Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Basingstoke Town vs Dorchester Town
When: Saturday 20th April 2024 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Dorchester Town (The Magpies), Avg 2023-24 Home Att 519
Following our latest loss at Swindon we still sit nervously needing points to guarantee our safety with two games remaining in our season.
Tomorrow is our last home game of the season, as we face a resurgent Dorchester Town, who are on a twelve game unbeaten run, as they come to Winklebury.
We played the reverse fixture at Dorchester back in November, and a large Stoke following, saw us outplayed for large chunks of the game, as we lost four-one, with Stoke’s response a Liam Ferdinand’s goal, in added-time at the end of the game.
Our Opponents
The Magpies are managed by Tom Killick, who joined the club in late September, having spent twenty-year’s managing at nearby Poole Town. He will be assisted by Glenn Howes, and both Tom & Glenn played for the Stoke in the late 90’s. Both had worked together previously at Salisbury & Poole Town, before arriving at Dorchester.
With their impressive run (eight wins and four draws), the Magpies, haven’t lost since the middle of February, and now sit in ninth, with a very slight chance of making the playoffs. Their record sits at Pld 40 Won 17 Drawn 9 Lost 14, with 60pts. Their away record in this recent winning period gives them a more respectable record of 9 Wins, 5 Draws & 6 Losses. Their leading goal-scorer is striker Shaquille Gwengwe with sixteen league goals. Gwengwe, arrived from AFC Totton in June 2022. Olaf Koszela has ten league goals, initially joined the club in January 2022 on loan from Torquay, but then signed a one-year contract at the start of this season. William Spetch, who started as a defender when arriving, is now part of the midfield and since joining from Poole Town, has added six goals, and was voted their March player of the month. In November they added another player from Poole Town, in Will Fletcher. Fletcher since arriving has added ten goals, and has also played at Wimborne Town and on loan Hamworthy Recreation. Another attacking player is Marcus Daws, who has two goals since arriving in 2024 from
Apart from William Spetch, the midfield saw the recent signing of 22 year-old Lewis Waterfield, who progressed through Eastleigh’s academy, and has since had spells at AFC Totton, Blackfield & Langley & Lymington Town. Waterfield has added two goals since arriving less than a month ago. The current captain is Jordan Ngalo, who joined in 2022, who having had stints at Weymouth, AFC Totton & Aldershot Town. Southampton academy player Corby Moore now 30, joined recently, having spent spells at clubs such as Bishop Stortford, Poole Town and Chelmsford.
In defence will be Jack Dickson as one of the main stays, defensive back Ollie Haste, who started at the start of the season, joined from Yeovil Town and has three goals so far. Ieuan Turner is another mainstay in defence, who has come through from their U23 side. On the right will be Drew Eccott-Young, who joined from Hamworthy Utd. With their original keeper Adam Forster, out with a serious injury from earlier this season, the keeper’s gloves will be worn by Jameson Horlick, who joined in January.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
After starting brightly in the opening few minutes, we found ourselves two goals down due to some lax marking at Swindon Supermarine last Saturday. Despite the odd half-chance in the second-half, we were never really in the game, as Swindon hardly that impressive on the day, then added a third goal in the last minute of normal time. This latest loss leaves us in twelfth place with us looking over our shoulders, as teams below slowly edge closer to us with just two league games to go. Our record now sits at Pld 40 Won 14 Drawn 8 Lost 18, with 50pts. Our home record remains at a respectable 8 wins 5 draws & 6 losses.
Still hampered by a continuing number of injuries, Manager Dan Brownlie knows that he must get something out of the squad in an effort to get the final points to secure our safety for this season.
The strike force is once again likely to be Bradley Wilson, Liam Ferdinand and either Dan Rowe or Stefan Brown, the other one likely to be an option off the bench, alongwith Shamar Moore.
Simon Dunn, will once again head the midfield, with the expected return of Ben Cook, who could replace the injured Elliott Bolton, and could lineup alongside Paul Hodges, & Luis Le Paih, to try and control the midfield. tomorrow.
The defence will be led by Billy Upton, with either James Clark or Shane Hollamby alongside him. With Curtis Angell picking up his season-ending injury last week, there is the option that Clark could move into his role on the right. Massimo Giamattei should remain on the left. In goal will once again be Simon Grant, who we may need to be at his best tomorrow.
Another big game against a team on a roll with a lot at stake for both teams. So tomorrow our forward line needs to take the chances when they come along, the midfield needs to try and control that area, and we need one more big effort from our defence whoever starts tomorrow.
You can play your part by getting behind your Stoke side tomorrow afternoon.
Match Preview by Martin French..
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