Basingstoke Town 2-1 Kingstonian
MCALLISTER DOES IT AGAIN

Defeat at the hands of Bishop's Stortford a week prior to this visit to the Camrose Ground meant that the phrase "concentrate on the league" was muttered by more than one visitor to Basingstoke.

A late injury to Scott Smith meant that the side was changed from that intended, with Bashiru Alimi starting at left-back, and with Chris Bangura starting up-front alongside Stafford Browne in place of Grant Payne.

The K's defence - which had played so well from August to November - struggled throughout the first half. A long shot from Oliver Burgess tested Lance Key, and Craig McAllister almost turned the ball in when he spilled it. The K's custodian went down in the challenge with the Stokes' number nine, but recovered quickly.

Still, the early pressure was certainly in front of Key, and the break-through came on fifteen minutes for the home side. Burgess swung in a free-kick from the right, somebody headed upwards and Jason Bristow hooked the ball in from out wide.

The pressure continued unabated, with the only chance for K's seeing Scott Tarr inadvertently punch the ball across his own goal.

The scoreline was doubled on the half hour mark when Craig McAllister - always a thorn in the K's side - nudged home from six yards. Burgess sent in a corner from the right, Matthew Warner played the ball across goal and McAllister swooped.

Yet suddenly K's awoke from their slumber. An optimistic shot from Browne caused Tarr consternation as he palmed the ball away to his right. Bangura was on it in a flash, and from the tightest of angles scored his first goal for K's to bring them straight back into the game.

The introduction of Chris Nurse at half-time saw a change in the fortunes of the side, with the pressure now all at the end defended by Scott Tarr. That said, there were few actual chances - just a good deal of pressure.

Scott Steele came on in place of David Ocquaye with twenty-five minutes remaining and he made an immediate impact. A left-footed cross from the right was met by the on-rushing Liam Collins, but his shot went just wide.

There were calls for a K's penalty just after, when another shot from Collins struck Ben Surey on the arm. The referee waved away the appeals and surprisingly the linesman agreed with him.

There were late chances for both sides - in particular Browne, and at the other end McAllister forcing Key into a fine save - but the first-half goals proved enough.

Basingstoke really did deserve this win. The K's defence played poorly in the first half, and although there was an up-turn in the performance in the second, not enough chances were crafted to trouble Tarr.