Basingstoke & District League Match Reports from Sunday 1st October, By Tony Spencer.

It was end-to-end football in The Street, when pointless Division 1 side North Warnborough, entertained unbeaten Soldiers Return on Sunday, writes Tony Spencer. The visitors took an early lead after 5 minutes through Matt Kelly. After half an hour Alex Izzo made 0-2. Two minutes later Alex Jeffers converted a penalty, and a couple of minutes’ later Jeffers netted a solo effort to level 2-2. Fives minutes before the interval Jeffers latched onto a ball from Sean Delfoss to complete a first-half hat-trick for a 3-2 for Boro to lead at the break. Soldiers Return took control of the game and Izzo got his second to level 3-3 in a one-on-one with the keeper. Two goals in two minutes, the 65th and 67th, Kelly made it 3-5. Boro new signing Richard Hughes pulled one back to 4-5 before the end but a last equalizer eluded them.

Hampshire Irons took an early lead after Chris Morris scored from a James McIntosh corner. Jack Miller picked out McIntosh who made it 2-0 by half-time. However, it was all Republic of Chineham in the second half and, although Jack Rickard made lots of saves, it was not enough to stop the league leaders, as Finley Hall, Stuart Austin, Charlie Hart and Alex Pickering finished the game off 2-4 to the visitors.

Adam Gough set up Bobbi Frost to put visitors Eastrop Eagles 0-1 up, but Oakley leveled 1-1 by the interval by which time Eagles were down to 10 men. Oakley won 3-1, with goals from Sammie Aldoori, Dan Bloma and Myles Englefield.

Chineham reached double figures over AFC Soldiers, 10-1, with strikes by Chris Dobbie 4, James Hanley, Keiron Alleyne 3, Luke Neller and Matt Kempson.

Basingstoke Saints played well in an entertaining match away at UWS, and even led briefly 1-2 after an Adam Butler penalty and Liam James’ low strike. The hosts were 3-2 up at half-time, but Saints made a great comeback to level 3-3 from a free kick by Louis Woodman. Despite the disappointment of going behind 4-3 to a penalty, with 10 minutes to go, Neil Woodward scored his second goal of the season into the top corner to take a point off Division 2 leaders UWS. The home side goals came from Jake Gorman, who scored from a pass from Ryan Lupton, Tom Chant, Lupton from a long pass by Tyler Shayler, and the penalty was won by Lupton and converted by Mikey Davies.

Overton United were ahead after 5 minutes, John Sayers netting a Mike Burry pass, and on 15 minutes Scott Winterbourne pounced on a fumble by the keeper, Chineham Reserves bounced back 2-2 by the break with strikes by Jamie Ballantyne and Joe Marsh. In the 74th minute Alan Morey scrambled a goal to put Overton ahead before Luke Skinner lobbed the keeper from 20 yards out to secure the home points 4-2 and inflict the first defeat of the season on the visitors.

Shallow End lost 1-2 against Chineham Athletic.

For the first 20 minutes, the Bernard Cornish Cup Prelim tie at Kempshott was competitive, then Nial Day put North Warnborough Reserves ahead, an Andy Parker free kick added a second and Pete Hodgson scored from the wing to put Boro 0-3 ahead at the interval. A solo effort from Dan Mellors made it 0-4, Jamie Simmons had a penalty saved, before substitute Tom Davies’ solo effort made it 5 without reply.