Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Basingstoke Town vs Uxbridge
When: Saturday 31st January 2026 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Uxbridge (The Reds), 2025-26 Curr League Position 18th
An uninspiring performance last Saturday against Weymouth, saw our winless streak now at three, not helped by scoring just two goals in total, as we struggle to find the net. A midweek North-Hants cup win, did give the promised academy players some gametime experience, but again with the game, pretty much put to bed early, the second-half performance was not the best by those first-team players gaining important game-time, before tomorrow’s game against Uxbridge.
We host Uxbridge tomorrow afternoon in the return match-up, from our 2-1 loss back in October, where we went a goal behind early, but levelled through Scott Armsworth’s powerful header. However, the second-half saw them regain their lead, and despite the odd half-chance, we went down to defeat.
Our Opponents
The Reds continue to be managed by Danny Edwards, who spent 15 seasons as Manager at Chalfont St Peter, before taking on the Reds job, where in his five seasons at the club, has overseen the club’s promotion to step 4 and an FA Vase semi-final.
Uxbridge are currently on a three-game losing streak, losing 2-0 at Yate Town last weekend. They now currently sit in fourteenth, with a record of Pld 28 Won 8 Drawn 9 Lost 11 and 33pts. Their away record sits at 3 Wins, 7 Draws and 4 Losses. Their forward line, starts with ex-2024-25 Stokie Nnamdi Nwachuku, who has eleven goals since joining in August. Attacking midfielder Frank Keita has ten goals this season, after joining from Farnborough this season. He scored an impressive 35 goals for Rayners Lane last season, and played for clubs such as Hendon, Potters Bar Town & Hayes & Yeading. Forward Ada Okorogheye has three goals, since rejoining in November from Wingate & Finchley.
Apart from Keita, their midfield contains George Moore, who has seven goals. Moore joined in 2023 from Harrow Borough, and scored 21 goals last season as he won the clubs Player of the year trophy. Ex-Hanwell midfielder Harry Rush, still sits on two league goals this season, after helping the Reds with promotion following his arrival in January. They added ex-Chertsey winger William Montague in January, who has also played at Staines Town, Beaconsfield Town, Southall, and Leatherhead. Toby Nnadozie, a combative midfielder, joined from Rayners Lane in 2024, and has also played for Risborough Rangers, and Harrow Borough.
Their defence includes CJ Fearn, who was influential in Uxbridge gaining promotion, after joining from Farnborough in September 2024 and has vast experience at steps 2 & 3 of the football pyramid. At left back, will be Casey Bocarro, who is regarded as a teenager defender, since nailing down the spot since joining from Virginia Water. Jordan Stepney, is a strong left sided defender who helped Farnham Town clinch promotion last season, before joining the Reds in October. At right-back, it was ex-Stokie Kyle Hobbs. Hobbs who played in 2023-24, has however missed the last three games, where Josh Boorn has worn the No.2 shirt, a couple of times, since having joined the Club from Royston Town in December. He is however regarded as a hard-working midfielder, who has also played for Bedford Town, Marlow and Bracknell Town. Another 2023-24 ex-Stokie is Massimo Giamattei, who has struggled to earn a regular starting role. In goal at the moment is Croatian, Marco Underwood, who has played the last five games, whilst on-loan from Fulham.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
With the home loss to Weymouth last Saturday, it has continued the theme of struggling to create clear-cut chances, and this lack of goals, has put extra pressure on our defence to perform at a higher level.
With our back-to-back losses in the league, and with Bracknell winning in the league midweek, we now sit in twelfth place, just two places above tomorrows opponents Uxbridge. Our record now at Pld 27 Won 10 Drawn 4 Lost 13 and 34pts. Our home record now stands at 7 Wins, 1 draw & 4 losses. As stated last week, the forward-line is pretty-much back to full-strength, which means Cheick Sylla, who played a large part minutes-wise, in Tuesday’s North-Hants Cup win, will head the forward-line, alongwith the tenacious Robbie Gallagher, who scored our only goal last week, when he was gifted the ball by Weymouth’s keeper, deep into added-time of the first-half. George Reid will likely be the other striker, who leads the team with eight goals. Joe Barough looks to be first option, when needed, with Dan Rowe another option. Ore Bello is hopefully close to a return to the squad.
The midfield potentially looks unchanged from last Saturday, depending on how we set-up at the back. It will need to take more control than it has in recent games, if we are to provide more options for the forward line against Uxbridge. It starts with young Tom Blake, who has had a great start to his career with Basingstoke, but like Josh Green, were not at their best last week. D’Andre Brown is potentially the other likely starter in the middle, although James Dickson is itching to regain his midfield slot. Ben Cook is currently the first option off the bench. There is a strong possibility that Lloyd Snell, who played at right-back last week, could and should be pushed into a more attacking role, as he brings a different set of skills and pace to this area.
Now to the defence, where we could see a formation change, depending on a number of things. Firstly, is James Clark fit to return to a starting role. Secondly, why did Billy Upton play a full ninety minutes in a North-Hants Cup game, where he took a number of knocks throughout the game. If he is available tomorrow, and if believed that Jack Ball could return to a starting role, then we could switch to a three centre-back, and two wing-back formation. That would include Scott Armsworth, Billy Upton & Jack Ball. James Clark could fit into this role as well. If this was the case, then the two wing-backs, could be Joe O’Loughlin on the left, and either Lloyd Snell or D’Andre Brown, who played in a right-back role, on Tuesday night. Elliott Legg, is another option, if fit to return.
Simon Grant will once more don the goalkeeper gloves tomorrow afternoon.
In just under 24-hours we will host a team that has slipped down the table, and is on a three-game losing streak, and with us not having a win in three, could homefield advantage be the key, in what is an important three-points for both teams.
A lot of options for our line-up tomorrow afternoon, and the weather not the best over the next 24-hours, which could affect how the game will play out.
Let’s Go Stoke !
Match Preview by Martin French..
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