Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
AFC Totton vs Basingstoke Town
When: Tuesday 26th December 2023 Kick-off 3pm
Where: The Snows Stadium, Salisbury Road, Totton. SO40 2RW
AFC Totton (The Stags), Avg 2023-24 Home Att 1,240
I hope everyone had a good Christmas Day, as now just seventy-two hours after our defeat to Didcot Town, we travel down the M3 to take on promotion chasing AFC Totton.
We played Totton back on the August Bank Holiday Monday, and after taking a lead Totton equalised in the fifth minute of added-time in the first-half. Ben Cook then re-gave us the lead, but this was cancelled out soon afterwards. However, it was a George Reid’s winner with twenty minutes to go, that gave us all three points on the day.
Our Opponents
The Stags are managed by Jimmy Ball, who was the Assistant-Manager at League Two club Stevenage, prior to that he was interim Manager at Forest Green Rovers.
The Stags sit in a very healthy fifth-place, with an overall record of Pld 19 Won 10 Drawn 5 Lost 4, and 35pts. They have a plus twenty-one goal difference, and their home record sits at 5 Wins, 3 Draws & 2 Losses. The losses being Salisbury & Hungerford Town. Their leading goal-scorer is 20-year journeyman Scott Rendell, who has thirteen league goals this season, and unless he’s moved he still lives in Basingstoke. Totton not short of money added two former Portsmouth academy strikers to their squad in attacking winger Leon Maloney who has added six goals, whilst Alfie Stanley has added five. Matty Burrows who joined in November 2022, has also added five goals.
Their midfield saw an upgrade when last month they added Joseph Turner to the squad, who has added four goals since his arrival. Turner (30), was picked up from NL South side Tonbridge Angels. 29-year-old Adam Tomasso joined from local side Blackfield & Langley as part of the swoop of players when their Owner upped sticks and took over at Snows Stadium. Tomasso, known as a competitive player, has scored twice in the league this season. Yet another December signing is Alfie Egan, who has played for a number of clubs, but more recently Ebbsfleet Utd and he started this season at Lewes. Mike Carter who left Gosport Borough at the same time as Charlie Kennedy (see below), is the team captain,
The defence will no doubt be marshalled by ex-Stokie hardman Charlie Kennedy, who joined the Stags in July 2022 after being at Gosport Borough and Salisbury before then. Luke Hallett will play alongside Kennedy in the centre and also joined via Gosport Borough, where he was on a season-long loan. Sam Magri who scored in our first encounter this season, will also earn a spot at the back.
In goal will be Lewis Noice who joined via Blackfield & Langley in 2021, having also played at Eastleigh, Winchester City and AFC Portchester before his time at Blackfield & Langley.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
After losing to two teams in the relegation zone, we face a team who we have had many interesting matches in the recent past, and who are riding the promotion bandwagon as we face them tomorrow afternoon.
Following the loss against Didcot, and previously at Harrow, we still sit in thirteenth place with our record a sorry looking Pld 24 Won 7 Drawn 5 Lost 12 GF 45 GA 57 with 26pts. I use the term ‘sorry’, as we have now lost twelve games, with the only two teams with that many losses being Harrow & Didcot. Add the fact that we have now conceded the most goals in the league (57), and this gives our Manager Dan Brownlie and his coaching staff, a number of challenges, to turn this situation around.
Our strikeforce will once again not have the services of Dan Rowe, and will likely be led by Liam Ferdinand and Bradley Wilson once again. Liam currently sits on seven goals since joining in, whilst Bradley’s neat finish on Saturday now leaves him with twelve, the same as Dan Rowe. George Reid who finished Wilsons cross for his tenth goal of the season, then returned the compliment as he set-up Wilson for Stoke’s second goal. Stefan Brown, who was a second-half substitution Saturday, may well likely be an option off the bench tomorrow. Young Noah Chengun, could also win a bench spot as well.
The midfield with the new additions, played well for periods of the Didcot game, but will also need to lift their game if they are to compete against a strong Totton midfield. Assuming there are no injuries, then it is likely to be D’Andre Brown, Mal Nicholls and Anthony Cheshire once again.
The defence basically the same as last season’s Championship side, which has not been at it’s best at times this season, will have to prove they can get the job done in the coming few games, or changes may need to be made. Will we go with the same back four of Massimo Giamattei on the left, Scott Armsworth & Billy Upton in the middle, and Markus Johnson-Schuster on the right, or does Dan decide to shake it up now. If so, then they could go with the likes of Callum Winchcombe (on the left), Kai Hobbs (who was absent through illness in either back role), or Nathan Smart (in the centre or on the right).When teams concede a number of goals, the keeper is the first to be blamed, and although one or two errors have appeared at crucial times this season, they are still clearly sound keepers. Mark Scott is likely to retain the keeper’s gloves, although Paul Strudley appears fit enough to return if required.
With the expectancy of coming into this game with a win, some much needed points and confidence, we now face a tough match-up, in front of a vociferous Totton crowd where our players need to band together and battle for ninety-plus minutes if they are to get anything out of the game.
Despite their being no trains tomorrow, I’m sure a large Stoke following will swell the crowd tomorrow, and despite our recent run of form, it would be great for as many as possible of you to take the short thirty-five minute trip down to Totton and get behind our players.
Match Preview by Martin French..
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