Match Preview: Basingstoke Town vs Guernsey Saturday 3rd December 2022

Match Preview: Isthmian South Central Division
Basingstoke Town Vs Guernsey
When: Saturday 3rd December 2022 Kick-off 2pm
Where: Winklebury Stadium, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Guernsey (Nickname – Sarnians), Avg 2022-23 Home Att 585
Admission Prices: Adults £10, Concessions £7, U16’s £3, U12’s £1 Match Programmes £2

A well-deserved 1-0 win on the road against a tough South Park side, saw us move into fourth place in the table, as we host Channel Island side Guernsey tomorrow afternoon.

Last season we picked up four points out of six, dropping two points in a 4-4 match where we led 4-2 with just fifteen minutes to go in Guernsey last January.
We then won the home fixture 2-0, through goas by Conor Lynch at Winklebury last March.

Our Opponents
The Green Lions or Sarnians are located on the island of Guernsey, and continue to be managed by Tony Vance since the club’s inception in 2011. The well-known Le Tissier family have strong connections with the Community Club with Mark Le Tissier the current Chairman.

Guernsey sit in one of the relegation playoff places (17th), with a record of Pld 14 Won 2 Drawn 5 Lost 7 Pts 11. Guernsey are the league’s lowest goal-scorers with just nine to their name so far, but both their wins did come on the road, at Sutton Common Rovers (1-0), and 2-1 at Chipstead.

With so few goals scored, their leading striker is Sam Murray with just three goals, joined the club this summer. Club record goal-scorer Ross Allen has missed the last few games, which leaves Will Fazakerley (a former Leicestershire cricketeer) with two goals, as the other main striker. Danny Hale another forward scored his first goal of the season, in last weeks 1-1 draw at home to Bedfont Sports.

The midfield will likely be led by two-goal Matt Loaring who is an attacking versatile midfielder since joining the club in 2015. He did have trials at Watford, Leeds Utd & Grimsby. Thomas Dodds has cemented his role in midfield over the past few years and can also play in defence if needed. Kieran Mahon, brings bite to the Guernsey midfielder with bundles of energy and sharp in the tackle. Liam Mahon is the younger of the two brothers and a regular in the side. Charles Gauvain is out with a long-term injury.

The defence has Jacob Fallaize who apart from a short stint in the US, has been at the club since 2015. With him will be centre-back Jamie Dodd, who is the club’s all-time appearance holder. Keanu Marsh is the likely right-back tomorrow, and has been at the club since 2016. Thomas Gauvin will also play a part at the back.
In goal recently has been Josh Addison, who has been at the club on-and-off for the last few seasons.

Our Basingstoke Town Side
A well-worked indirect free-kick saw Bradley Wilson score the only goal of a game that Stoke controlled for long periods of the game hitting the woodwork twice and forcing a number of saves out of the South Park.

This win as previously stated, now leaves us in fourth with a record of Pld 15 Won 9 Drawn 2 Lost 4 Pts 29. With 31 league goals so far, we can now boast the league’s leading goal-scorer in Bradley Wilson with eleven goals, add four cup goals, gives him fifteen on the season. Twelve goal Ezio Touray’s, continued absence strengthens signs that he has left the club, which means Sam Argent will be alongside Wilson this Saturday. Brody Peart was back at training, and should be part of the match-day squad. George Reid & Stefan Brown who both missed last Saturday, are likely to miss this Saturday as well through injury.

In midfield Simon Dunn (Captain) & Michael Atkinson will be supported by the successful return of Ben Cook and this allows us to use James Clark in a role that suits how we decide to set-up tomorrow. Anton Rodgers & Marcus Johnson-Schuster could both play a role off the bench. Young Louis Wilson is likely to be part of tomorrow’s substitutes as well. D’Andre Brown is still progressing in his return from injury, but hopes to join full training next week.
The good news was seeing Lewis Hayden rehabbing on the sidelines in training last night.

The defence is likely to be the same again this week, which means Billy Upton and Nathan Smart will be the two centre-backs, with Ben Mason on the right and Callum Winchcombe looks to continue on the left. Scott Armsworth’s injury continues to keep him on the sidelines, and is likely to miss another couple of matches. Aiden Lewis & Dan Williamson are the likely options off the bench.
Mark Scott, I assume will be our starting keeper once again.

Manager Dan Brownlie will look to extend his four league win streak tomorrow afternoon against a team that last season, struggled to come to terms with the Winklebury 3G surface.

With no Premier league or Championship matches tomorrow it will be interesting to see how many walk-up spectators will turn up for the 2pm kick-off tomorrow.

Match Preview by Martin French..