Dan Brownlie said his group of players continued to go above and beyond in delivering all three points on Saturday, despite a first half red card for Shaun Dallimore with the score tied at 1-1.
Conor Lynch continued his fine start to the season, scoring twice to hit double figures in just nine appearances.
A bye in the FA Trophy and a midweek postponement meant that Town had a two-week break to reset after their flying start to the season dipped slightly with a league draw at home to early strugglers Chalfont St. Peter, a cruel shootout defeat to League 1 Portsmouth and a stoppage time exit from the FA Cup all within a week.
The break seemed to come at a good time as ‘Stoke looked to injured players to return.
As it was, Stefan Brown, George Reid and Scott Armsworth remain sidelined for at least another week but with Lynch showing his ability to score from anywhere on the pitch, they still earned a fourth win in five league games.
The striker’s first came just six minutes into the contest, squirming free of his marker before rounding Chipstead ‘keeper Matthew Kerbey and sliding a finish beyond the covering defender on the line.
Chipstead dominated possession but Basingstoke were the bigger threat through their front three on the counter.
Winger McKoy Palmer curled against the crossbar and Lynch was denied by a key save from Kerbey before Chipstead equalised against the run of play on 28 minutes. Kofi Anokye-Boadi darted past a hesitant Dallimore and played Kieran Lavery in behind.
Lavery rounded home stopper Paul Strudley and squared to give Tom Collins a simple finish , tapping into the empty net from a yard out.
The teams appeared to be heading into the break all square but on the stroke of half-time, Dallimore was judged to have brought down Andy Kabuiku-Somo when through on goal and was dismissed.
The Basingstoke faithful could have been forgiven for accepting a point as the second half kicked off but Lynch produced a wonder goal to put his side back in front. Chasing Daryl Wollers’ long pass into the corner there was no thought of holding it up.
Instead, Lynch lifted the ball over the stranded Kerbey and into the net from an outrageous angle and suddenly Basingstoke had a lead to defend.
Defend it they did, as a disciplined final half hour kept Chipstead at bay while Strudley was equal to Lavery’s glancing header late on and attention now turns to the FA Trophy and a quest for revenge away at Melksham Town following defeat to the same opponents in the Trophy two years ago.
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