Basingstoke

[Josh2002]

Finished 0-0, Kretzschmar missed a penalty in the second half. Will await further reports from those that were there.

[HamptonLifer5]

Think your report pretty much summed it up Josh truthfully! Typical Pre-Season game, lots of huffing lots of puffing but no real quality from either side. We look like a much harder working side mind.

[Tony]

If you were looking at this game as the dress rehearsal for the first game of the new season then the answer is going to be "a bit disappointing." Apart from the missing RGC ( no word as to why), this looked like the possible starting XI for Salisbury: Nash, Fernandez, De Havilland, Jackson, Widdrington, Atkinson, Fonguck, Mullins, Sodje (not yet signed), Max K and Sho-Silva. After our good start, Basingstoke came back into the game and hit the crossbar from a direct free kick and later had a header come off the post. We put in a few dangerous crosses but their keeper had only one save to make, a header from Fonguck ( I think). We looked a bit pedestrian in midfield, Basingstoke playing well through the lines whereas we found a good final ball more testing.By half time it was honours even. Second half saw us with more territorial possession but still pretty short of clear cut chances. Fonguck started to assert a bit more pressure but by then the round of subs led to a more open fragmented game and it was Nash who was called on to tip the ball onto the woodwork and out for a corner. The penalty looked like our only chance for a goal but Max missed the target completely and so it finished 0-0. Ince came on at CB so maybe that's where we are thinking of using him. I was rather hoping we might see 20 minutes of him leading midfield but that wasn't in the plan it seems. Sho-Silva lead the line well and it was a shame we couldn't see him in tandem with RGC. Bit too much long ball for my liking but that may sort itself out as players become more familiar with each other's game. Chesham put 6 past Basingstoke in an earlier PSF which may or may not tell us something.

[Lord Elpus]

I think once the season starts and the players get used to each other we'll be much more solid than last season, and that is reassuring. If Sho-Silva and RGC can click then we might be pretty good up front too. We've now had about our third summer in a row of having to assemble a new squad which takes time to get used to, but I'm feeling more optimistic than I was this time last season.

[HamptonMad]

Salisbury beat the big spenders Havant and Waterlooville 5.0.

[Thelittleowl1]

Fairly dull performance I felt. Not worried at all though.