Basingstoke Town 1 : Chelmsford City 1
A tough week for the Dragons saw them bag a draw with fellow play-off chasing Chelmsford City, having four nights earlier gone down to an eighth minute penalty against high flying Welling United at the Camrose.
Town made two changes to the Welling line up with Jide Ogunbote coming in for Stuart Lake failing to recover from a nasty blow to the head, and Adam Mekki had recovered from illness and was back in for Matt Warner. Manager Frank Gray praised the energy of his team and it was a totally different performance from the one against Welling. The Dragons bossed the game from kick-off on Saturday closing down their opponents and enjoyed the better of the first half, the midfield were first to the ball, the defence playing a higher line and crisp passing and a much higher tempo saw the hosts pen the visitors back. City improved in the second half and both sides had chances to win the game.
On Tuesday night Welling secured the points courtesy of an 8th minute penalty, and an early goal against the run of play on Saturday saw City take the lead. Angus MacDonald had the first opportunity shooting well wide in the 3rd minute but former Town shot stopper, Stuart Searle, was tested a few minutes later when his own defender, Adam Tann, chested down and Searle was forced to dive and save.
Ten minutes in, the Town defence were caught cold on a chilly day. A quick throw by Justin Miller found Kezie Ibe, one of two men who had got behind the home defence, and he converted into the far corner from the edge of the box. Town immediately hit back, Shaun McAuley had a half-hearted appeal for a penalty waived away and Nathan Smart saw an acrobatic effort go over the bar. Tann flashed a header across the face of goal from a free kick for the visitors and Searle was forced to tip Bradley Bubb’s header over the bar from a Wes Daly free kick in a frenetic opening quarter of an hour.
Town were sticking to their game plan that was reaping rewards but were almost caught out playing a high back line when Ashley Bayes was forced to come out and clear ahead of the advancing Ibe. Town had another good opportunity with the ball breaking to Bubb and he got a shot away as he appeared to be pulled back and Searle spilled one of several efforts on the day that somehow his defence managed to scramble clear.
Chelmsford themselves had a couple of chances to double their lead with Greg Morgan volleying over the bar and a poor pass in mid-field by Ogunbote found Ibe who played in Max Cornhill but his execution was poor. Town were nearly on level terms eight minutes from the end of the half as Bubb played in Toby Little and his effort flashed across the face of goal just wide. Town had been good in mid-field and Mekki had been lively on the flank and they got their reward on the stroke of half time finally getting a penalty decision. Mekki found Tim Sills on the right and the Town forward was checked outside the area, play was allowed to go on but Kenny Clark tripped him from behind leaving referee Tim Wood no alternative than to award the spot kick. Daly blasted his effort high and central into the back of the net to level the scores.
Half-time: Basingstoke Town 1 Chelmsford City 1
Searle looked uneasy at times and in the second minute after the re-start he dropped the ball under little pressure from a corner right onto the goal-line. As Town desperately tried to force the ball home the visiting ‘keeper managed to fall on it and avert the danger.
The visitors changed their approach in the second half opting for a more direct approach in order to reach their forwards and to take out the engine room of the home mid-field. This tactic proved successful and it was now the turn of the away side to pen in the hosts. City had a couple of chances with Greg Morgan shooting straight at Bayes and Craig Parker hitting the side netting.
Just past the hour mark Searle made his third error flapping at Little’s cross and it took a good block to prevent Bubb smashing the loose ball into the net, frustratingly Searle had had the luck and had got away with his mistakes. Jay Gasson and MacDonald needed to be alert to break up a couple of promising chances for the visitors. With ten minutes to go the hosts brought on David Pratt in place of Tim Sills as the visitors had made all three changes and the fresh legs were getting a grip on the game.
With five minutes left McAuley hobbled off and Town fans were pleased to see the return of Delano Sam-Yorke having missed the last six games since his injury at Brentford. Referee Wood found five minutes of added time which proved to be frenetic. Parker chose to shoot wide for the visitors when he had team mates better positioned and Bayes found his way into the referee’s notebook for his delay in taking the goal kick. Pratt fed Sam-Yorke and the striker’s effort from a tight angle was palmed away by Searle. At the other end Michael Bakare shot well wide for City but the last chance fell to the hosts in the final seconds of added time, Searle again dropped a high ball and Sam-Yorke, short of match time, was unable to force the loose ball home. Honours even and a fair result and the Dragons will go into the Christmas period in eighth place just four points off a play-off spot. Manager Frank Gray and most fans would have taken this if offered at the start of the season and there is still all to play for in the final four months.
Dragons visit Maidenhead United on Boxing Day.
Town: Bayes, Smart, Little, MacDonald, Gasson, Ogunbote, Daly, McAuley (Sub Sam-Yorke 84 mins), Sills (sub Pratt 80 mins), Bubb, Mekki. Subs (not used): Warner, Gradwell, Morris.
