FIVE-STAR BASFORD RUN RIOT
Reid hits treble as Celtic suffer
JAMES Reid scored a hat-trick as Basford maintained their record as the league’s leading scorers.
The high wind did its best to ruin the game as a spectacle, but credit to both teams for serving up an entertaining game.
Basford dominated the early exchanges.
Matt Thornhill’s eighth minute corner caused problems, and they took the lead on 12 minutes, Reid finding the corner of the net with a shot from eighteen yards.
On 21 minutes, Michael Clarke came to the visitors’ rescue when clearing a goalbound shot from Reid.
Stalybridge came more into the game and were level on 27 minutes. Clarke was felled and Scott Bakkor made no mistake from the penalty spot.
Basford shook their opponents with two goals in four minutes just before halftime.
Reid headed in Nat Watson’s cross on 41 minutes and three minutes later Thornhill curled home a delightful free-kick from 25 yards out.
Stalybridge made a whirlwind start to the second half, Matthew Wolfenden notched their second goal with a shot from an acute angle and Chris Sharp and Bakkor brought tremendous saves from Kieran Preston
Basford restored their two-goal advantage on 57 minutes, Reid’s corner going straight in for his hattrick.
On 73 minutes, Lewis Carr made it five from close range after Aspinall had parried Reid’s free-kick.
Preston pulled off another fine save with ten minutes remaining after Wolfenden got on the end of Aspinall’s long kick.
Stalybridge manager Simon Haworth said Basford adapted to the conditions better.
“For me the wind ruined it as a game, Basford played to the conditions better than us,” he said.
“We didn’t defend too well and individual errors at important times in the game
cost us.
“When we got back in at 1-1, we were well in it but the two goals we conceded just before half-time really hit us.
“When we got back to 3-2, if we had made it 3-3, I think we would have gone on and won, but we conceded again.”
Basford boss Martin Carruthers agreed his side played the conditions better.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the way we played, considering we were without key players and had a bench entirely of youth team players.
“We got the ball down well and played it along the ground which was the only way to play in the high winds.
“Stalybridge tried to play it long on too many occasions.” STAR MAN: James Reid (Basford) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★