BADSL Press officer Peter Raynird reports on the opening days matches from Division 2

Whilst watching the Div 1 clash between Basingstoke Athletic and Twenty Ten FC, on the next pitch at Brighton Hill, I kept an eye on the Division Two match between Basingstoke United FC and Tron FC which ended in a 1-1 draw. It was a fine performance from United against the Tron eleven littered with former Rising Sun DC players. Tron Manager Darren Hutchins felt his team went on the field too confident and in the first half their attitude was not right. During the first half Andrew Bennett in the Tron goal, had some good saves to make from Gus Reis and Joe Cook, and Callum Silcox cut in and hit a good chance just wide. Ben Nicholls, scorer of 35 goals for Rising Sun last season, was restricted and had just one effort on target in the opening half which was saved by James Sallows, who later also did well to tip a long range shot from Stuart Austen over the bar. It was in the 51st minute when United went into the lead. Jamie Lucas did well to find Tom Hartley, he played the ball through to Gus Reis who took one touch and beat the keeper low down. Tron then brought on Richard McCoubrie, who is assisting Hutchins this season and his introduction made a huge difference. His disguised pass to Austen in the 57th minute led to a cross for Ben Nicholls, who scored from 16 yards with his first time shot. Although Cook forced another good save from Bennett, it was Tron with the lion’s share of the last twenty minutes of this game. Gordon Birch forced two good saves from Sallows before in the last minute an effort from Nathan Rae was scrambled away to give United a well-earned point. 
Graham Jenkins who ran Welly Old Boys FC last season, is a much happier man after his new club TDI Group FC’s first game. His new club managed a 3-3 draw against Bounty United FC, which ended up in a 3-3 draw. Bounty were missing some key men, but went ahead in the 12th minute when a shot from Paul Barton was parried by The TDI Keeper and Lawrence Benge shot low and hard from the rebound to score. In the 19th minute TDI drew level when James Brown took advantage of a mix up in the Bounty defence to score with a shot in off the post. In the 23rd minute TDI Group took the lead, the goal coming via Macaulay Carvell. In the 30th minute Bounty equalized when Benge sprung the offside trap and his cross from the right was put away by Barton who rounded the keeper to score. Wayne Barlow has joined Jenkins this season and it was his son Jack, who turned his man and shook Bounty by scoring to give TDI a 3-2 half time lead.  Bounty had plenty of the game in the second half and equalized from a penalty for handball, converted by Andy Darmody in the 70th minute. TDI thought they had scored the winner when Brown found the net late on, but the finish was ruled out for offside. 
The newly formed Basingstoke Athletic FC Reserves came home from Aldermaston with a 3-1 win against the ‘A’ team. It was Aldermaston who took a 10th minute lead through Chris Mullins, but it lasted just ten minutes as Tom Strong set up Michael Borbely to level. It was Strong who provided the cross for Sam Patterson to head in Athletic Reserves’ second in the 30th minute.  Luke Allison in the Athletic goal pulled off a very good save to keep their lead. In the 65th minute of the game came the third goal, Pattison with the centre and Nick Chaplin with a tap in to secure the points.
Overton United FC ‘B’ had a poor season last time, but with the influx of former Preston Candover players and Basingstoke Royals FC keeper Richard Munday in their ranks, new Manager Peter Broom’s side could have a big say in this division this season. On Saturday they played AFC Berg away and won 7-2 with ex Preston Candover striker Kyle Buckland scoring four times. It was Berg who took the lead through Robin Brunger following a poor back pass early on. Overton equalized through Buckland from a Matt Aslett cross, but again Berg came back through Brunger to go 2-1 ahead. Early in the second half Overton levelled when Aslett scored directly from a corner kick and from then on things went downhill for AFC Berg. Buckland took a pass from Mickey Fuller for the third and John Holder made it 4-2.  Fuller then played Buckland through for his hat trick and good play by Aslett and Tom Green handed Paul Eldridge the fifth.  It was another good ball from Fuller that handed Buckland his fourth goal and Overton their seventh.