Basingstoke & District Sunday League Match Reports from Sunday 18th September, By Tony Spencer.

Champions Soldiers Return opened their season on Sunday with a match against in-form Tron by conceding a first-half hat-trick to Ross Cook. Tron opened the scoring on 18 minutes, with Ross Cook being put through to score by Ross Soper-Dyer. Cook was later fouled in the box by the keeper. Cook dusted himself off and buried the spot kick in the top corner. Cook again netted, after a Luke Stickland pass, by curling the ball past the keeper for his hat-trick. Soldiers improved in the second half and clawed one back through Alex Izzo, but Cook found Michael Morey with a cross from the right, before Cook got the last goal, his fourth. Unfortunately, Cook picked up a second yellow card to cool his heels for the last ten minutes. Result 1-5 to Tron.

In the other Division 1 match, FC Basing controlled most of the game and could have been 5 or 6 goals up but had to settle for a 1-0 win against Husaria with Stephen Bean scoring.

Chineham remain top of Division 2 on goal difference after a 4-1 win over AFC Soldiers, with goals, from James Harvey, Kieron Alleyne and a Shane West brace. AFC Soldiers felt the game was more even than the scoreline suggests, with a couple of the hosts' goals having a touch of luck about them. Luke Taylor scored their only consolation.

Basingstoke Saints once again had lots of play and fair application of pressure, with the hosts having three good chances cleared off the line, including a Neil Woodward effort in the last minute that was well saved by the keeper. The result was settled by a single goal on 35 minutes in Eastrop Eagles' favour, with Elliott Forsey on the end of a cross from Kirk Smith to put it away his volley from 25 yards.

Bramley United fell behind to Hampshire Irons after about 20 minutes, when Simon Head completed a one-two with the right back to beat the goalie at the near post. On 40 minutes, Phil Mark laid the ball off to Dean Ridgers to drive in off the crossbar, making it 1-1 at the interval. Laurence Wilson won a penalty, which Rob Mead tucked away for the visitors, 1-2, before Irons secured the points with 10 minutes left after James Arnold got on the end of Michael Pemberton's pass, 1-3 to Hampshire Irons.

North Warnborough entertained UWS in a match which was quietly even for the first 30 minutes, revealing little hint of what was to follow. Sean Delfosse first set up Billy Shepherd for 1-0, then Delfosse make in 2-0 and 3-0 before half-time. Sam Wilson made it 4-0 shortly after the break before UWS pulled one back 4-1, from a free kick, Lee Head scored with a beautiful header. UWS reduced the deficit again as the game developed into end to end stuff, until Sam Wilson made it 5-2. Ryan Pilley took it to 6-2 with a long-range shot, before Lee Head reduced the deficit to 6-3 with another header. Delfosse squared the ball to Shepherd for his second and, with a minute to go, Sean Delfosse latched onto a long ball over the top to complete his hat-trick. Final score 8-3.

RAF Odiham Blades top Division 3 on goal difference following an 11-0 victory over DG Athletic. James Hindmarch got a hat-trick, with braces from Myles Easton, Jake Leeming and Simon Newman, with Chris Alcock and Aiden Goswell adding to the scoresheet.

Ryan Bennett gave Soldiers Return Reserves a half-time lead over Chineham Reserves with an shot from 18 yards after 25 minutes. With 15 minutes to go, Clayton Deakin equalised for Chineham, but on 80 minutes Bennett's second goal, into the top corner from 25 yards, proved to be the winner, 2-1 to Soldiers.

Camrose Social beat Overton United 3-2 with a brace from Chris Waller, the first goal remarkably from only the second kick of the game from his own half! Matthew Foreman from the penalty spot completed Camrose's victory, while Scott Winterbourne and Nuno Franco netted consolations for the visitors.

Rising Sun lost heavily 1-10 at home to Team FC.