After a run of poor results and defensive errors that had cost Basingstoke dear in recent games, manager Frank Gray needed a strong performance.
And they produced the goods for him away against Bishop’s Stortford at Woodside Park on Saturday.
Town made one change to the starting line-up, with Jidi Ogunbote returning in place of Matt Pattison. Town started in a 3-5-2 formation, with Jay Gasson at left back, David Pratt up front and Greg Draper sitting back behind the strikers in midfield.
The home side were first to get a shot on target, providing an easy save for Chay Morris from Harlee Dean. Town responded with a great crossfield ball, which Matt Warner volleyed from 30 yards, but former Town keeper Ross Kitteridge held on to the ball.
Both defences were in control and the game went through a quiet spell with most of the action in the middle of the park.
Approaching the half hour mark, Stuart Lake smashed a shot over the bar from the edge of the box and two minutes later flashed a header just wide from a Warner cross.
On 34 minutes, it was third time lucky for Lake – a long ball forward from Callum Reynolds on half way was misjudged by Kitteridge and the keeper just managed to get the ball out for a corner. Lake bravely dived in from close range from the resulting set piece to fire the visitors into the lead.
The goal fired up the home side, with Morris doing well to save at the feet of George Wippet and Dean the third home player booked after fouling Sam-Yorke.
The hosts started the second half brightly and, just five minutes in, Sanchez Ming fired a free kick just wide of the post.
With the game moving from end to end, Adams found himself in the box on the end of a cross from Ogunbote, but it resulted in an easy save for Kitteridge.
Play switched up-field and Warner blasted a shot at his former team mate in the Stortford goal. Draper played a fine ball in to Sam-Yorke, but Kitteridge was quick off his line to block the angle and prevent the Town striker a shot on goal, ending a six-minute frenetic spell.
Just past the hour mark, the home side made a double substitution in order to attempt to turn the game in their favour.
Just three minutes later, they could have been level when Dean’s overhead kick went wide from Lettejallow’s cross.
Town began to have more chances and looked the most likely to score. Twenty minutes from time, Kitteridge did well to thwart Sam-Yorke after good work from Pratt, chesting the ball down and playing in his fellow striker, who saw his effort come back off the crossbar.
Draper was allowed to flick on a free kick and good defending denied Pratt an opportunity, with the ball ending on the roof of the net.
Nine minutes from time, Rob Rice smashed a shot at Kitteridge, the former Town man only able to palm the ball away.
Pratt did well to keep the ball in play and exchanged passes with Rice, who crossed into the box, populated with Dragons players, but it was Ogunbote who got on the end of the cross and put the ball into the back of the net.
The home side posed no late problems for the visitors and ’Stoke made three late substitutions with Warner making way for Gary Frewen and Sam-Yorke and Ogunbote for Matt Pattison and Nathan Smart.
The much-needed win for the Dragons now means that they will not be involved in any late relegation drama and now must push on to produce a similar performance in their remaining four games starting on April 16 at home to Hampton and Richmond Borough.
