Basingstoke Town fans' hopes for the coming season received a timely boost after the Dragons held a Reading XI to a 2-2 at the Camrose on Saturday.
Striker Tim Sills and midfielder David Pratt scored the goals for the home side, who more than held their own against a young Reading team. Starting in a 4-2-3-1 formation, it was Sills who got Basingstoke up and running after just four minutes when he rose at the back post to head home a a cross from Toby Little on the left, the ball striking the inside of the post before bouncing over the line.
The home side continued to create chances with the opposition, containing a number of young players and trialists, looking disjointed. Midfielder David Pratt headed a chance wide on seven minutes while Wes Daly sent a shot arrowing past the post and Little had an effort charged down by a Reading defender.
Shortly after target man Sills, who was proving himself to be a real handful for his markers, flicked on a corner that Delano Sam-Yorke narrowly failed to put past 'keeper Jon Henly who made the save. When Reading equalised on 14 minutes it was against the run of play. Craig Tanner broke down the right and sent the ball into striker Dominik Samuel.
The forward failed to control the ball but got a second bite of the cherry when Aarron Twhbola cut it back for him and he made no mistake to level the scores, shooting past Ashley Bayes. Town were uncooked, however, and Daly released Shaun McAuley with a clever pass. Daly broke forward to receive the return ball, putting over a cross that the unlucky Sam-Yorke was only inches away from getting on the end of.
He should have done better, however, when Bob Rice did well on the right and sent over a low ball that Sam-Yorke made a poor contact with, allowing his marker to clear. The visitors were offering little in the way of attacking threat with only a shot along the ground from Tanner troubling Bayes between the sticks.
After going in at the interval all square it was Town who again made the early breakthrough in the second half, going 2-1 ahead on 48 minutes. Daly took a quick free kick to Pratt who had all the time in the world to compose himself, take a touch and fire the ball past the diving Henly.
Daly looked the class act on show and a pinpoint ball found Sills on the right shortly after the goal. The striker sent in the ball to Pratt whose effort was straight at Henly. Reading made it 2-2 on the hour after a rare mistake from Daly, who made a rash challenge to give away a free kick in a dangerous area.
Craig Tanner stepped up and wrong-footed Bayes to curl the ball into the corner of the net and level the scores for a second time. Town boss Frank Gray rang the changes with Matt Warner, Jide Ogunbote, Wilson Gondwe and Rob Gradwell replacing Sam-Yorke, Sills, Stuart Lake and Rice.
Basingstoke could have gone further ahead on 70 minutes when the ball fell to Little on the edge of the area but his shot struck the outside of the post and went out. As the home side faded the visitors' better fitness levels started to tell and when Warner gave the ball away Josh Webb danced through and found himself with just Bayes to beat but the 'keeper made a fantastic double save to deny first Webb and then Tanner as he followed up.
As the game moved into the final stages Warner slung over a ball that fellow replacement Ogunbote volleyed wide, before substitute Simon Dunn marked his entrance to the game with a shot from distance that Henly was always behind. Reading had a good chance to win the game at the death when Karl Oliyide almost met a cross at the back post but in truth they didn't deserve to win the game, and Basingstoke can go into their first Conference South game against Eastleigh on Saturday with their hopes high.
