Basingstoke Town Reserves 4 Corinthian Casuals Res 2

PETER GRAY’S side completed their second win of the season with a fully deserved victory at the Camrose on Wednesday night.

But it was not all easy as the visitors came back twice. However, the home side killed them off.

From the side which beat Maidenhead three days previous, Town brought in Joshua Thomas, signed this week from Swindon, and was unused as a substitute at Aldershot on Tuesday. Defender Anthony Millerick played the full 90 minutes.

The first chance of the game came after seven minutes as Clint Bassett pulled a good chance wide, before the visitors, who looked dangerous on the break, also shot wide.

On the half-hour, Basingstoke took the lead as Nathan Wallace, way out on the left, tricked his man and sent in a long shot which took Casuals’ goalkeeper, Simon Allen, by surprise as it sailed over his head into the net.

The visitors took only three minutes to level as Goodwin did well to get a cross and Azagbo headed past Clive Lyttle.

Just three minutes after the restart, Basingstoke regained the lead as a right-wing cross from Simon Herbert saw Lee Moseley – a new signing from the Bracknell area – score with an easy tap-in.

Once again, the visitors hit back as Wallace did well to block a header on the line. From the rebound, Elliott Lyewood was quick to react from three yards out.

Basingstoke withstood a good spell from the Casuals and regained the lead in the 58th minute as Moseley (right) scored again, quick to take advantage of a near-post cross from Wallace.

The fourth came in the 85th minute when Jon Finnieston received a through-ball out of defence and ran through and lobbed the advancing keeper.

Needless bookings from Thomas and Rob Deacon came just before Bassett was denied by a one-on-one with the visiting ’keeper as he tried to add a fifth.

Tomorrow, the reserves travel to Casuals looking to complete an early-season league double.

Basingstoke: Lyttle, Herbert, Thomas, Anderson, Deacon, Millerick, Ray, Moseley (Sayers), Finnieston, Bassett, Wallace. Subs (not used): Dinham, Woozley, Ben Sumner, Frost.