Match Preview: Isthmian League South Central Division
Basingstoke Town Vs Sutton Common Rovers
When: Saturday 19th March 2022 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Complex, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Sutton Common Rovers (Nickname – The Rovers), Average 2021-22 Home Attendance 69
Admission Prices: Adults £10, Concessions £7 Aged 13-17 £3 Aged 12 & Under £1
Following impressive and deserved back-to-back away wins, we now return for three crucial home games at Winklebury, starting with Sutton Common Rovers who are sitting in a relegation playoff place heading into this weekend.
In the reverse fixture on a lovely sunny day back in November, Stoke fell behind early on, but the game changed a little later as a heavy challenge on Man-of-the-match Bradley Wilson, mean’t Rovers were reduced to ten-men. It was Wilson who then shortly equalised before Rovers were then reduced to nine-men. Rovers held out until a Wilson worldy volley from the edge of the penalty area which flew into the net to give Stoke the halftime lead. With Rovers unable to hold-out they conceded three further goals, which included Wilson’s hat-trick, and Anton Rodgers and Lloyd Snell finishes.
Our Opponents
Sutton are managed by both Darren Salmon & Ryan Lock. Salmon, is part of the Salmon family who founded and currently run the club, and the club are coming off a three-game unbeaten run that included an important 4-2 home win against fellow-relegation battlers Chalfont St Peter last Saturday. This run also included a one-one draw at home to Marlow.
The Rovers league results has them sitting in an uncomfortable 17th place with a league record of PLD 28 Won 7 Drawn 3 Lost 18 GF 34 GA 69 PTS 24. Their away record appears to be better than their home form but three of their four wins were last season, and their last win was a 1-0 win five weeks ago at Thatcham Town.
Like many teams who are struggling to fight off relegation they have made numerous changes to their squad. With just 34 goals scored their leading goal-scorer is just five-goal Connor French, who left the club some time ago. Both Tyrell Butler and Brendan Murphy-McVey both have four goals each, but again no longer appear at the club. This leaves their recent signing Yao Aziamale who has three goals in just seven appearances. Then ex-Chertsey forward Tom Halsey joined the club at the end of February. Halsey had scored five goals for the Curlews before joining Rovers.
They have two interesting wingers in Anh-War Tran-West, and Jeffrey Coblah a speedy winger, whose previous clubs include Coggeshall Town, Bowers & Pitsea, Basildon & Clapton. They also have Perri Iandolo who joined at Christmas time from Maidstone Utd. Another attacking midfielder is Will Efambe, who scored the goal against Stoke earlier in the season. Efambe, had previously played at St Albans City & Corinthian Casuals.
In defence they have experienced Ryan Dacres-Smith who has been an ever-present for the club and also has three goals on the season. Alongside him is incoming Germain Dua, a centre-half who has had spells at Hemel Hempstead, Aldershot Town and Waltham Abbey. Apparently he also spent some time modelling!
In goal it could either be James Dillon who joined on loan from Chelmsford City or Filip Chalupniczak who played last weekend.
Despite their recent run of form, they know that they will need to be at their best to take on an in-form Stoke side to compete on the day.
Your Basingstoke Town Side
This Saturday we return to Winklebury after back-to-back away wins, knowing that we now need to produce those sort of performances at home, as we enter three consecutive games in eight days starting with Sutton Common Rovers tomorrow. Last Saturday with Conor Lynch still absent, we still attacked from the outset through impressive runs from Bradley Wilson, but chances yet again were spurned until Wilson set-up Stefan Brown, who just got to the cross first and hit a thunderbolt shot that went in off the underside of the bar. More chances went awry, but he defence looked strong. Despite second-half pressure from the hosts Tooting & Mitcham, we held firm and we left Surrey with all three points leaving us in fourth place, although we slipped to fifth after Hanwell Town’s in Guernsey on Sunday.
We head into the three home games with our record sitting at PLD 28 Won 17 Drawn 6 Lost 5 GF 53 GA 36 Pts 57
With Stefan Brown absent from training last night, which does not mean he is not fit and ready to play tomorrow, Conor trained fully and should give Manager Dan Brownlie the option on who to start, with Bradley Wilson if not adding his name to the score-sheet in recent games, yet once more put in a 100% effort at both Uxbridge & Tooting, and will start, thus allowing Conor hopefully he is saving up these goals for the next three games.
In midfield George Reid who was substituted at halftime last Saturday, did participate in training, but looks at best to be start on the bench. This gives McKoy Palmer the chance to be the leading winger, depending on how we set-up. Simon Dunn will once again wear the captains armband and is likely to be joined by Anton Rodgers in the middle, If we start with two up front, then this allows either Ben Cook or Palmer to start and depending on how adventurous we set-up. The bench could be full of expectant midfielders such as D’Andre Brown, Brody Peart returning from injury, Lloyd Snell who can fill in at right-back as he showed last week, Marco Magalhaes-Nevez who is now fitting in nicely in the squad and the possible return of Jack French from Tadley.
The defence looks to be without Aiden Lewis who was injured last Saturday, and was absent last night, whilst the awaited return of Dan Williamson, may be not come this Saturday, as he was a sideline participant last evening. This means that Nathan Smart may start in his old role at right-back with Daryl Wollers and either Rob Sheridan or Jonathan Boardman as the two centre-backs. James Howarth will be our starting left-back.
Mr Reliable will once more endeavour to keep another clean sheet, as he has in recent weeks.
This is a hugely vital game for both teams, Sutton Common Rovers in an effort to starve off relegation, whilst Stoke continue there push for a promotion playoff place.
I am hoping like others that tomorrow is the day that Bradley Wilson finds the net that he has been so close to do in recent matches.
With an expected large crowd, let’s hope we can finally produce on the day in front of an expectant crowd for all three points.
Match Preview by Martin French.
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