Basingstoke V City

Any thoughts on tonight?
Last season's home game was phase 2 in our dreadful start - 4-0 down at half time I seem to remember.
If Phillips had'nt been alert on Saturday we could have been going the same way early on.
We got the rub of the green Saturday and I really hope we can get a solid start tonight to capitalise on that and get a result. A draw would suit me but I don't think we are going to get many clean sheets this season. We have goals in us so always go for a win I say.

Pretty much agree with every word of that. They battled well v. Ebbsflett by all accounts. If they are more clinical in finishing the chances we gave Wealdstone it could be a hiding, but we do look good going forward, McCootie is looking a nailed on start because of his presence, Watkins perhaps more the impact sub. Midfield is where we need a grip, Frankie couldnt influence on Saturday, Ash likewise, but Davies looks a real find supporting the attack. At the back? hmm worry about Gallinagh, Simmo is a loss at the moment. Can Coupe last 90m?

Watkins not involved at all tonight. Coupe starts. Very young bench.

And no Artus.

Twitter says we win. Are we top of the league?

Won 2-1; we were in 2nd place for a few seconds but now 4th;  five clubs with 100% record.

Steve Phillips voted MotM by BCIR Admin.

I suppose to put into context -

Four goals scored thus far, took us six games to reach that last season.
Six points accumulated thus far, took us until the seventh game to surpass that (a 2-1 win at Wealdstone).
Two penalties failed to be converted thus far, we only missed one in the whole of last season (excluding shoot-out).

Well that was a game that at least had a lot of talking points!

Two penalties (both missed), debatable whether the keeper should have been sent off for second, I said no, others around me yes. Some good football, Davies looks ace and McCootie was a handfull again. Nicholson's freekick was unsaveable, and yet, we easily could have drawn except Phillips pulled off the best double save I think I've ever seen.

So all in all, a worthwhile trip!

Agree with everything there, Jon. I think the ref made the correct decision giving the keeper a yellow. A special mention to Coupey. I love the way he is keeping everything simple - he knows his limitations but has really steadied the ship. It was great to see him bawling at the others in the closing minutes, keeping them on their toes. We didn't ever see that last year.

Interesting about the double save. From the stand the first appeared to rebound so sharply that I assumed it had hit the post. Makes his recovery for the second even more remarkable.

Although these injuries are a concern, it's good to see the young players being involved.

That ref has been consistently good in other Conf south games, think we have had him a few times over the years.

Both were nailed on fouls but for our first penalty contact appeared to be outside the box. I'll upload the photo later. There's no way he could have spotted it at that speed though. Second was stonewall and yellow was correct, Davies had over-hit the ball.

It's also the first time we've won our opening two games of the season since 2005.

When we went on to win the third game as well and eventually finished runners up. Time to go one better!

Luton Roman wrote:Pretty much agree with every word of that. They battled well v. Ebbsflett by all accounts. If they are more clinical in finishing the chances we gave Wealdstone it could be a hiding, but we do look good going forward, McCootie is looking a nailed on start because of his presence, Watkins perhaps more the impact sub. Midfield is where we need a grip, Frankie couldnt influence on Saturday, Ash likewise, but Davies looks a real find supporting the attack. At the back? hmm worry about Gallinagh, Simmo is a loss at the moment. Can Coupe last 90m?

I understand that Sekani is waiting for assessment, so a bit of an unknown factor, at the moment.

The Academy team seemed to have carried on the first team's luck with penalties earlier. Awarded one after a few minutes which was saved. Then awarded another late on...which was easily scored.

They won 5-2.

It seems obvious that with his accuracy in dead ball situations, the obvious candidate to take penalties is Nicholson. Quite why Kington took the 2nd last night is a total mystery to me, but it was just as feeble as his first. Jason Mellor would have had a good chance of saving both.

Presume Dave Pratt doesnt want them at the moment, but I agree Nicholson would be the obvious choice, perhaps Davies also who can hit it with some venom.

A quick look suggests that Nicholson hasn't been a penalty taker for any of his previous sides. The only record I could find of him taking one was in a penalty shoot out for Torquay again Southampton in 2009. He missed!

I would think next off the rank (when he's fit) would be Frankie Artus.

Can't believe their manager. He reckons the tackle that led to our 1st goal wasn't a foul. What game was he watching!
Also the Basingstoke Fans Forum is a bit quiet......not a single comment on last nights game that I can find!
Roll on Saturday, what a difference to last seasons start....I might even be tempted to stay a little longer unless my visa runs out.

I stepped up to take a penalty tonight, which was unusual in itself as I seldom take them and when I have my record is fairly average.

Instead we brought on a sub before I could run up. Anything Bath City related is not trusted to take one anymore. He scored, by the way.

So its 2 from 2 for Nicho as Dave Pratt has conceded that he didnt get a touch on the Wealdstone goal according to the Chronicle.

That was tongue in cheek wasn't it? I'm usually a bit hesitant announcing goals like that but I'm absolutely certain he got a touch.

Yep, reading it again, and Kev's comments on Twitter confirms it's a wind-up. My 100% record of announcing correct goalscorers this season remains.

To be fair if you had got McCootie wrong there would have been a stewards inquiry.