Déjà Vu All Over Again

Fareham travelled to Basingstoke last Saturday knowing that even a win might not be enough to postpone relegation, depending on events elsewhere. In the end a hard fought 1-1 draw sealed the fate of both teams.

The Fareham squad was unchanged from the previous week’s dramatic draw against Clifton Robinsons 2s. With the boost they would have received from that fight back, hopes were high that they could get an elusive first win and overtake their hosts in the league table.

The visitors started strongly and had early chances in the first two minutes, including a shot from Libby Jones which was deflected just wide by Hollie Smith. They were rewarded with a goal from a penalty corner in the 4th minute when ALICIA CAILLARD deflected Aimee Timms’ shot into the net.

It was just the start that was needed and Fareham pushed forward looking to add to their tally. Katie Paxman had a shot from a PC that was saved by the keeper and a minute later Georgia Collins saw her shot stopped on the line before it was cleared.

Towards the end of the quarter Basingstoke came more into the game but the visitors were on top at the first break. The second quarter was quieter in terms of goalmouth action with probably the best chance falling to Georgia Collins after good work by Isabel Austin.

The second half began in a much more even fashion with Hollie Smith shooting just wide early in the 3rd quarter and Basingstoke hitting back as they increased the pressure. An equalizer arrived in the 46th minute after a couple of Basingstoke penalty corners. Sophia Barclay made good saves from both before ELLIS WILLIAMS equalized with a shot from close range.

Heading into the final quarter it was anyone’s guess who might win. Fareham had started the match as the better side but had failed to extend their lead and Basingstoke had slowly got back into the game and looked to have the momentum in their favour.

The first chance of the 4th quarter fell to Hollie Smith who was denied by a good save at the top of the ‘D’ by Gemma Carswell, the Basingstoke keeper. Minutes later it was time for the Fareham keeper to save a shot from a PC. With ten minutes to go the visitors stepped up the pressure in front of an increasingly vocal crowd as the tension increased and the card count grew.

With four minutes remaining Gracie Coleman had a shot deflected just wide and a minute later Georgia Collins had a shot saved in front of goal. Fareham were just on top but the home side also sensed that a winning goal could come their way.

As the game was coming to an exciting climax everything came to a halt when a pass deflected up off a stick and the ball hit Tara Lemon just above her eye. Fortunately there were several people present with medical and first aid training because Tara was down on the turf for around fifteen minutes as she was treated. Finally she was helped off the pitch and then taken to hospital after the final whistle. It was worrying for everyone but fortunately the outcome was not as bad as it first looked as she was able to leave hospital a few hours later with stitches in the wound but no sign of more serious damage although she will be out of action for a while.

It was difficult to focus for the final two minutes but there was still a match to be won and the final chance fell to the home side with a penalty corner completed after time ran out. It came to nothing and with both sides knowing that they would be returning to the South Central League it was a case of ‘see you next season.’

A draw was probably a fair result in the end. If Fareham had managed to score again when well on top in the early stages they might have been able to take their opponents out of the game and pull clear for a comfortable win. However, Basingstoke took heart from the fact that the game remained close and they grew in belief and confidence as the game continued and, whilst the visitors had their opportunities in the 4th quarter, the game could have gone either way.

Both sides can no longer pick up enough points to avoid relegation although Basingstoke would have mathematically stayed alive for another seven days had Oxford Hawks not grabbed a 69th minute equalizer against Cheltenham.

With three games remaining we want to to finish with some good performances and results. Beyond that the aim is to regroup, focus on the next challenge and win promotion again to return to this level, better and wiser, learning from our experience this season. This Saturday we have our penultimate home league match, against Trojans (13.30).