United failed to follow up Saturday’s victory over Redditch with another at Holloways Park, as Basingstoke nicked the points by the odd goal in five.

After a lively opening ten minutes from both sides that saw neither goal troubled, United were smacked when the Dragons scored twice in 60 seconds.

The first strike was in the 14th minute and came from a fine move from the visitors. Aaron Jarvis and Matt Partridge exchanged passes on the right side before the latter fed the ball in to the run of full-back Marcus Johnson-Schuster who fired past Danny Boness from just inside the box.

Within a minute the lead was doubled, a ball was lofted over the top of the United defence to Jarvis who held off Tom Broadbent before firing low past Boness.

Eight minutes later United were back in the hunt, Broadbent ferried the ball down the left flank to Connor Toomey who hit a dipping volley that flew over Dragons ‘keeper Alex Tokarczyk into the far corner of the net.

With United trying to push up the field for an equaliser, chances came on the break at the other end with Boness saving from both Sam Deadfield and then a long range Partridge effort that was grabbed at the second attempt as Jarvis raced in after the loose ball.

Five minutes from the break it was scores level as Mitchell Weiss rose highest to head a Melanious Mullarkey cross into the top corner of Tokarczyk’s net.

Buoyed by being level at the break after being 2 down, United came out with positive intentions for the second half and just a couple of minutes after the re-start Weiss broke away down the left and fired the ball across the face of goal, finding substitute Ryan Hope beyond the far post but he could not pull his shot back enough and the ball went wide.

Minutes later United went even closer. A quick corner kick was played to Anthony Edgar whose centre was met powerfully by Toomey, his header crashing back off the underside of the bar before being cleared as far as Broadbent who was denied by Tokarczyk who pushed his shot around the post.

Edgar then fired across the face of the visitors goal before a lucky break saw Basingstoke take the lead in the 63rd minute when a Joe Gater cross from the left side was misjudged by Boness who could only help the ball into the net.

Deadfield almost hit a fourth for the Dragons and despite throwing bodies forwards, United only created one real chance in the remaining 20 minutes as a long free-kick from the back was dropped by Tokarczyk and pounced upon by Weiss who fired over the top.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Soloman Sambou.

Print the Teamsheet: Here.

Matt Partridge