Rebels' unbeaten run ends with defeat at Basingstoke

Basingstoke Town

Basingstoke Town

4
Jarvis (48, 65), Owusu (62), Redford (90+5)
Slough Town

Slough Town

1
Putman (22)
League Attendance: 598 Lewis Putman
Slough’s long unbeaten run in the league is over after the Rebels suffered a heavy defeat at Basingstoke Town.

The Rebels had taken the lead midway through the first half, but the game turned on a number of key moments – first a save from Alex Tokarczyk to deny Charlie Moone, and then the dismissal of Mark Nisbet for a late challenge early in the second half.

It was a game where not much went right for the Rebels against a rapidly improving Basingstoke side - who had won three of their previous five league games - and Slough now find themselves light on numbers for Tuesday evening’s home match against Dorchester after also losing Lee Togwell and Paul Stonehouse to injury, adding to those already missing.

Warren Harris’ chipped cross was just too high for Moone to make contact with as Slough started well, but Togwell suffered a gashed ankle with ten minutes played. Lewis Putman emerged from the bench to replace him as Slough altered their formation.

Neither side could generate any kind of momentum as the game moved from end to end. Moone snatched at a shot 25 yards out, but the ball dribbled harmlessly wide.

But with the first real chance of the match, Slough took the lead with 22 minutes on the clock. James Dobson’s free kick was cleared to Nathan Webb, and he played it to his left for Putman to shift it onto his left foot and drill a low shot into the bottom corner.

Basingstoke responded with Richie Whittingham getting in a good strike from outside the box, which Mark Scott got down well to turn away.

The home side continued to press forward without finding the final pass. A flowing move ended with Charlie Kennedy heading over and for Slough, Webb’s weak shot from 20 yards was easily saved.

Two minutes before the interval, Tokarczyk kept the hosts in the game with a fantastic reaction save, turning Moone’s header from Stonehouse’s inviting cross onto the post.

Slough were caught cold within three minutes of the second half starting as Basingstoke equalised from a corner kick. Sam Deadfield whipped a low ball in to the near post and Aaron Jarvis reacted quicker than Simon Dunn, turning the ball home.

And on 55 minutes, Nisbet was given his marching orders when he caught Deadfield high and late on the halfway line, giving the referee no alternative.

Slough immediately introduced Dan Hicks in place of Moone and the Rebels had to reshuffle once again. It became clear that should the Rebels leave The Camrose with anything, it would represent a good result.

Harris’ shot at the near post was turned behind by Tokarczyk as Slough counter-attacked, but it didn’t take long for the home side to make their numerical advantage count.

Michael Atkinson fed Nana Owusu, who had moved to the left wing having started the match at full-back, and he hit an unstoppable strike across Scott that went in off the far post.

Two minutes later, Jarvis showed great pace to run onto a long ball forward on the right hand side of the penalty area where he was flattened by a rash shoulder charge from Guy Hollis. A penalty was awarded and Slough faced a mountain to climb when Jarvis dusted himself down to slam the penalty down the middle of the goal to make it 3-1.

Basingstoke dominated possession with Slough offering little - chasing shadows and struggling to win the ball, or keep it when they did. Scott made a good save from Deadfield to keep Slough in with a remote chance, but the clock ticked down with the home side content to keep the ball and slow the game down as much as possible.

Jarvis could have completed his hat trick with five minutes left, but fired over after turning past two defenders.

However Basingstoke did have another goal in them, as in the fifth minute of time added on, substitute Aaron Redford added a superb individual goal. Webb appeared to have been fouled in the build-up, but Redford continued, cutting inside from the right onto his left foot and drilling in a fine strike which found the back of the net via a post, leaving Slough soundly beaten on the day.

Basingstoke Town Lineup

Alex Tokarczyk, Nana Owusu, Robert Atkinson, Michael Atkinson, Joe Gater, David Ray (c), Sam Deadfield, Charlie Kennedy, Romone Rose, Aaron Jarvis, Richie Whittingham. Substitutes: Aaron Redford, Kieran Greene, George Hallahan, Matt Partridge, Marcus Johnson-Schuster.

Rebels

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