Hawks show steel to earn a point
Hawks twice came from behind to force a 2-2 draw in their Blue Square South local derby against Basingstoke Town at the Camrose Ground.
In a contest where both teams were hampered by a poor playing surface, the visitors felt they did more than enough to win and were only denied at the death by the woodwork.
Before the game, home officials were forced to carry out emergency repairs to a dangerous area on the half-way line and Hawks manager Shaun Gale labelled the pitch a disgrace.
'It was a game we should have won,' said Gale.
'The pitch was shocking and shouldn't be allowed at our level just two rungs below the Football League.
'No disrespect but I have seen park pitches in better condition. Leagues talk about ground grading – maybe they should start looking at pitches as well.
'Both teams had to play on it but it wasn't easy.'
The first half was a turgid affair, with both sides struggling to come to terms with the hard, bouncy, uneven surface and there was little incident to enthuse the crowd.
That was until a minute before the break when the home side took the lead out of the blue with a wonderful strike.
When the Hawks could only clear a long throw-in to the edge of their area, Phil Ruggles hooked a terrific volley beyond the diving Kevin Scriven and into the far corner.
The Hawks, now safe from relegation, came out at the start of the second half in determined fashion and were level within three minutes of the restart.
A cross from the left dropped deep inside the Basingstoke area and Wes Fogden was the first to react to fire his shot into the net.
The visitors continued to carve out the better chances, with Fogden narrowly failing to get to the ball after home goalkeeper Ross Kitteridge spilled Wilkinson's 30-yard free-kick.
Nightingale brilliantly brought down Jay Gasson's high forward ball before firing a shot narrowly past the far post.
From that point the Hawks took charge, pinning the home side back inside their own half. And there looked only one winner but, again, in the 75th minute the Hawks shot themselves in the foot.
'We gave away the most ridiculous of goals,' moaned Gale.
'There was an opportunity for our goalkeeper Kevin Scriven to clear the ball early, he doesn't, ends up duffing it and we give away a free-kick from which they score. But we showed we can battle back and grabbed a second equaliser.'
Seven minutes later, Wilkinson's deep corner was headed back into the danger area by Ian Simpemba and Luke Nightingale steered the ball into the Basingstoke net.
In the final seconds, Craig Watkins cut in from the left and his shot smacked off the far post and away to safety to the frustration of the Hawks.
'Just because there isn't anything left in the season to play for doesn't mean we are going to accept just turning up to fulfil our fixtures,' said Gale.'
Hawks: Scriven 5, Smith 7, Gasson 8, Collins 7, Butters 7, Simpemba 7, Fogden 8, Wilkinson 7, Watkins 7, Nightingale 7, Medley 6 (Martin 6, 67m).
Bognor pulled off a fantastic 1-0 win over Eastleigh.
Danny Smith's goal proved enough to defeat the title-chasing Spitfires, who are managed by former Hawks boss Ian Baird.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Sunday 12 February 2012
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