Basingstoke Town got their season off to a fine start with a 2-0 victory over Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium on Saturday.
It was the dragons’ best start to a season since Sergio Torres and Mark Peters bagged the goals against Dorchester in August 2005. Six years on it was Delano Sam-Yorke with two well-taken goals that ensured the points were secured for the away side.
Basingstoke, who had only won three of their previous 12 league games against the hosts, were much changed from last season with league debuts for Ashley Bayes, Toby Little, Wes Daly, Shaun McAuley and the returning Tim Sills. The home side made a bright start and a mistake from Jay Gasson almost allowed Andrew White an opportunity in the first minute, White’s effort being deflected for a corner.
At the other end a Daly free kick was headed just over the bar by David Pratt who was influential at both ends of the park for the visitors. On 10 minutes Eastleigh conjured up one of their better moves of the game when Ryan O’Hara fed a neat ball down the right for Andrew White who found Richard Gillespie with a perfect cross only for Bayes to make a fine save.
Basingstoke opened the scoring against the run of play on 13 minutes. Sam-Yorke made a strong run towards goal and broke into the box before drilling his shot low into the corner of the net past ‘keeper Mike Green. The Dragons took control of the game, Pratt failing with a bicycle kick on 15 minutes and then flicking on a corner for Ross Adams whose powerful header went wide.
Eastleigh reshuffled their pack to cope with the skill and pace of Sam-Yorke, Jordan Rose replacing Ben Wilson at the back on 20 minutes. It made little difference and the striker made it 2-0 on 28 minutes converting a whipped in cross after good work from Daly in midfield.
Basingstoke comfortably saw out the first half, and after the interval the home side huffed and puffed but never looked like breaking down the visitors’ defence. A long ball forward saw Gillespie hold the ball up in the Basingstoke penalty area, the former Bashley forward made a great turn tumbling just as he was about to shoot. The referee was uninterested in any claims for a penalty.
Pratt came close with a good effort from a tight angle on the right, as his shot was driven dangerously across the face of goal, while on 68 minutes a long ball upfield from ‘keeper Green fell to White who controlled the loose ball and lashed a shot over the bar. Eastleigh had much more possession in the second half but despite periods of pressure Town looked in control.
Sam-Yorke came close to his hat-trick six minutes from the end following a quick free kick, but seemingly with the goal at his mercy an almost embarrassed Sam-Yorke momentarily hesitated with his shot allowing Green to make a fine block.
