Match Preview: FA Trophy 1st Round Proper
Basingstoke Town vs Dorchester Town
When: Saturday 25th October 2025 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Dorchester Town (The Magpies), 2025-26 League Position 17th
The Tuesday night loss in the last minutes of the game, although heartbreaking for the defence who had battled throughout the second-half to keep Dorchester at bay, was only part of a night when we potentially lost one of our star players Josh Green through injury.
We now face them in the first round proper of the FA Trophy with £3,000 prize money for the winners at stake, let alone a chance of a much bigger draw and payday in the second round.
Our Opponents
The Magpies (Dorchester’s version that is), are managed by Tom Killick who is in his third season at the club, following twenty-year’s of managing at Poole Town.
With Tuesday’s win Dorchester now sit in 17thh place with her record of Pld 13 Won 3 Drawn 3 Lost 7 and 12pts. Their away record sits as 1 Win, 2 Draws and 4 losses. They come to Winklebury having beaten step 4 side, Bideford 4 – 0, in the 3rd qualifying round, with Thomas Smith (who was an unused sub Tuesday), scored a hat-trick and Luke Pardoe with the other. Their leading goals-scorer is still Smith and it will be interesting to see if Tom Killick, reverts to a more usual line-up, then he is likely to be back in the line-up.
Updating their squad from the league fixture, Joe Parker was the Magpies goalscorer Tuesday, who joined from Tiverton Town, after a number of spells at Gloucester City over the years. Previously at Newport County, Leamington & Chippenham. Parker has now found the net five times this season. Jayden Crosbie, signed on loan from Torquay Utd in September, has one goal, and was on-loan at Gloucester last season. Another striker to note is Wayne Robinson, who joined from Salisbury in September 2024, but suffered a number of injury set-backs last season, but is back in the starting line-up.
Prior to Tuesday’s game they added central midfielder Connor Underhill, who was a second-half substitute, who joined on loan from National League side Eastleigh, where he joined the club as an U16 player before progressing through the ranks to the senior squad, making 18 League appearances so far. Luke Pardoe, who joined in February 2024 and has three goals this season, is an exciting winger, who has also played for Poole Town & AFC Bournemouth’s academy. In the centre of midfield is likely to be Corby Moore, who joined towards the end of last season, after stints at clubs such as Bishop Stortford, Poole Town and Chelmsford. Wes Fogden returned to Dorchester after a 15-year absence, where he spent time in League 1 & League 2 with AFC Bournemouth, Portsmouth & Yeovil, as well as playing for Havant & Waterlooville & Dorking Wanderers. Matt Buse, joined Dorchester Town in July 2024 from National League South side Truro City. a combative player, he has extensive experience at Step One and Two of the non-league ladder, having previously featured clubs including Yeovil Town, Torquay United and Weymouth, plus over 100 appearances for Taunton Town. Marcus Daws is a former Northern Ireland U21 player who is an exciting winger, having had spells at Bournemouth at Poole Town.
The defence starts with their current captain William Spetch, another ex-Poole Town player who is also known to play in midfield too. Ollie Haste is back for another season on the left-side of the defence, having signed permanently from Yeovil Town in August 2024. Jack Dickson, is back for his third season with the club, and is highly regarded as a right-sided defender. Harvey Wright, is a powerful and dynamic centre-back who joined in the summer from nearby Wimborne Town. Another former Poole Town player back for his season is left-back Harry Hutchinson, who was at the Dolphins previously. In goal currently is Joe Besant, a former AFC Bournemouth academy keeper spent last season at Northern Irish Premier League side Larne, having spent two years in Portugal. He has also has Southern League Premier experience playing for Bracknell Town.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
Going with the same starting eleven seemed to work initially, as we pushed forward with adventure and purpose winning corner after corner for a good 15 minutes of the opening 45 minutes, although only just one corner was of any real concern to Dorchester’s keeper, when Jack Ball hit the crossbar. Dorchester had the best of the second-half, and yes Bradley Wilson hit the post and we had one or two other attacks, that maybe did not fall our way, but realistically Dorchester created the better chances, as they broke dangerously in to our penalty area and along both bylines numerous times.
As per Dan Brownlie’s post-match interview Tuesday night, it will be interesting to see what changes he has to make, either through injury (Green & potentially Dickson), or through availability, which means at least Cheick Lysalla will be cup-tied, as he played for Ascot Utd in the Trophy in the previous round.
Just to confirm our loss Tuesday, leaves us in twelfth place, with our record now at Pld 13 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 6 and 15pts. With Lysalla out of the squad, but with homefield advantage and depending on how we decide to set-up, do we start both Liam Ferdinand & Bradley Wilson or does James Clark keep his starting position. George Reid is also an option, as he makes his way back to full fitness. Remy Bennsion, has been absent with an injury, and has missed the last three games, so could he make a return?
The midfield played well especially in the first-half Tuesday, but as Dorchester pushed forward after the break, we dropped deeper into our half to keep them out. With Josh Green at best doubtful for tomorrow, and James Dickson who also appeared to have picked up a knock, it will be interesting to see who gets the starting nod here. D’Andre Brown has played well especially in the last two games, whilst Ben Cook who has played in a right-wing back role, may be pushed back into more central midfield role. Connor Barratt is also an option, and could even earn a start.
With the defence playing three centre-backs and two wing-backs for the past two games, although it strengthens the middle, as the game wears-on, teams start to utilise the space behind the wing-backs, and Dorchester posed a number of threats, as they broke into our penalty area time-and-time again, with our defence having to make crucial blocks and last-ditch tackles to keep them at bay. With this understanding, will we revert to a more normal back-four, bringing back Marcus Johnson-Schuster into that right-back role, whilst Joe O’Loughlin continues to impress on the left. This leaves Billy Upton and potentially Scott Armsworth to patrol the centre, whilst giving Jack Ball a chance for a much deserved rest. Still no sign of Elliott Legg’s return from injury. Simon Grant will once adorn the goalkeeper gloves, and his saves keeps continue to keep us in games.
The second of the two match-ups, and with the number of injuries starting to rise, and the absence of Lysalla, we will have to raise our game, against a team that will be full of confidence after their win on Tuesday.
This is still a big opportunity for Basingstoke to progress and get a big home or away draw in the next round.
Let’s Go Stoke !
Match Preview by Martin French..
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