| 12.07.2008 @ 12:00 The Camrose |
Crowd: 1120 |
| Basingstoke Town |
2 - 5 |
Southampton |
Basingstoke Town lost their opening pre-season game of the season to a strong Saints side, with goals coming from trialist James Faulkner and a penalty from Matt Warner.
Town lined up with a number of trialists along with the already signed players. Absentees included Ben Wells, who appears to have joined Weston-super-Mare and Tom Bird who is rumoured to be training with Eastleigh.
Southampton started the game strongest with a side that included Bradley Wright-Phillips and England under-21's international Andy Surman. However, it was Basingstoke that opened the scoring after 15 minutes. A corner was swung in by Matt Warner. Whilst evading most of the players in the area, the ball was headed back across goal by big defender Joe Dolan at the far side of the box. A scramble followed which saw the ball nodded into the net by James Faulkner from four yards.
The Championship side then began to pile on the presurre and forced trialist goalkeeper Ross Ketteridge into a number of saves. The pressure told on half-hour though as Saints equalised through youngster Adam Lallana. He picked up the ball outside the right of the area and hit an unstoppable looping shot into the far top corner, leaving Ketteridge with no chance.
Southampton made sure they went into half time ahead as David McGoldrick scored with a header at the back post. Basingstoke attempted to draw level with Phil Ruggles and Siddy Jombatti forcing Saints keeper Bartosz Bialkowski to save before the half time whistle.
Basingstoke made four half time changes, taking off goalkeeper Ketteridge for Tom Taylor, right midfielder Ruddi for Andy Savage and strikers Ruggles and Faulkner for David Tarpey and returning striker Carl Gibbs.
It took less than two minutes after the re-start for Saints to add to their lead ad Wright-Phillips slid the ball into the net. McGoaldrick made it 4-1 minutes later as he met a cross from Surman at the near post, and he completed his hat-trick ten minutes after the interval with a stunning free-kick into the top corner of the net.
Sean Hankin, playing in an unfamiliar defensive midfield position then came off and was replaced by Jidi Ogunbote.
Basingstoke pulled a goal back with quarter of an hour remaining. The ball fell to Carl Gibbs in the six yard box and as he was about to score, was chopped down by defender Wayne Thomas. Matt Warner stepped up for the first time since his penalty miss in a 2-1 defeat away at Braintree and struck the ball high into the top corner to the keepers right.
Substitutions from both sides in the last fifteen minutes meant the game wasnt able to flow properly Basingstokes final subs (in order) saw Matt Warner replaced by the returning Luke Williams, impressive right back Aiden Lewis come off for youngster Marc Vockins and a double substitution saw Rob Watkins and Siddy Jombatti leave the field for Scott Murphy and Scott Perkins.
The last 15 minutes however saw Carl Gibbs strike the bar, although the offside flag had already been raised and Mark Vockins made a goal line clearance after a Saints attacker had rounded keeper Taylor.
The best chance to pull a goal back came in the last minute to David Tarpey. A long ball by Gibbs was brought down expertly by Tarpey. The keeper came and narrowed down the angle and the young forward could only shoot wide.
Final Score: Basingstoke Town 2 Southampton 5
Team: Ross Ketteridge (Tom Taylor), Aiden Lewis (Mark Votkins), Robbie Watkins (Scott Perkins), Jason Bristow, Joe Dolan, Sean Hankin (Jidi Ogunbote), Ruddi (Andy Savage), Jiddy Jombatti (Scott Murphy), James Faulkner (David Tarpey), Phil Ruggles (Carl Gibbs), Matt Warner (Luke Williams).
Saints: Bartosz Bialkowski (Tommy Forecast), Jeffrey Imudia (Kyle Davies), Wayne Thomas, Lloyd James (Callum McNish), Morgan Schneiderlin, Andy Surman, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Simon Gillett (Aaran Ricine), David McGoldrick (Jamie White), Adam Lallana, Lee Holmes. |
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