Southern League Premier South – Tuesday 25th November 2025
Yate Town 1 vs 0 Basingstoke Town Attendance 324
Where: Lodge Road, Yate, Gloucestershire. BS37 7LE
This cold Tuesday night fixture saw Manager Dan Brownlie go with the following line-up: 1. Joel Halliday, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Joe O’Loughlin, 4. Connor Harris, 5. Scott Armsworth, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Thomas Blake, 8. Josh Green, 9. Liam Ferdinand, 10. Joshua Dolling, 11. D’Andre Brown
On the bench: 12.Ben Cook, 14.Dan Rowe, 15.Connor Barratt, 16. Robbie Gallagher & 17. James Clark
Referee – Daniel Ellis
With the frost starting to form on the pitch, it was a quiet opening start with the first attack on six minutes, as Yate sent a cross over from the right, which was headed wide of the left-hand post.
Stoke’s first attack of note, came in the fifteenth minute as a neat passing movement, saw D’Andre Brown, clip the ball from the left, over to the far post, where Elliott Legg hit a volley, that rebounded out to Tom Blake on the edge of the penalty area, whose shot was comfortably saved by the Yate keeper.
Just past the twenty minute, a three passing move, saw a Yate forward beat Joel Halliday in goal, but the linesman had the flag up, and the goal was disallowed.
Yate had the next attack, as a mix-up at the back, saw Yate break, but a timely block, flew to a Yate forward whose touch let him down, and the ball rolled out for a keeper.
Stoke retaliated a minute later as Blake slid the ball through to Liam Ferdinand, whose first-time shot, forced a good save out of the keeper.
It was Ferdinand once more at the centre of our next attack, as he neatly controlled the ball, but his left-foot finish, came off the post and Yate escaped.
In added-time of the first-half, Yate broke down the right, and a deflected cross, fell to another Yate player whose shot rebounded over the bar for a corner. The corner found a Yate forward, who wasted his chance as he headed wide.
A minute later we went into the break goal-less.
Halftime Score: Yate Town 0 vs 0 Basingstoke Town
It was Yate who came out the blocks in the second-half, winning two corners, in the opening minutes, and the second saw them take the lead, as a near post header, in between two Stoke defenders, found its way into the net. Yate 1-0 Basingstoke
Stoke came close on 54 minutes, as an Elliott Legg cross from the right, was blocked to D’Andre Brown, who found Blake, but his shot took a slight deflection, inches wide of the post for a corner.
A free-kick by Brown on the hour was easily held by the keeper down low.
Stoke made its first change of the evening, with Connor Harris replaced by the returning Robbie Gallagher (62 mins).
Gallagher was straight into the action, but his cross was blocked out for a corner.
Stoke made its second change as Liam Ferdinand was replaced by Dan Rowe (68 mins).
Yate looked strong in defence, as Stoke struggled to create any real opening, as we moved into the final fifteen minutes, but another cross from Legg, hit a Yate forward and fell to Dan Rowe, but again the shot was straight at the keeper, allowing him to make an easy save.
Then from our attack, Yate broke and a quick one-two move, saw them travel I to our penalty are, but Halliday was off his line and made a strong save.
It was time for Stoke’s third change as Josh Dolling was replaced by James Clark (79 mins).
For about the third time in the game, a cross was floated into the six-yard box, and was meat & drink for the keeper, making a comfortable catch.
Halliday made another decent save from the next Yate attack with less than eight minutes remaining.
Calls for a penalty were waived away, awarding a corner, as Gallagher went over in the box, but again the corner-kick failed to beat the first defender, and Yate cleared.
Stoke made it’s final two changes of the evening, as Josh Green was replaced by Connor Barratt, and D’Andre Brown was replaced by Ben Cook (85 mins).
A Yate forward was then allowed in slow motion, to take the ball along our byline, but his shot from five yards was blocked out for a corner.
Yate then should have made it two as we entered added-time, but the shot from close range, rebounded off the post and we were able to clear.
Stoke had one more chance, as a corner was headed by Cook, but lacked power, but the keeper fumbled his save, but regained the ball, before a Stoke player could get a touch on it, and a minute later, the referee blew the final whistle, and Stoke go down to defeat, on a cold and frosty night in Yate.
Fulltime Score: Yate Town 1 vs 0 Basingstoke Town
Britton 49 mins,
Match Thought’s
A decent competitive first-half on a frosty pitch, then saw us come out slowly and Yate took full advantage. Stoke’s chances when they came along, were all straight at the keeper, and most of our corners, failed to beat the first Yate defender.
Another strong performance from Tom Blake, gives us hope moving forward, but three losses in a row, and without a goal, sees us slip to thirteenth, with teams below having games in hand.
Good to see Robbie Gallagher back on the pitch.
Up Next:
On Saturday we host the league leaders Walton & Hersham (29th) KO 3pm
Match Report by Martin French..
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