BASINGSTOKE Town followed up last week’s amazing 10-3 victory with another deserved home win, this time 3-0 over play-off hopefuls King’s Langley.
Town boss Martin Kuhl made three changes to last week’s line-up of which two were forced, as Manny Williams was back in the Slough starting XI and centre-half Matt Casey was on the bench for Portsmouth.
With Casey unable to play, it meant all five Town centre halves were unavailable and so Kuhl signed Kraig Noel-McLeod from QPR and he played alongside make shift centre half Dean Stow.
The pair did exceptionally well all game against a very lively King’s Langley front line.
Other changes saw the returning Michael Atkinson go straight back into the starting line-up, while Jahson Downes also back at the club was on the bench.
Town had the first real chance of the game on five minutes as Sam Argent fired just wide from a nice feed from Dan Collier.
They then took the lead on 19 minutes. This was after, Dean Stow’s free-kick had come off the wall for a corner. Sam Deadfield played the corner short to Harry Pearse and he blasted it across the goal, where Argent nodded in from the goal line.
After this the home side had the better of the game, but the next good chance fell to the visitors as Andronicos Georgiou was sent clear down the right wing and only a superb save from Tom McGill with his legs denied him.
Town then went straight up the other end of the field and a lovely back heel from Argent into the path of Pearse, saw the impressive midfielder slot the ball home on 41 minutes.
Just three minutes after the interval, the home side so nearly scored a third as Pearse found Sam Smart with a great ball, he passed inside to Deadfield and the midfielder’s shot came back off the inside of the post.
A minute later, King’s Langley’s Dylan Switters went on a great solo run, but fired the ball over.
Town were next to go close again after Deadfield robbed Switters and found Pearse and his shot was inches wide, with former Town goalkeeper Alex Tokarcyzk well beaten.
Soon after, Stow’s glancing header from Deadfield’s corner hit the crossbar.
The home side continued to control the game with no real clear-cut chances for the visitors.
Then with five minutes left the three points were made safe.
Argent found sub Downes and his lovely slide rule pass to Smart allowed him to slot home.
Smart so nearly added a fourth in the final minute of play, but his bullet shot came back off the post, after good build up play from Deadfield and Downes.
Town will now hope to make it a hat-trick of the wins on Tuesday night at Chesham.
After Saturday’s game, the Dragons found out their draw in the Hampshire Senior Cup semi-finals.
They will be at home to either Bournemouth Poppies or Southampton’s under-23 side. The date for this game will be announced after they play their quarter-final tie on Tuesday night.
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