Basford United ease into next round of FA Trophy

First-half goals from Ryan Wilson and Brad Gascoigne was added to by later strikes from Marcus Marshall, Callum Chettle and Rev James to ensure United comfortably progressed to the next round after a near six-week absence following national lockdown.

“Our performance levels were really good tonight,” manager Steve Chettle said post-game. “Overall, I’m delighted. If you had said to me before the game that we would win 5-0, I wouldn’t have believed you but we’re really happy to take that result and progress into the next round.

“Our last ten minutes were a little sloppy and I questioned the boys at the end of the game about that. When you are leading 5-0 in any fixture you have to set your standards really high and maintain it and see how far we can go in a game like that.” he added.

Rushall went closest after only nine minutes when some find hold-up play by Jonathan Letford - returning to the club following a spell in Sweden - yielded an angled chance for Tyler Little but Kieran Preston superbly tipped wide.

The visitors’ positive start was short-lived, however, as Chettle’s men gained the ascendency and took a 13th minute lead when Wilson’s low corner burrowed its way through both Adam Whitehouse grasp and Riccardo Calder’s hesitant clearance to nestle in the bottom corner.

James and Marshall then went close moments later without really troubling Whitehouse, but a deserved second arrived just before the half hour when Wilson’s deep corner was headed home by the towering Gascoigne for his first goal of the campaign.

Not helped by the withdrawal of skipper Richard Batchelor early on, Liam McDonald’s men never got going and were unable to recreate any form that has seen them rise to fourth in the Southern League Premier Central division.

Only four minutes of the second half had elapsed when another Wilson corner caused pandemonium in the away box and Marshall - always loitering with poise and promise -slammed home United’s third after Rushall had failed to clear their lines with any conviction.

In a case of when more goals would come and not if for Basford, they continued to rally relentlessly and Chettle’s strike just before the hour mark - his side’s fourth of the night - was the pick of the bunch.

Wilson, James and Kane Richards all combined intricately and with pace down the left and a defence-splitting through ball released Chettle who sumptuously curled the ball into the far corner via the inside of the post for his second of the season.

And a five-star showing was rounded off 20 minutes from time when James, bundling his way through half-hearted Olympic tackles, fired venomously under Whitehouse to seal a tie with Suffolk-based Felixstowe and Walton in the Second Round.

It was the first time since Chettle’s arrival that his side has tallied five in a match, but the former-Nottingham Forest defender was quick to highlight the importance of their fourth clean sheet in all competitions, as well as any impact the curtailment had on his players.

“We have had another clean sheet, so we’ve had an even better night. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a stickler for trying to keep clean sheets. If we keep clean sheets, then we’re always guaranteed to get something from a game of football.

“It’s now known that we can score goals within the team, and they’re now coming from different areas which is even better. All round it’s a really good performance in every element.

“We took people out as a precaution – there was nothing wrong with the lads tonight,” Chettle added. “They have kept themselves fit and trim while we’ve been in this downtime. We have kept tabs on what they’ve been doing and tracked their progress, and they have all done the work we have asked them to do.

“The most pleasing thing about is how cohesively back together again after the time off and played in such a fluid fashion.”

BASFORD UNITED: Kieran Preston, Dom Roma (Lewis Carr 77’), Ryan Wilson, Brad Gascoigne, Stef Galinski (c), Declan Dunn, James Clifton, Callum Chettle, Marcus Marshall (Niall Towle 77’), Kane Richards (Kyle Dixon 54’), Rev James

SUBS (not used): Owen Betts, Charlie Gatter, Alex Howes, Jordan Pierrepont (GK)

RUSHALL OLYMPIC: Adam Whitehouse, Tyler Little, Riccardo Calder, Mitchell Clarke (Reece Mitchell 54’), Sam Whittal, Orrin Pendley, Thomas Thorley, Alex Moore, Daniel Glover, Jonathan Letford (Eesa Sawyers 54’), Richard Batchelor (c) (Rakeem Reid 19’)

SUBS (not used): Daniel Bragoli, Nememia Zazi, Michael Kightly, Alex Graham (GK)

MATCH ATTENDANCE: Behind-closed-doors