Basingstoke Town’s FA Cup campaign ended at the second hurdle with a 4-2 home defeat to seventh tier Weston-Super-Mare, despite repeatedly fighting back after a bad start on Saturday, September 3.

The Seagulls arrived at the Winklebury Football Complex as the joint highest ranked side in the competition at this stage, having got off to a flying start in their league, they immediately set about showing their higher status as Basingstoke fell two goals behind within the opening 12 minutes.

A third minute header from a tight angle at the far post from Reuben Reid opened the scoring before Jordan Bastin rounded Paul Strudley to double the deficit less than 10 minutes later.

Town responded well to the setback and pulled a goal back midway through the first period. Wimbledon loanee Ben Mason marked his debut for the club with a high, hanging cross that visiting keeper Max Harris dropped into the net under heavy pressure from Ezio Touray.

‘Stoke were rejuvenated and pushed for the equaliser, Brad Wilson mightily unlucky to see his first-time curling effort bounce down of the underside of the crossbar and the two-goal cushion was restored for Weston-Super-Mare when the unfortunate Scott Armsworth turned a left wing cross into his own net just before the break.

Basingstoke bounced back quickly, Touray scoring their second within 75 seconds of the restart to make it 3-2 and had further chances to pull his side level when he glanced a header across the face of goal and grazed the post with an overhead kick.

The hosts’ efforts were in vain though as Marlow Jackson finished off a corner routine for the away side by nodding home from close range at the far post and as Weston-Super-Mare displayed their ability to see a game out by retaining possession, the gap was just too large for Town to bridge.