Bognor Regis Town 2, Basingstoke Town 1

A DISAPPOINTING display and result in their final fixture of a difficult, turbulent campaign brought Basingstoke Town's troubled 2005-06 Nationwide South season to a welcome close.

New Camrose Blues manager Francis Vines and his players admitted, to their relief, the season was over, following this defeat at Bognor Regis on Saturday which ensured Basingstoke finished fourth-from-bottom in the final league table.

After a dreadful, goal-less first half, where there was understandably an end-of-season lethargy to the football being played, a brace of goals from Bognor's leading forward Luke Nightingale within four second-half minutes, 65 and 69, proved enough for the home side.

Substitute and teenage striker Ben Wright pulled one back for Basingstoke soon afterwards on 71 minutes with a cool, well-taken effort but, despite finishing the stronger of the two sides, there was no Town comeback.

Speaking afterwards, Vines said: "The most disappointing thing today is the way we have conceded two goals - in the other games we've lost it has only been by 1-0 - and the manner of the goals.

"We've given a guy a free run down the left for the cross for the first and then given Nightingale the chance to turn and get a shot away. If he gets an opportunity to score, he will put it in the back of the net.

"For the second goal we were guilty of ball-watching as the cross came in. Even if it was a hell of a strike, there was no-one near him when he got the ball.

"I made a few changes to the side. Jason Bristow needed a rest, as he's played for most of the season with a damaged ankle, and I put young Nick Beasant in.

"He didn't do badly considering it was his first start for some time, but I think it showed and he will need to beef up a bit more to cope physically."

On the game, he continued: "After the first 25 minutes, when we weren't anywhere in it, I thought we kept the ball better but we are lacking that little bit of belief to our play. People are just about doing enough.

"Ben Wright took his goal very well but, if you want to win games, you have to do a bit more and believe in what you're doing, which isn't there at the moment. But in pre-season, I am sure we will sort that out."

The match finally came alive in the second half, when Vines' men came out after the interval with far more gusto and impetus.

On-loan Woking youngster Giuseppe Sole had a great chance to break the deadlock after escaping the Bognor offside trap on 51 minutes, but, after reaching the box after a left-channel collect and run, he shot tamely straight at goalkeeper Craig Stoner.

Lewis Cook's right-foot drive was tipped over superbly by Stoner minutes later, while Cook's later cross saw defender Kevin Murphy uncomfortably clear the danger as James Taylor lurked.

But, in their first attack of the half, Bognor went ahead. Ben Watson's left-flank run and cross behind exposed Mark Paterson yielded a delivery for Nightingale, at the far post, to collect Scott Kirkwood's nod down and score inside the near post.

His second was a beauty - a dipping 20-yard volley that flew in off the underside of the cross bar after another cross, this time from the right flank, wasn't dealt with.

Wright pulled one back for Town when he robbed the left full-back Dan Beck and coolly rounded Stoner in their one-on-one before netting.

And, on 90 minutes, sub Ricci Dolan had the opportunity to equalise but put his header wide from David Ray's right-wing cross.

Speaking afterwards, defender Danny Brown said: "We're all glad this difficult season is over. After we lost the Hampshire Cup final on Monday, that was pretty much it for us all.

"Francis has told us we all have a clean slate now and to impress him in pre-season. We know there are players coming in but competition for places is good, so roll on next season, which will hopefully be a much better one."

Basingstoke Town: Stuart Searle, Mark Paterson, Matthew Ottley, Nick Beasant, Danny Brown, Ben Surey, David Ray, Jamie Gosling (sub Ricci Dolan 45min), Giuseppe Sole (sub Ben Wright 65min), James Taylor, Lewis Cook. Subs (not used): Lee Molyneaux, Neville Stamp, Andrew Smallpiece.

First published: Tuesday, May 2, 2006