Report | Impressive second half showing secures away win

An impressive second half showing saw City chalk up a deserved 2-0 away win at Basingstoke Town as Kane Simpson bagged a brace.

Both teams looking to get a foothold in the game in the opening exchanges. The first chance fell to the home side when George Reid shaved the woodwork early on.

A neat move ended with Marcus Day’s low driven cross cleared inside the danger zone as we started to get into our stride and get on the ball.

An effort from distance by Dara Dada flew wide of the target before at the other end, Harry Pinchard linked up well with Day whose effort was deflected into the side-netting and from the resulting corner, Kane Simpson headed just over.

Some good hold-up play from Simpson saw him look to beat a couple of players only for the home side to get numbers back.

Moments later and it was the hosts who threatened as Reid tested Jared Thompson, who was equal to the strike.

The hosts were forced into a couple of changes within the opening 21 minutes and it was one of the substitutes, Dan Rowe, who went close to opening the scoring.

As the home team readjusted, it signalled the start of a spell on top for City as we saw plenty of the ball without seriously testing Simon Grant in the Basingstoke goal.

There was some lively play during this period from Elis Watts who was giving the hosts plenty of cause for concern with his movement and sharpness on the ball as he looked to make something happen.

Nice passage of play, started by Watts, as he fed Dylan Jones who found space to get the cross in as the ball found its way out to Watts whose strike flew just over.

As half-time approached, we were starting to dictate the play a bit more and looked the most likely side. A low driven cross from Harry Emmett just evaded Simpson in the middle as Grant claimed the ball under pressure as the defender got across.

In stoppage time at the end of the opening period, a lack of communication almost let the home side in, but Daniel Leadbitter was alert to the danger to clear as it ended goalless.

The first chance of the second half saw Leadbitter find Day with a nice crossfield pass and he did well to cut inside before getting in a strike that forced a good save out of Grant.

It wasn’t long until we opened the scoring when Sion Spence’s cross picked out Michael O’Regan whose header was touched onto the underside of the crossbar by the ‘keeper and Simpson was on hand to nod the loose ball over the line from close range

The goal put a spring in our step as Spence looked to make something happen straight away as Simpson chased and harried the home defence. Then Watts tried his luck from distance as Grant pushed his effort away.

We were asking all of the questions as the second half went on, with some nice passages of play.

A fantastic save from Grant denied Day who did fantastically well out wide to cut inside and get in a sweet strike that was heading into the back of the net until the ‘keeper somehow managed to get his hand to it.

The home ‘keeper kept his side in it again soon afterwards when Jones found Spence who was denied. Grant could do little to prevent a moment of magic from Simpson shortly afterwards as he spotted the ‘keeper off his line and fired home from distance.

It was sheer quality from the front-runner as he notched his second goal of the evening.

We were looking a threat every time we went forward as some positive play from Pinchard saw him find Day, a thorn in the home side all evening, and he went close.

A ball in from Jones just flashed beyond the reach of O’Regan in the middle as we looked to add to our lead. In our next raid, a strike from Emmett was tipped over by the ‘keeper as the resulting corner came to nothing.

With 15 minutes to go, we made a couple of changes as King Baidoo and Joe Hanks were unleashed off the bench to replace Watts and Spence respectively.

A sharp turn from Simpson ended with him going close as he looked to complete his hat-trick as the travelled City fans continued to make all of the noise in support of their team.

The home side offered little in the second half. Half-chances from Elliott Legg and then Billy Upton at the death failed to trouble Thompson.

In the end, a professional away performance saw us bring home a deserved three points with two well-taken goals and a clean sheet, so a good night’s work.

CITY | J. Thompson, Leadbitter (Roberts 89), Jones, O’Regan, Williams (Obieri 83), Spence (Hanks 75), Watts (Baidoo 75), Day, Pinchard, Emmett, Simpson. Subs not used: Richards-Everton.

Goal(s): Simpson (54, 68)

Attendance: 407