With eight minutes to go Bassett trailed by 4 goals to nil but a late rally against unbeaten Stratton Juniors saw Bassett score three times to give title favourites, Stratton a fright . Despite a good first half performance Bassett somehow turned round at the break three goals behind. The home side having had three shots and scored from all of them, two looping over keeper Craig Munday from shots from the edge of the box. At the other end Bassett had created a number of chances but either bad luck or poor finishing let them down.
Bassett pushed Jonny Aitkenhead forward from the start of the second half in an attempt to get back in the match but went further behind when a Stratton forward kicked the ball out of keeper Munday's arms when he had it under control, unfortunately for Bassett the ref did not give a foul and Bassett were even further adrift. Bassett threw everything forward in the closing stages, pushing all but keeper Munday and David Lazenby up for corners and were rewarded when Jonny Aitkenhead scored with a free-kick from the edge of the box. Thinking this was the deserved consolation goal for the day the Bassett spectators would have settled for this but the children continued to press forward and were awarded what looked a harsh penalty for a push on Tom Marchment four minutes from time. Dominc Juggins coolly slotted home the spot kick to make it 2-4. Bassett continued to throw caution to the wind and in the very last minute a cross from Phil Forster was powerfully volleyed into the net by substitute Glenn Parlour to make it 3-4. Stratton had just enough time to take the kick-off before the whistle went for full time. A final score that probably flatters Bassett but at the same time the team did not deserve to be 3 down at the break. Special mention for William McCurrach who had an excellent game, starting for the first time this season in a league game. Phil Forster also had a good game, as did the three substitutes, Stuart Smedley, Glenn Parlour and Dan Strange who came on for Phil Tearle, Josh Dimond and Dean Wason when Bassett trailed 0-4.
Credit: Mark Smedley
Last modified on Sunday 29th November 2020 at 14:41
