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Town win in Cup clash

Generic_Basingstoke_Town_FC_1_of_1After two games and three hours of football, Town move into the third qualifying round of the FA Cup with a single goal victory over Bristol Manor Farm.

Town faced Bristol away on Saturday for the first leg and re-played them at the Camrose on Monday.

On Saturday, the Western League side Bristol Manor Farm took the lead in controversial style on 13 minutes. The Dragons appeared to have scored from a Stuart Lake header from a corner, with the ball crossing the line before being cleared. However, the assistant referee failed to agree.

While Town were protesting, Farm broke forward down the wing with Scott Feltham, who found Hiscox in the clear. Chris Tardif made a fine save, but could do nothing as the striker was first to the rebound.

Greg Draper tied the game with a strike from outside the box. Three minutes after the break, Town were in the lead, with Draper again finding the back of the net with another fine strike from the edge of the area.

The visitors pressed hard, but could not break down the home aside and were punished on 61 minutes when Feltham lobbed Tardif. Town struck the bar from Lake and Draper produced a fine save from Dean Graham in the home goal, but the final chance went to the home side and Ben Hiscox in the final minutes.

The Dragons went into the replay with scores level on 2 – 2.

The replay saw changes from Saturday, with 19-year-old former youth team keeper Lee Allen making his debut.
Town were again wasteful, missing a number of chances, but the important factor was that again for the third game running they had created them.

Inside five minutes, Laidler, who was strong all night, won the ball and put Powell clear. The young striker elected to square to Draper, who was in a better position, but he tried to take a second touch and his effort was smothered by the keeper.
Nathan Smart and Ogunbote linked up well before Smart unleashed a shot that Farm keeper Graham saved with his feet. Smart had another chance that he blasted over the bar.

Town were in total control and had several chances before the break. Just before the half-time break, it was the New Zealander, Draper, who settled the nerves.

He turned well after picking up the ball from Laidler and placed the ball into the far corner for his third goal in two games.
Town continued the high tempo after the break with Powell and Ogunbote going close in the first three minutes. The visitors had their best spell of the match so far, with Rob Rice forced to make a fine challenge to break up a low cross and Jay Gasson preventing Scott Feltham from scoring.

Generic_Basingstoke_Town_FC_2_1_of_1Farm substitutes Vice and Tom Dailly combined well, with the latter providing a decent save from Allen with his legs. Allen was forced to save again from Feltham, but the shot was straight at him.

As the game entered the last 10 minutes, the visitors looked to press for the equaliser and, although they created a couple of chances, they never really looked as though they were going to hurt the home side.

Inside the last five minutes, Dan Dunt headed a corner into the arms of Lee Allen, but the young keeper, who had spent long periods of the game as a spectator, needed to be alert a minute later.

He came out to punch the ball away, but did not get a great deal of distance and the ball fell to substitute James Stephens, who blasted goal-ward. But Allen pushed the effort away.

This was to be the last chance for both sides and a deserved win for the Dragons, which sets them up for a third qualifying round trip to Oxfordshire to play Zamaretto Premier Didcot Town.