Match Preview: Basingstoke Town vs Taunton Town – Saturday 28th March 2026

Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Basingstoke Town vs Taunton Town
When: Saturday 28th March 2026 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Taunton Town (Peacocks), 2025-26 Curr League Position 23rd

Tuesday’s expected comfortable win against Step 7 Broughton, in the North-Hants Cup Semi-Final, backed up two previous strong performances, at Tiverton and then Farnham Town in the league. Yes, Tiverton was expected, but the excellent performance at Farnham, gave us a well-deserved point and gave our league position a big boost.
We now host one of the teams scrambling for survival in the league, Taunton Town, who we played in the reverse fixture back at the start of the season, going behind early, we played well, but had to wait until the final minute of the game, before James Clark coolly slotted home the equaliser.

Our Opponents
The Peacocks who have failed to meet upto their pre-season expectations, made a managerial change in December 2025, replacing the excitable Richard Luffman for the vastly experienced Gary Johnson, whose managerial career spans over 30 years, and has seen him demonstrate exceptional leadership and achievement, including taking Yeovil Town from non-League football into the Championship, securing automatic promotion with Bristol City, and winning league titles at both Cheltenham Town and Torquay United.

Taunton sit (23rd), next-to-bottom in the table, but did pick up their first point for three games in a 2-2 home draw against Hanwell Town, last Saturday. This leaves their record at Pld 35 Won 9 Drawn 7 Lost 19 and 34pts. They have also lost their last eight games on the road, which goes to confirm their poor away record of 4 Wins, 1 Draw and 14 Losses. Their leading goalscorer is Ben Seymour, with nine goals, having joined on a season-long loan from Torquay United. He spent the latter half of the 2024–25 season on loan at AFC Totton. Owen Brain, has five goals, but may miss through an injury he picked up three weeks ago. He joined from Gloucester City last season, having also played at Bristol Manor Farm, Merthyr Town & Yate Town. Another striker is Alfie Moulden and another ex-Tiverton player who joined the Peacocks in the summer of 2024, and has a wealth of experience including time at Western-Super-Mare & Plymouth Parkway. Scott Robinson, joined Taunton Town in December 2025 from Bideford and has added three goals, having also spent time at Brixham AFC. Last week they added ex-Tiverton striker Dan Koita, who spent a short period at Dorchester before joining the Peacocks.

Josh Owens, joined from title-winning Yeovil Town during the 2024–25 season, but an injury cut his campaign short, but he is now back in the heart of midfield. Jack Rice, signed an 18-month contract after his second spell from Chorley FC. Ollie Chamberlain is on extended loan from Weston-Super-Mare. Jayden Nielsen arrived from Bristol Manor Farm in summer 2024, also having made the Division One South Team of the Season. Regarded as a dynamic wide player on either wing. They also recently added Harry Shield, who is on-loan from Plymouth Argyle.

Nick Grimes, is The Peacocks’ longest-serving player, with a brief spell away at Bath City in the summer of 2024 before returning midway through the 2024–25 season. Calm and composed at the back, he also wears the captains armband. Centre-back Ollie Woodhouse, who re- signed from Bristol Manor Farm in 2024, having played 150 times for Great Wakering Rovers, and then Roman St Glass. Jamie Richards, who joined in October 2025, is another ex-Tiverton player, and also made 275 appearances for Truro City. Niall Thompson, joined from rivals Tiverton Town in the summer of 2025, after six-years at Truro City, and before that Weymouth and Bideford. Ex-Gloucester wing-back Dylan Jones joined the Peacocks in February, having previously featured for Southern League Premier South rivals Tiverton Town, as well as spells at Cinderford Town, Hereford, Merthyr Town, & Salisbury. Earlier this month they added Jack Matthews to the defence, who is on-loan from Plymouth Argyle, till the end of the season. The Peacocks have made a number of goalkeeper changes this season, and Freddie Godden has been wearing the gloves in the last four games. Godden signed for Bristol City’s U21 side.

Our Basingstoke Town Side
Last Saturday’s good point in that 1-1 draw at Farnham followed the three-points earned in a comfortable win at bottom-placed Tiverton four days earlier. Despite the good play and a number of half-chances, it took Joe O’Loughlin’s flicked finish, in added-time to give us the lead, going into the break. Again more good play, could have resulted us in extending our lead, but Farnham equalised with twenty minutes remaining, and had one or two chances to nick the points, which they clearly did not deserve on the day.

That result now leaves us sitting in fifteenth place with our record at a more safer Pld 36 Won 11 Drawn 8 Lost 17 and 41pts. Our home record now stands at 7 Wins, 3 draws & 8 losses, but with our last win at home still over two months ago.
The strikeforce in the last two league games has remained the same, with Joe Grant & Joe Barough, joined by the attack-minded Max Herbert, and a strong midfield. With us playing a team not great on the road, this may allow us, if we wish to, to change shape, and thus give Robbie Gallagher or Cheick Sylla a start. Ore Bello made a successful return from injury, playing forty-five minutes in the Broughton midweek game, and would assume he will be an option off the bench tomorrow. It is unclear where George Reid is on his return to the team from injury, and Dan Rowe is also a strong candidate for a slot on the bench as well.

The midfield is now probably at its strongest and most exciting it has been all season, with goals coming from this area on a regular basis. Both Max Herbert & Tom Blake create chances and are more than happy to shoot, something the Stoke fans have been advocating all season. With this Tom Blake now has six goals, whilst Herbert found the net three times in his debut start ten days ago. But let’s be clear they bring more than goals to the side. This allows Josh Green, to be the more holding player in the middle, especially with the big loss of Josh Dockerill due to a season-ending ankle injury. Ben Cook could get a start if we go with four in midfield, but is a reliable substitute, when needed in the game. Still unclear on D’Andre Brown’s return following his pre-game injury last week, but would assume he could be available tomorrow.

The defence has held firm in recent games, and unless things change will only have one change from the game at Farnham. But first the known, which means our captain Billy Upton will expect to partner Jack Ball once more, in the centre-back pairing. This likely means Scott Armsworth, will be on the bench tomorrow afternoon. Joe O’Loughlin will patrol the left-back role, whilst the one change, is at right-back, as it is believed Luton on-loan signing Zach Ioannides, will be away on international duty with Cyprus U21 squad. With Lloyd Snell back from injury, and playing in that right-back slot on Tuesday, it would naturally assume he will take on this role tomorrow afternoon. If not and he is used elsewhere in the side, then James Clark will be the next option. Elliott Legg’s fitness status is unclear, but may win a slot on the bench. Simon Grant, who had his successful red-card appeal confirmed, will once more don the goalkeeper gloves tomorrow, although the club have signed ex-Stoke keeper Myles Bowman, before yesterday’s deadline day transfer day. Bowman played a couple of times at the back-end of the 2012-22 season, when Paul Strudley was unavailable.

With a number of Stoke players back from injury, this gives our management team, a number of options and decisions on how we set-up and who to select, in that formation.

Tomorrow afternoon will be a battle of two teams, Stoke who have failed to win at home for sometime, whilst Taunton who can’t buy a win on the road. A win for Basingstoke will go a long way in securing safety for this season, whilst Taunton knowing that they have five of their last seven games at home, will be happy to leave Hampshire with a point.

Let’s Go Stoke !

Match Preview by Martin French..