Basingstoke Town 3-4 Hanwell Town

Hanwell made it two wins from two away days in the space of five days as they held on after a topsy-turvy contest to triumph 4-3 at Basingstoke Town on Saturday. Jordan Edwards, Joseph Waight, Dan Carr and Alfie Pendlebury all ended on the scoresheet.

Chris Moore stuck with the same side that came away from the 400+ mile round trip to Plymouth Parkway with a 2-0 win as the Geordies looked to climb into the top half of the table.

After a cagey opening few minutes, Hanwell were given a golden opportunity to take the lead as the referee deemed a Basingstoke arm was in an unnatural position as it struck him and pointed to the spot. Replays suggested the decision may have been on the harsh side given the distance between the arm and the ball when it was struck but, with no VAR in the Southern League, the penalty stood. Edwards stepped up to coolly put the Geordies 1-0 up after 15 minutes.

The hosts should have levelled soon after but Benjamin Cook inexplicably fired wide when the goal was gaping. He made up for it soon on the half-hour mark as he found the net from close range with Hanwell players unhappy at an apparent missed offside.

Both sides continued to probe before the break but the Geordies took the lead seven minutes into the second half. Basingstoke keeper Simon Grant tried to play the ball out from the back but only found the pressing Waight who slid the ball home to restore Hanwell’s advantage and leave the home keeper sitting on the pitch knowing that his error had put his team in a hole.

Basingstoke were given a stepladder to climb out of that hole as the referee deemed Harry Seabrook had tripped Robbie Gallagher in the penalty area and, for the second time this afternoon, pointed to the spot. James Carr stepped up and, although Sam Beasant guessed correctly, his shot found the bottom left corner.

If Hanwell’s first half penalty was fortunate, there was misfortune five minutes later as Pendlebury appeared to have been fouled in the area but the official waved the penalty claims away.

The Geordies were not to be denied as, with nine minutes of normal time remaining, Carr’s low free kick was poorly cleared by Basingstoke back into the feet of the sharp shooting full back and he rifled his shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards to send the travelling Massive wild.

Two minutes later and it looked as if it was game, set and match for Chris Moore’s side as Hanwell countered with a delightful cross-field pass to Waight. His cross was turned into the net with Pendlebury insisting it was he who got the final touch on it, although other angles suggested that Jack Ball had beaten his own goalkeeper.

Basingstoke were not giving up without a fight and, halfway through the six minutes of stoppage time, Liam Ferdinand found space to set up a nervy finish. Moore’s men held firm to send the travelling supporters wild with players and fans celebrating the final whistle with aplomb.

Hanwell: Beasant, Nditi, Carr, Woodcock (Wilson 57), Duncan, Seabrook, Miles (Regis 78), Mackenzie, Pendlebury, Edwards (Benyon 89), Waight (Coker 90+2).

Subs not used: Hall