BASINGSTOKE Town turn their attention to the FA Trophy tomorrow, with a tricky-looking trip to Ryman League premier outfit Windsor and Eton.
In recent years, Town have not had a good record against lower division opposition, and that was proved once again earlier in the season in the FA Cup, when they lost 4-2 to AFC Newbury.
Manager Ernie Howe is fully aware of this and said: "We are long overdue a run in a national competition and it is something which will be good for the club.
"It is not going to be easy at Windsor as they are a very experienced side, but if we apply ourselves correctly there is no reason why we cannot get a result."
Howe is hopeful that defender Scott Smith, who has missed the last two games with a groin strain, will be back in the line-up. Neville Stamp could also be back from injury.
On Tuesday night, Town had to battle against the conditions as well as a spirited Horndean side, but they moved into the third round of the Hampshire Senior Cup with a 1-0 win.
The Town boss said: "To be fair it could have been four or five if we had converted our chances, but I am pleased by the way the players adapted to the conditions and we got the result."
With one eye on the FA Trophy game in Windsor tomorrow, Howe gave some of his squad players a run out. There were also starts for Ricky Allaway, Rob Chamberlain and Garry Haylock.
Town, not surprisingly, started the brighter of the two sides and they had two chances within the opening 10 minutes at Horndean.
A neat one-two move between Jamie McClurg and Haylock saw the striker fire just wide of the near post, and that was followed up two minutes later when Allaway side-footed over from close range following Sergio Torres' corner from the left.
The only goal of the tie came on 26 minutes, created by good work down the right from Brett Cooper and Martin Whiddett. Cooper produced the cross into the danger area, but the ball went behind Haylock. However, Torres was on hand to tap home from close range.
Basingstoke continued to press for a second and both Torres and Chamberlain had 25-yard efforts, the first wide of the target and the second well-saved by the diving Paul Gosling.
Ernie Howe's men really should have doubled their lead on 36 minutes when Allaway lofted a neat ball out to Cooper on the right flank. His superb delivery picked out the unmarked Haylock six yards from goal and, with only Gosling to beat, he somehow blasted over the crossbar.
Torres was then guilty of missing two further chances on 39 and 45 minutes.
The first was a well-struck effort from the edge of the area that forced the home goalkeeper into a sprawling save, but the second was sliced wide after good work from Haylock, who enticed Gosling right out on the wing and a long way from his goal-mouth.
The very wet and uneven playing surface forced Howe to swap Torres for Parrington at half-time, and later in the game Cristian Levis replaced Whiddett.
The second period produced more in the way of possession for the home side but Town, to their credit, battled to the very end and only allowed Horndean one effort on goal in the whole game, this was a shot from distance straight from the kick-off by Steve Warwick, which Scott Tarr saved with ease.
The last contribution from Whiddett before his substitution was to try to set up his strike partner with his first goal in Town colours, but it wasn't to be as the move was deemed offside by the officials.
Haylock must of known it wasn't to be his night when, on 52 minutes, Cooper's looping delivery from the right was headed perfectly by the new signing, but the chance drifted just wide of the far post by a matter of inches.
Levis made a difference after his arrival on the field and, on 73 minutes, his superb ball cut open the home defence.
Once again Haylock did everything right, diving to make a connection, but this time the ball went wide of the other post from 16 yards out.
As the clock dwindled down, Basingstoke defended well and successfully booked their place in the next round.
Basingstoke: Scott Tarr, Brett Cooper, Nathan Stamp, Jason Bristow, Ricky Allaway, David Ray, Rob Chamberlain, Sergio Torres (sub Liam Parrington 45 mins), Martin Whiddett (sub Cristian Levis 65 mins), Garry Haylock, Jamie McClurg. Subs (not used): Neville Roach, Neville Stamp, Liam Castle.
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