Rylands Way, Saturday 25 October 2003

Another slip up cost Bassett dear as they suffered a 1-0 loss to Henley Town. Bassett sputtered after a great performance midweek – Raymond Spence doing the damage late in the first half. However, Bassett were unlucky to be kept out in the second half as, despite intense pressure, some fine shot stopping from Stuart Gosby ensured Henley kept a clean sheet.

Henley threatened most in the early proceedings and Spence came close in the eleventh minute when his header from the edge of the area was easily dealt with by Rich Stevens. Henley continued to press but nothing came from these attacks.

Mark Simpkins fired straight at Gosby in the twentieth minute before three minutes later Geoff Swatton shot from the edge of the area beating Gosby, but only for it to rebound off the crossbar.

Spence then capitalised on a Rob Hopkins error as he hit wide from fifteen yards on twenty seven minutes.

On the half hour mark Sam Reason came close for Bassett when he shot wide from a Neil Bridges ball.

A minute later Henley took the lead when Bassett sweeper Rob Hopkins was caught off guard giving Spence room to work with and from a ball over the top, he classily lobbed Rich Stevens from twenty five yards out. Henley continued to pressure but failed on many occasions to increase their lead.

Just before half time Steve Yeardley was booked for dissent.

Bassett had a new found energy in the second half which showed straight away when in the fiftieth minute Paul Patel played through Geoff Swatton who shot from eight yards, but it was brilliantly tipped over by Gosby.

Swatton came close again four minutes later when he hit wide a Mark Simpkins ball unmarked from fifteen yards.

Gosby again denied Bassett in the 62nd minute when Patel laid the ball to John Magani who shot on the turn but Gosby clung onto the ball. Bassett then made a change bringing Ben Gascoyne on for Magani.

In the 64th minute Carl Thomas had a header ricochet off the bar from a Stuart Holt free kick.

Bassett brought on another attacking option ten minutes from time when Carl Taylor replaced Mark Simpkins.

Henley nearly increased their lead two minutes later when substitute Andy Youngman hit the side netting after latching onto a Thomas ball.

Paul Davis replaced Rob Hopkins four minutes from time. Davis went up front to give Bassett more aerial threat in the closing stages.Three minutes later Gosby turned away another Swatton shot after Neil Bridges put an overhead kick into the box after receiving a Rich Willis throw.

It was too little too late though for Bassett as they fell to their eighth defeat of the season although poor decisions made by the match officials, particularly the assistant referees who seemed to both want to be the man in the middle, contributed to the defeat.

Bassett were denied a couple of penalty decisions for fouls on Rich Willis and often in the closing stages free kicks were given to the defence when it was the Bassett players who were actually pushed. The influential Matt Bennett was much missed as well.

Scoop's Man of the Match: Rich Willis – strong and commanding in the air all game; solid in the tackle as well.

Scoop Rating: 8/10 – A battling performance with another lapse in concentration costing them. Poor officiating didn't help either.

Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Thursday 3rd September 2020 at 10:30