Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Basingstoke Town vs Hendon Fc
When: Saturday 9th March 2024 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Hendon (The Dons), Avg 2023-24 Home Att 255
With last weekend’s game at Hayes & Yeading postponed and rearranged for this coming Tuesday, it allows some of our players to acquire a much needed rest and for others to regain fitness, as we head into our last nine games of the season.
Tomorrow we host Hendon, who we visited back in September last year, on a day where we started brightly, but failed to take our chances, and then conceded two second-half goals, which mean’t we left North London with nothing to show for our initial good play.
Our Opponents
The Dons are managed by Lee Allinson who was appointed first-team manager in November 2019, after a spell at Biggleswade Town. In his playing career, he had spells with the Waders and then Boreham Wood before becoming an assistant manager at St Albans City under his father, former Arsenal player Ian.
Hendon are currently on a poor run having not won a game since New Years Day, which leaves them sitting two places below Basingstoke in twelfth place with a league record of Pld 31 Won 10 Drawn 11 Lost 10, with 41pts. Their last away win was on Boxing Day in 3-1 win at Harrow. Their away record stands at 4 Wins, 5 Draws & 6 Losses. Their leading goalscorer is Niko Muir who returned for his fourth stint with the Dons this season, and has twenty-two goals this season, seven as part of their impressive FA Trophy run. He was signed by Hartlepool Utd for an undisclosed season following a 40-goal season, and also played for other clubs such as Hampton & Richmond Borough, Billericay & Hungerford Town. Forward Joe White has eight goals, and has been at the club on-and-off since the 2017-18 season, having spent spells at League 2 side Stevenage, Dagenham & Redbridge, as well as Wealdstone & Biggleswade Town. Another forward is Richard Pingling who joined last month from Dulwich Hamlets. Pingling came through Burnley & AFC Wimbledon academies, and has also spent time at Eastbourne Utd, Merstham and other clubs. Romeo Akinola, also joined last month on loan from St Albans City and was a product of QPR’s youth programme.
In midfield they have Kurtis Cumberbatch, who joined in December, from Gosport Borough. He has added three goals since arriving, and formerly played at a number of other clubs like Billericay Town, Slough and Dover. Billy Leonard, is an exciting midfielder, who has added seven goals this season, having joined from Harrow Borough. Hamza Semakula is a young player who has six goals on the season, who started at Boreham Wood, and has since played at Chalfont’s St Peter & Enfield Borough. Young Scottish Finlay MacNab, after playing in the Dons pre-season, then played for Hanworth Villa, before returning to the club, and has proved his worth adding six goals.
In defence they have left-back Lucas Perry, who was captain last weekend, and has been at the club since leaving Biggleswade in 2019. Dan Matsukaka, a former Japanese U19 international, joined from Weymouth last season, and has also played at Braintree, Sutton Utd & Oxford City. Full-back Samuel Adenola, has six goals, who also joined from neighbours Harrow Borough. In goal was Matt Kerbey, but he was recalled by Sutton Utd after they had a goalkeeper crisis. Instead we are likely to see Dylan Berry between the sticks. Berry, is a young keeper who was signed on loan from Norwich City, and has had spells at St Albans & Macclesfield.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
The Basingstoke revival continued in our last match at home to Plymouth Parkway, even though most of the 776 crowd present, did not think that the winning goal was going to come, after numerous opportunities were squandered throughout the game. However, an 82nd minute penalty conversion by Bradley Wilson earned us all three points, against a dogged Parkway side. This victory now has us sitting in a credible tenth place, with our record at Pld 33 Won 12 Drawn 7 Lost 14, with 43pts. Our home record is also looking better at 6 wins 4 draws & 6 losses.
Bradley Wilson’s goal now gives him seventeen on the season, and with Liam Ferdinand looking to makeup for his misses, last time out, and especially if Dan Rowe (13 goals), should be available for selection tomorrow. That extra rest week, should also mean Stefan Brown & Ashleigh Artwell will be part of the matchday squad, and could winger George Reid, now be ready to play some part too.
Unaware of any other injuries, the midfield, could see the return of Simon Dunn to the line-up and if so the captain’s armband. This should leave Paul Hodges, Luis Le Paih & Ben Cook, who have been in top form in our recent games, which will provide strong support in the middle of the park, depending on how we set-up. D’Andre Brown could be back from injury to add to the squad. It has also been announced that to cover the season-ending loss of Michael Atkinson, we have signed Weymouth central midfielder Elliott Bolton to bolster the midfield area.
Two clean sheets in a row, has given the defence a lot more confidence, and Manager Dan Brownlie, has a number of options and decisions on who to start tomorrow. Man-mountain Billy Upton will nail down one centre-half role, whilst depending on the fitness’s of both Scott Armsworth & Shane Hollamby, one is more likely to start in the role alongside Billy. The right-back role should hopefully see the return of Markus Johnson-Shuster, whilst the left back role could go to either Curtis Angell or Massimo Giamattei. In goal will be Simon Grant who will look to earn three clean sheets in a row, something we haven’t seen for a while, but would be a good time to start tomorrow.
Having won five of our last six league games, we are now looking to make a push for sold top-half place in the table, and we could look to add to Hendon’s current winless streak.
Apart from this being an important league game, there will be a minute’s silence before the kick-off tomorrow, as part of a Fan remembrance day to commemorate a number of well-known and long-term supporters who are sadly no longer with us. Your support in this minute’s remembrance will be much appreciated.
Match Preview by Martin French..
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