Basingstoke Town (A)

This is being written three days after the game when Bath City are playing in Weston super Mare (the rearranged game from the disgracefully cancelled New Years Day game, and they possibly might not be playing as WsM won't confirm the game is going ahead!) but given the appalling treatment last time I refuse to go to the game and give them any money.

On Saturday City traveled to Basingstoke, I wasn't going to go, so hadn't arranged for coach or train travel. However, Friday I started to think it was a good idea to go, and I awoke on Saturday morning, and thought "What the hell else are you going to do?" Therefore I arranged to collect Palmer, and hopped in the car for the relatively short journey to Hampshire.

Basingstoke play at The Camrose (apparently named after a late benefactor Lord Camrose) although they have a planning application to build a new ground and sell off the Camrose to developers. Palmsy and myself arrived in Basingstoke around 45 minutes before kick off, and the experience confirmed once again why I will always take the train over coach or car as we parked up, and the only option was the clubhouse.

While there was nothing particularly wrong with the clubhouse, they are just generally slightly depressing, Phoenix Nights styled places, and Charlie's/Randalls for all their niceness have the same air, and it is why I will always drink in the Crown/White Horse etc or proper pubs on awaydays rather than in clubhouses.

We went into the ground earlier than usual due to boredom brought about by the clubhouse. The Camrose, is a neat enough ground, but is small with one reasonable sized main stand, two terraces and one uncovered end. It was while in the ground (and getting some chips) that we found out Charlie Griffin was on the bench, as was Kerry Morgan, with 5 in midfield.

City were attacking the covered terrace opposite where we were standing so we began our movement around the pitch.

Before we had even reached the end there was a flash of black and white and Danny Ball hared past us and into the box, the young full back cut inside and fed Josh Low who placed the ball into the corner, City were one up with less than a minute played.

City were playing well, and loanee Tom Nichols up front started to show some of his football league class (and the form which brought him 10 in 13 for Dorchester Town) However, Nichols more that justified his selection, despite what some people [most of whom weren't there] would have you believe, and I write that as a man who thinks Griffin is our best player by a countrymile.

Basingstoke had a few chances, before Ball once again fed Low, the towering midfielder ignored the near constant cry's of "shooooot" as he tried to steady himself before unleashing a shot towards the top corner, a brilliant clawing save by the keeper managed to tip the ball behind for a corner.

However, moments later,  despite the positive signs City's weakness once again struck. Mark Preece dropped a massive clanger when all he had to do was clear a ball, instead some how it fell to Sam-York who fired home.

Low had his third good chance just before half time, when Noah Keats laid it on a plate for him, somehow Low managed to steer his shot wide when it seemed harder to miss from that position. Cue some fairly justifiable anger from stripes gathered around me.

During the second half we became involved in some light hearted pisstaking with the opposition keeper, mainly due to a man who must have been 6" 3' and 14stone who went down like he'd been shot when little Tom Nichols challenged him! To be fair to the keeper he gave some back and applauded a cracking save by Jason Mellor late in the game.

Basingstoke were having much the better of the second half, but Keats almost scored when a ball was threaded through to him by Nichols, sadly the ball didn't quite drop for the sliding Keats and when another chance came the midfielder couldn't get the ball out of his feet.

Morgan came on for Low in an attempt to change the game, but before Morgan had been on the field a minute City were behind. This time it was Gethin Jones who couldn't defend and the ball was in the back of the stripes net.

Griffin and Simpson both came on, but for the second game in succession the Romans seemed dead on their feet from about the 75th minute and no late rally was to be seen. Despite the positives, which came from the excellent performances by the youngsters, Ball, Keats and Nichols, once again City have lost a game they arguably deserved more from. We are now dangerously close to the relegation zone, and this is causing more than a few mumours of discontent, hopefully a good run of form will happen to raise the black and white spirits. UTC.