Rae demolishes Bashley Football Club on a day for remembrance

Sydenhams Wessex Premier: Bashley Football Club 0-3 Alresford Town

BASHLEY FOOTBALL CLUB fell to a disappointing 3-0 Sydenhams Wessex Premier defeat at home to Alresford on Saturday.

Before the game the teams paid homage to Bash legends, Trevor Parker and John Bone, both recently departed. The Bone family were out in force and took an active part in the ceremony.

Football took second place but that should not diminish the fact that Alresford were worthy winners and their teenage prodigy, Luke Rae, being without question the man of the match by claiming all three goals.

Early chances

Bashley had the first chance when Harrison White shot wide of the post.

Next a Cameron Beard foot-first slide just failed to connect with a Munday header. A solo run and long shot from Tony Rolls flew over the bar and Munday’s powerful shot was nullified by a fine save by Magpies keeper Matt Fredericks.

Despite all the Bash pressure, Alresford stilled looked dangerous and went ahead on the half hour when Luke Rae tamed a bouncing ball and his powerful half-volley was too hot for Calum Ward to hold and ended in the back of the net. Alresford went close to increasing their lead on the cusp of halftime, but a shaking crossbar came to Bashley’s rescue.

Second-half blues

The second half was one of Bashley pressure and Alresford breakaways. Unfortunately for the home supporters it was the latter that won the contest. The tireless Smith looked the one most likely to breach the walls of the well-drilled Magpie defence with his cuts and thrusts into the box; the best two chances falling to the determined Beard who disappointed both time at the final hurdle.

With twenty minutes to go, youngster Rae took the game by the scruff of the net. Firstly, he snapped up a loose ball in the box and dispatched it goalward with self-belief and authority. Then in the final minute, as a coup de grace, he pounced onto a high clearance and with Bash fully occupied upfield, took off on a solo run from the halfway line to claim his third by lobbing the fully exposed Ward.

Bashley: Ward, O’Sullivan, Aimson, Morris, Thompson, Rolls, Smith, Strickland, Munday, White, Beard.