Match Report by Karl Hills
Photography by Steve Gridley
Basingstoke Town are into the semi-final of the North Hants Senior Cup after easing past Hook FC 8-0 at Winklebury Football Complex on Tuesday night, putting a stop to the run of disappointing results that ‘Stoke have encountered.
Goals from Dan Warre (2) and Marcus Johnson-Schuster gave ‘Stoke a commanding lead at half-time, with second half goals from Rudy Allen, James Clark, Jonny Efedje D’Andre Brown, and Aleks Kokoszka completing the rout.
‘Stoke fielded a strong line-up and Hook, who play at Step 7 and are currently second in the Hampshire Premier League, were always going to be facing a tough task to cause an upset. That task got even tougher after 11 minutes when George Reid was tripped in the penalty area and Warre dispatched the penalty to give ‘Stoke the lead.
Kokoszka soon went close to doubling the hosts’ lead from a well hit free kick, but the Hook goalkeeper got down well to make the save, whilst the rebound was cleared by a defender. But just two minutes later, ‘Stoke doubled their lead. Johnson-Schuster played a ball into Kokoszka, who flicked the ball over the Hook defence. The ball bounced and spun back into the path of Johnson-Schuster, who tucked the ball past the onrushing ‘keeper.
The third goal followed just over 15 minutes later. Hook tried to play out from the back, and the press from the home side proved too much, and they dispossessed the defence almost immediately. The ball came to Warre who hit it goalwards, and a heavy deflection sent the ball into the back of the net.
‘Stoke had a couple of chances to extend their lead before the break, both of which fell to Warre as he went in search of his hat-trick. The first came on the counterattack, with a long ball hit over the top by Allen. Warre latched onto it, but his low shot was blocked well by the goalkeeper. His second effort was 90 seconds later when Robbie Gallagher rolled the ball to him inside the six-yard box, but this time was denied by the post.
HT Basingstoke Town 3 – 0 Hook FC
‘Stoke started the second half in the same manner that they finished the first and almost instantaneously got a fourth, but Warre’s effort went well wide of the goal. Kokoszka and Luis Le Paih then both took aim from range, with Kokoszka’s effort drifting wide, and Le Paih’s comfortably stopped by the ‘keeper.
It felt like the fourth goal would come sooner rather than later and as the 50th minute ticked by, Rudy Allen added the fourth with a beautiful curling effort from around 25-yards, which found the top corner.
Simon Grant had an uneventful night in goal and for most of the game to this point, he had been a spectator, but he had to be alert to rush off his line to clear a ball over the top from Hook, and then moments later to push a cross away in his six-yard box.
Goal number five for the home side came in the 71st minute after Warre beat two players on the left and played the ball to Allen, who squared it to James Clark, who took a touch to set himself before finding the bottom left corner of the Hook goal via a deflection.
‘Stoke then scored two more goals in the next ten minutes. First, Jonny Efedje made it 6-0 in the 78th minute, after latching onto a through ball from Allen and racing clear to slot home. D’Andre Brown then added the seventh just two minutes later, when he smashed the ball into the back of the net from 30 yards.
The final goal of the evening was scored in the 87th minute, when Aleks Kokoszka hit a beautiful free kick into the top left corner of the goal.
A great result for ‘Stoke, and great to see some of the injured players getting minutes as they make their way back to full fitness.
Basingstoke’s next game is in the Southern League Premier South, away against Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday 30th November, 3pm KO.
FT Basingstoke Town 8 – 0 Hook