After a great start to the season Basingstoke Town have now gone three games without a win following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Woking Town.
Town's visit to Kingfield saw 'keeper Ashley Bayes, Jay Gasson, Toby Little and manager Frank Gray all returning to their old club. Top goalscorer Delano Sam-Yorke failed to make the trip having picked up a hamstring injury, and with four goals in four games this term the striker's threat was certainly missed by the visitors. Winger Matt Warner replaced him in the starting 11.
Woking, one of the favourites for promotion back to the Blue Square Premier, came into the game on the back of two draws but started with an unchanged side.
The game was only four minutes old when a ball over the top was chested down by Giuseppe Sole in the box. The ball fell straight to the feet of Moses Ademola on the edge of the box who smashed his shot past Ashley Bayes and onto the under side of the bar. The rebound found Elvis Hammond who slotted home well from close range for his second goal of the campaign.
The Cards continued to play positive football and Adam Newton won the ball inside the Woking half and charged forward and straight through the Basingstoke midfield. Playing a quick one-two with Moses he lost the ball on the edge of the box. Woking again came forward again when Sole played in the ball from a tight angle that Bayes could only get a hand to, and Jay Gasson ended up clearing off the line.
Basingstoke’s’ only answer to the home side was to go route one, hitting long balls into the box and relying on set pieces with limited success. A Warner free kick from the right was put behind for a corner, from which David Pratt shot into the side netting.
On the stroke of half time Warner tried an overhead kick, which was blocked with the rebound being sent wide By Toby Little. In stoppage time Jack King went close from a free kick, which Bayes had to push over the bar.
Woking's Dale Binns was replaced by Nathan Koranteng at the interval to try and reinforce the home side's attacking options. Ademola almost got on the end of a through ball and Jack King smashed a free kick into the defensive wall. Woking were still creating chances and Koranteng broke down the left, played a good ball into the middle for Elvis to take down but the striker mishit his shot.
As the game wore on Basingstoke seemed to grow in confidence and Woking increasingly found it hard to break out of their own half. A second overhead kick, this time from David Pratt, went way over the goal and never threatened to call Andy Little into action. Sole and Hammond made way for Wayne Gray and Jay Davies on the hour mark while the visitors take of Shaun McAuley for Rob Gradwell.
But it made little difference to the flow of the game, with Basingstoke continuing to press forward. With 15 minutes left Jide Ogunbote came on for Stuart Lake and with one of his first touches had a shot from the edge of the area deflected over the bar. Late on the home side almost scored a second when Gray flicked the ball on towards the back post but Ademola couldn't connect with the ball.
As time ran out Toby Little had a chance to level the scores with a free kick from a central position but could only find namesake Andy in the Woking goal. The last key action of the match was a free kick in a central position and a chance for Basingstoke to save a point but Toby Little could only find his namesake in the Woking goal. The defeat saw Basingstoke drop to 11th in the Blue Square South ahead of Monday's home game against Hampton & Richmond.
