Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Basingstoke Town vs Wimborne Town
When: Saturday 14th December 2024 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Wimborne Town (The Magpies), Avg 2024-25 Home Att 630
Following the loss at Havant, it may have been fortunate that the trip to the league leaders Merthyr Town was postponed due to the weather and travel expectations, so tomorrow we welcome newly promoted Wimborne Town to Winklebury tomorrow afternoon.
Wimborne won the Southern League Division One South title last season four points ahead of Frome Town who we have already played this season.
Our Opponents
The Magpies (Wimborne’s version) are managed by ex-Basingstoke player Tim Sills. Sills who made nearly 700 appearances in his 20-year playing career, scoring 219 goals. He had two stints at Basingstoke, making xx appearances. His other clubs included Aldershot Town, Oxford Utd, Stevenage and Torquay Utd at National League and League Two levels. He was appointed manager of Hamworthy United in October 2019 and guided the Wessex League Premier club to promotion to the Southern League as league champions, and FA Vase semi-final in the 2021-22 season. He joined Wimborne in October 2022, and then they won the Southern League Division One title last season.
Wimborne like Basingstoke and many others were idle due to the weather last Saturday and they currently sit five places below Stoke in sixteenth place, with an overall record of Pld 17 Won 6 Drawn 3 Lost 8 and 21pts. Last time out was a worthy one-one draw at home to Dorchester Town. Their away record is fairly poor with 1 Win, 1 Draw and 6 Losses. The Magpies one win on the road was strangely at Winklebury, as they smashed Winchester City 4-2 who were ground-sharing with Stoke back in August. Before we mention their leading goalscorers this season, the Magpies made a big move this week, by re-signing club legend Toby Holmes. Holmes scored 132 goals in just 140 games over his three-year stint at Wimborne, and he has already scored against us this season whilst playing for Poole Town, just five weeks ago.
With just nineteen goals in the league, their leading goalscorers (three of them, all with five goals), are strikers Matty Burrows, Will Fletcher & midfielder Cameron Munn. Burrows, signed this summer and became a fans’ favourite during his 6-game loan spell from Totton last season when he scored three times. He’d previously played for Weymouth before joining the Stags. Fletcher, also signed in the summer, after coming through Wimborne’s youth and Development teams, he then joined Poole Town for four seasons, before heading to Hamworthy United, and last season scored 10 goals in 26 appearances for Dorchester Town.
The midfield contains their other leading goal-scorer Cameron Munn, who signed in October 2023, after a being a regular at Hamworthy United and has rejoined Manager Tim Sills at Wimborne where he scored six times in his twenty-three appearances for the Magpies last season. With him will be Matt Neale who re-signed in 2023, having previously played for them whilst on loan in the 2016-17 season from AFC Bournemouth. He has also played for the same old local clubs such as Poole Town, Hamworthy Utd and Dorchester Town. Adam Biss signed in August 2024 after coming through the academies at Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers. Last season he played for Brockenhurst and Bemerton Heath Harlequins. Josh Carmichael signed just over a year ago, was capped by Scotland at U16 and U19 levels, and made four appearances for the Cherries after coming through their academy. He has also played for Gosport (including the 2014 FA Trophy final alongside Tim Sills at Wembley), Poole, Salisbury, Torquay, Weymouth and Totton.
The defence contains their captain in Sam Jackson, is in his second season at the club having spent time at Poole Town, Bashley and Dorchester, before being an ever present in our league campaign last season. Billy Walker signed in the summer of 2023, hard-working central defender having between captain for both Christchurch & Hamworthy United before joining the Magpies. Another summer 2023 signing was Sam Roberts, a central-defender who joined from Salisbury, having previously played for Gosport & Winchester City. Harvey Wright, joined from Poole Town, having played for Tim Sills whilst at Hamworthy.
It is not clear who will be wearing the goalkeeper gloves as both Ben Rodwell & Charlie Philpott have been between the sticks in the last two games, but the experienced Ross Flitney is expected back from injury. Flitney, signed in the 2023 following 77 appearances in League Two for Barnet and Gillingham, including playing at Old Trafford in a League Cup tie, as well as making 176 appearances for Eastleigh, before joining the Magpies.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
With our Merthyr Town game postponed, we now have a key home game, in an effort to get back to winning ways, as we sit mid-table in eleventh, with our record at a mediocre Pld 18 Won 5 Drawn 8 Lost 5 and 23pts. The continued lack of goals in the league has hampered us in this poor run of games, but with most of our attacking force now fully back to fitness, then hopefully we can turn the corner and start finding the net again. Liam Ferdinand still leads our goal-scoring chart with nine goals, despite not since scoring since October, and will likely be supported by both George Reid & Robbie Gallagher upfront. Unless Dan Warre starts then he will be one of a number of options including Brody Peart & Jonny Efedje off the bench. Nnamdi Nwachuku is likely still a week a way from making the matchday squad. Academy star Charlie Barlow could also make a spot on the bench tomorrow.
The midfield’s leading goal-scorer Rudy Allen will lead the defence tomorrow afternoon, along with Sam Deadfield who needs to start to show the form he had in his precious stint for us. It is also hoped that Ben Cook is back and raring to go from injury, whilst Luis Le Paih & D’Andre Brown are good options if needed.
Firstly congratulations go to our right-back Marcus Johnson-Schuster, who became a proud father this week, and if available will be the right-back, whilst Curtis Angell could return on the left. Our captain Billy Upton will likely be paired with Jack Ball in the centre-back role, which means the ever accommodating and versatile James Clark, should be an option off the bench. Aleks Kokoszka starts his ban for his red card at Havant. Academy star Harry Bowden, could also win a start on the bench. Simon Grant will be wearing the goalkeeper gloves once again tomorrow.
Unless we have made any signings in the last 48 hours, then we will go into this important pre-christmas game with the current squad as it is. What we do know is our current form, especially at home needs to improve and like the Tiverton game, we should enter as favourites. Add the fact that Wimborne have failed to find the net in seven of their seventeen league games, it’s time for the players to show us what we know they can achieve, and that’s three points and an end to the losing run in the league.
Therefore why not give the christmas shopping the elbow and make your way down to Winklebury tomorrow afternoon and get behind Dan and the players.
Match Preview by Martin French..
English 
Polish 