and Lee scored to see them 4-3 ahead and keeper James Lounton saved the fourth to nose Athletic in front. Nathan Read put away the fifth for Athletic to see them through.

Hampshire B Cup First Round
Six Basingstoke Division two clubs were engaged in the Hampshire B Cup four of them will go though to the Second Round. The big surprise was the 5-2 defeat Herriard Sports, with a 100% record, suffered away to Coal Exchange, after a 50 mile trip to Emesworth. Herriard were three goals down before Sam Weber went on a dazzling solo run and made it 3-1 Herriard rallied in the second half and pulled another back through Chris Dobbie from a Weber pass and Alex Roberts forced a good save at this stage. With both Dobbie and Sam Cato well held by the Exchange back four, Herriard found it difficult and pushing up were caught out by the opposition who were quick on the break and on the day looked the better side.

Basingstoke Labour Club Manager Dan Poulter is hopeful of getting through to a County Cup final, something his father the late Geoff Poulter achieved 14 years ago when he managed the side and they won the Hampshire A Cup. They had a fight on their hands beating Brimpton 2-1 at Brighton Hill, but got off to good start when with Mark West scored with a cheeky back heal following a cross from Matt Kelly. Brimpton fought hard to equalize, but their closest was hitting the bar in the first half. In the 63rd came their second, a top corner finish from Kelly following a pass from Chris Rust. The visitors came back strongly after this and pulled a goal back in the 70th minute and after this under some pressure Labour held their lead.

It was a noon kick off for Overton United B on their visit to Wye Valley Reserves who play in the Aldershot League and they returned home 3-0 winners. It was all Overton and they took a fifteenth minute lead when Armand Ince took a pass from Scotty Winterborne, who later in the half sent Richard Budd through for their second. In the 50th it became 3-0 when Nuno Franco netted following another Winterborne assist. The Valley keeper made a series of saves from good efforts by Wat Jones, Winterborne and sub. Paul Grandjen – Smith.

AFC Berg won through after beating Michelmarsh & Timsbury A 2-0. Kieran Alleyne chased a poor back pass and gave them the lead after 25 minutes and with Jack Hodge very prominent with his wing play, Berg remained in control. The victory was sewn up in the 70th when a corner taken by Carlos Gonzalez ended up in the net off the hip of Astride West.

Winklebury Wizards trip to the IOW was fruitful, coming home with 5-1 win against Bayside. In the 20th minute a corner from Scott Large was headed home by George Lagden for the lead and following a solo run, Josh Arthur made it 2-0. By the break they went further ahead through Large and Langden scored again for a four goal advantage. Bayside did pull a goal back, but a volley from Greg Adams from a Richard Lowther cut back completed this easy win.

The other Basingstoke team to make their exit was Longdog Soldiers who went down 1-0 on their visit to Athletico Romsey. It was an own goal, a deflection in off the unfortunate Terry Dingley in the 80th minute that proved the decider.