0
The Dragons’ Jekyll and Hyde season continues to frustrate all associated with the Club, a superb performance at Bromley followed by disappointment at Weston, a high with victory over Eastleigh and then Cherrywood Road. The hosts had enjoyed the better opportunities in the second half missing a couple of glorious chances with some woeful finishing and at the other end the Dragons failed to exploit a nervy looking Farnborough defence, defeat perhaps a little harsh on the visitors on a day when a point would have been a decent result considering the results above them.
Town had to juggle personnel again as David Pratt and Wes Daly were suspended, Tim Sills injured and Matt Warner unavailable. Nathan Smart returned to the starting line-up, Rob Rice in mid-field and Rob Gradwell leading the line. Also in the starting eleven was new loan signing Giuseppe Sole, on loan from Woking, returning to the Dragons for a second spell, having been on loan from the same club at the end of the 2005-06 season.
Attacking the Prospect Road end ‘Stoke’s first effort came after five minutes with McAuley firing goalward, his effort deflected wide. Delano Sam-Yorke could have had a brace inside the first fifteen minutes, Smarts cross finding the Town frontman but his touch let him down in the six yard area. Minutes later, good work from Sam-Yorke produced a good save from ‘Boro ‘keeper Tom Lovelock.
The home side recorded their first effort on 16 minutes with Jordan Parkes shooting straight at Bayes. In a frantic opening to the game Sam-Yorke was given the time and space to turn and floated a shot just over the bar. A great ball in from Toby Little was unable to reach Sole and his appeal for a spot kick was waived away. The home side should have taken the lead on 25 minutes, a neat one –two between Daniel Bennet and Reece Connolly saw the latter blast over from 8 yards.
The Dragons could have broken the deadlock on the half hour, Angus Macdonald, dangerous at the set piece, met Sole’s corner and his header deflected off a defender for a corner. He should have done better at the second corner heading wide with the goal at his mercy. With the half reaching its conclusion Ashley Winn shot from distance straight at Bayes and Page saw a shot deflected wide.
In injury time a long ball seemed to have put Sole in but the Town player,who did not have the best of debuts, took a touch too many.
Half time: Farnborough 0 Basingstoke Town 0
In the opening minute of the second half Jay Gasson charged down a shot from Connnolly. Macdonald did well to get in a tackle and Adam Bygrave’s header at the near post from the resulting corner fizzed dangerously across the Dragons goal. A good move involving Gradwell, Sam-Yorke and Sole saw the ball played into McAuley who found space for a shot which ended up over the bar.
It was ironic that McAuley was penalised for what would lead to Town’s defeat as he was central to most of what was good for the Dragons leading up to that point. Just before the hour mark the visitors produced another decent corner which found McAuley but the ball would not fall for him and he was unable to get a clean contact, driving at the wall of players.
Nathan Smart did well to pressurise Connolly into wasting another chance, blasting over the bar as he ran onto a flick on. Sam-Yorke caused the home side problems with his darting runs and he got in behind the ‘Boro defence and his cross was nicked away from Sole at the far post. Sole shot wide from the edge of the box as the ball came back to him from a corner when he appeared to have had time to compose himself.
The miss of the game came twenty minutes from time and may be a contender for miss of the season. Farnborough’s Daniel Bennett found himself unmarked just inside the six yard box, had time to take a touch and somehow managed to blast his shot over the bar when it would have been easier to score. The home fans must have given the game up at that point.
McAuley did well down the right and in almost repetition of the move ten minutes earlier he attempted to find Sole at the far post and again the ball evaded him. That was to be Sole’s last action and a minute later with a quarter of an hour left he was replaced by Simon Dunn. Dunn almost had an immediate impact managing to get a cross field pass away under a heavy challenge finding McAuley and with neat football his low cross evaded Sam-Yorke at the far post.
Stuart Lake found his way into the referee’s notebook for one word too many and shortly after a poor back header by the same player almost put his side in trouble. With seven minutes left the Dragons broke and Sam-Yorke pulled the ball back to Smart on the edge of the box and his fierce shot forced a fine save from Lovelock. From the resulting corner Gasson scuffed a shot through the crowd of players which the home side scrambled off the line.
Farnborough finished strongly with Gasson almost selling Bayes short and the ‘keeper alert to the danger smuggled the ball ahead of Connolly. It was not Bennett’s day as he managed to head wide from three yards out at the back post in the first minute of injury time and two minutes later his colleague Page got him out of gaol.
Next up for the Dragons is Truro City at the Camrose on Saturday 4th February 3.00 p.m. and ‘Stoke must now start recording some wins and look for a run of consistency.
Town: Bayes, Smart, Little, MacDonald, Gasson, Lake, Rice, McAuley, Gradwell, Sam-Yorke, Sole (sub Dunn 75 minutes). Subs: (not used), Ogunbote, Rouga, Bondon, Morris.
