Tuesday August  21st  2012 Bashley Away Tuesday 21st August 2012 Evo-Stik Southern Premier League Bashley 2 Frome Town 1 Frome Scorers: Powell (82p) Bashley Scorers: Stokoe (26), (66) Crowd: 227 Star Man: Alex Lapham Entertainment Value: 3 Frome Town learnt last season that a visit to Bashley will almost certainly result in a strong, physical examination, and this match confirmed that fact as Bashley scored twice and then defended in depth to eventually run out 2-1 winners. On a heavily grassed, yet bumpy pitch, Frome started the stronger of the two sides, with A Matt Smith cross just dipping over the bar in the 3rd minute and a Dean Evans header just past the post a few minutes later. Tom Evans found the back of the net in the 14th minute as he headed home strongly, but the goal was disallowed for offside. As the match progressed, Bashley came more into the  match and only a very sharp, close range save from Darren Chitty denied James Stokoe as he got onto the end of a low left wing cross, and a few minutes later Dean Flockton just cleared the danger with a brave, low header. Bashlley took the lead in the 26th minute as a free kick was swung in from the right wing towards Stokoe who was positioned just inside the Frome penalty area and being marked by two defenders, but Chitty decided to come out to collect the cross, but failed to make it and the ball came off Stokoe’s head and flew gently into the unguarded net. Bashley very nearly doubled their lead a minute later as a fast left wing attack saw the ball pulled back and Stokoe so nearly got a touch that would surely have flown into the net, but the ball evaded everyone and Frome survived. A very heavy tackle on Tom Evans shortly afterwards resulted in a yellow card for a Bashley player and saw Evans forced to leave the pitch shortly afterwards to be replaced by Aaron Ledgister. Frome very nearly equalised on the stroke of half time as two successive corners led to a Ben Wood screamer that Stewart Kearn just managed to push away, Matt Smith latched onto the rebound and let loose a shot that flew just across the face of the goal, but he was clattered just as he hit the shot and required lengthy treatment before continuing. Frome started the second half with better passing movement, and for the first quarter, they looked very likely to equalise, with Dean Evans nodding a corner just wide in the 47th and Lewis Powell inches away from heading home in the 63rd, but then two minutes later, a Bashley crossfield ball found Stokoe in space, and the big striker controlled it well, made ten yards and then shot under Chitty for a well taken individual goal to make the score 2-0 to the home side. Frome kept trying to make things happen, and in the 70th minute, Darren Perrin took off a defender and put on Tom Golledge, meaning that Frome were now playing with three strikers, but for all their efforts, they failed to really test Kearn in the home goal. Lewis Powell pulled one back in the 82nd minute as he blasted home a penalty after Matt Smith had been flattened on the edge of the area, and then Golledge had a chance to equalise in the 91st minute with a left foot shot that flew past the post, but as Bashley expertly ran the clock down by playing “keep ball” close to the Frome corner flags, it became clear that it just wasn’t going to happen the night.    Alex Lapham was chosen as the man of the match for a hard working, classy display in midfield. Frome Town Bashley Stewart Kearn Jack Smith Ian Oliver Brad Strickland Gary Middleton Ian Richardson Josh Casey Tom Hill James Stokoe Leighton Speechley Price Charlie Knight Paul Gazzard Joe Prodomo Liam Green Matt Vokes Carlos Lompato Pires Officials D Bryant D Gillespie C Hubbard Match Photos Photos of this match taken by our expert photographer Chas Hadfield can be viewed by clicking on this rectangle Match Sponsor xxxxxx Ball Sponsor xxxxxxxx