Tiverton Town 0
Basingstoke 5
Ferdinand 9, 45 Cook 14, 48 Ainsworth 18
Attendance 326
Saturday 1st March 2025
At The Slee Blackwell Stadium
The Yellows went into this game looking to get off to a winning start in the first of three successive home games, knowing that a good points return from them would greatly improve their chances of beating the drop. They ended the game soundly and emphatically beaten, in arguably their worst home performance of the season.
The nature of the loss could leave scars and with Tuesday night's game against Havant & Waterlooville hot on the heels of this one, it’s important that we quickly put it behind us and focus on the next One. Although I agree that is easier said than done.
New signing, Striker Joe Beardwell was included amongst the substitutes and Captain Matt Britton who has cracked Ribs, was side-lined. Basingstoke having only won once in their previous 12 games and that victory coming quite a while back on January 11th, couldn’t have been full of confidence.
Tiverton gave little indication of what was to follow in the opening exchanges and settled a little better and were on the front foot, increasing their attacking endeavours in a promising start. Dylan Jones’s sense of adventure forcing a corner. A good block and a smart piece of handling from keeper Mack Allan, denying us.
However, when possession was lost up field around 20 yards from the corner flag, our visitor’s broke and although there was still plenty to do in order to make it a decisive break, Tivvy were stretched and failed to cope with an attack that resulted in them conceding a free kick in a dangerous position.
The delivery in, fuelled the predatory instincts of Liam Ferdinand and he climbed higher than his marker, to head home for Basingstoke. That goal arrived in the Ninth minute and Five minutes later Rob Dray’s Yellows fell further behind, as the away side’s skipper Ben Cook fired into the net from close range.
Worse was to come! A brief response in which Niall Thompson tested Allan from range was only momentary respite. Another free kick was conceded and another set piece was not dealt with and a Scott Armsworth header added to Tiverton’s woes. A deflated Yellows were three down after 18 minutes!
The Referee was perhaps lenient when a good penalty shout for the visitors was waved away in the 20th minute. An obvious sense of desperation saw Defender Sam Gleeson make way for new signing, striker Joe Beardwell shortly afterwards.
In the 34th minute Dylan Jones was upended in a good area for Tiverton to threaten from the resulting free kick. Unfortunately, though, Niall Thompson’s over hit delivery saw the ball go out of play.
Any thoughts of a stirring comeback ended on the verge of half time, when Ferdinand doubled his match tally and completed The Yellows’ First Half Horror Show, as he flicked home Lewis Colwell’s inviting cross.
A Shell-shocked team returned to the dressing room and whatever was said in the confines of it, saw them back out well ahead of their Hampshire opponents for the second half.
Players don’t deliberately play badly, but collectively on Saturday we were a poor second best. Only the eternal optimist would have seen a turnaround happening here. Stoke of course could play with complete freedom and The Yellow’s with a mixture of damage limitation and pride.
Cook equalled Ferdinand’s brace with an outstanding volley from a cross in and his technique was reminiscent of that much lauded Paolo Di Canio strike. Despite the circumstances, you could only admire Cook’s effort.
It was going to be a long half before that 48th minute, fifth goal for our opponents and although that was the end of the scoring, there was plenty of debate around the ground about this painful defeat.
For the record; Jeff Forkuo replaced Joe Parker who appeared to take a knock in the 57th minute, Asa Hall’s thumping header produced a tremendous save from Allan minutes later and Nat Jarvis was withdrawn just after the hour mark, with Dan Koita replacing him.
The game petered out into pretty much an anti-climax. There was nearly a debut goal for Beardwell, but he narrowly missed the target.
Basingstoke almost had a Sixth, but a shot was dragged wide and a good passing move that was out of step with much of Tiverton’s display, concluded with an attempt going past the post.
It was marginally better in the second half; however, I can’t disguise this as a compliment. The nature of this result can scarcely have come at a worse time and there will be much to review ahead of Tuesday night’s game against Havant & Waterlooville. The importance of the fans support then, cannot be underestimated.
Tiverton: Duncan, Thompson, J. Jones(c), Down, Gleeson, Hall, Cummins, D. Jones, Day, Jarvis, Parker
Subs: Beardwell, Forkuo, Koita, Kelly