Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Bracknell Town vs Basingstoke Town
When: Wednesday 1st January 2025 Kick-off 1pm
Where: Bottom Meadow, Sandhurst Memorial Park, Sandhurst. GU47 9BJ
Bracknell Town (The Robins), Avg 2024-25 Home Att 517
So close, but then again so far was how the game at Dorchester played out last Saturday afternoon. There has been a lot of talk about the last few minutes of the game, but let’s focus on 2025 and tomorrow’s opponents Bracknell Town.
We hosted Bracknell back on the August Bank Holiday Monday, where we took a second-minute lead through Liam Ferdinand, however Bracknell levelled just before the break. The second-half then saw Bracknell reduced to nine men on the hour, but despite continuous pressure, Bracknell held on and left Basingstoke with a point.
Our Opponents
The Robins (Bracknell’s version that is), are now managed by Jon Underwood who took over in September after Jordan Ive left the club. Underwood, whose playing career was mainly at Farnborough, but also represented Aylesbury Utd. His management career started at Sandhurst before taking over at Godalming with Jt Manager Neil Baker in 2010-11. They had a successful period there, and then at Slough Town, before joining Beaconsfield in February 2023.
Bracknell after an average start to the season, they now sit in seventh place, with an overall record of Pld 21 Won 7 Drawn 10 Lost 4 GF 31 GA 25 and 31pts. Their home record is 4 Wins, 6 Draws & 2 Losses, however they won their last two home games 4-1 vs Hanwell and last Saturday against Frome Town. Their leading goal-scorer in the league is Australian Joel Rollinson, who has five goals, and started his career in Reading’s youth teams, before moving to clubs such as Cray Wanderers, Stevenage, Hungerford and then Farnham Town, before joining the Robins in September. Another striker Jordan Esprit had three goals, before moving onto Hemel Hempstead and then once again to Walton & Hersham. They also have Seb Bowerman, who has two goals since returning to the club. Bowerman, spent parts of three seasons at Dorking Wanders after leaving in 2022. He has however been absent from the last two games.They also have Dan Roberts who is on dual-registration with Hemel Hempstead.
The midfield contains players such as Haydon Vaughan who has added two goals recently, and progressed through their academy side. They also have the experienced Max Herbert, who has been at the club since 2019, having previously spent time at Ashford Town. He also has two goals. They also have George Knight who has been at the club for the last couple of seasons. Josh Boorn is an attacking midfielder, who has recently joined the club from Marlow, having been at Bedford Town earlier this season. Left-sided midfielder James Dobson, has played for numerous clubs over his long career which started back 2010 at Oxford City. George Knight is another midfielder who has been at the club since the 2020-21 season.
In defence is reliable full-back Ethan Burden, who is in his third season. Burden, was part of the 2021-22 Isthmian League’s division ‘Team of the Year’. Jack Matton is centre-back who joined in November, following spells at Wycombe Wanders and more recently Binfield. At right-back will be Teddy Howe, who is on a month’s loan from Hemel Hempstead, having started his career in Reading’s academy. Daryl Harrison is in his second-season at the club, having spent time at Ashford Town. In goal will be the experienced Michael Eacott who is in his third season since returning to the club.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
Our unbeaten run came to a rather unfortunate end Saturday, as we threw a way a two-one lead in the final few minutes of the game. With the loss we slip down to ninth place with our record standing at Pld 21 Won 7 Drawn 9 Lost 5 and 30pts. After being a goal behind at the break at Dorchester, we came out more positive and deservedly took the lead after Luis Le Paih’s close range tap home, and a fortunate own goal from Brody Peart’s cross. However, another conceded penalty and a late, late goal, saw us leave Dorset without anything to show for that effort.
Tomorrow, our strikeforce should start with Liam Ferdinand & Robbie Gallagher. The next decision is who else will start or be an option off the bench. Brody Peart, has shown some decent form in the last couple of games, whilst Nnamdi Nwachuku has performed well when introduced in the second-half. There’s also George Reid who would have been back last Saturday, if not for picking up a slight injury in training.
The midfield was quiet in the first-half Saturday, but then started to control the game in the second-half, as we came back into the game and Luis Le Paih added his second-goal in three games, so should earn a start alongside ever present Rudy Allen. With us likely having a four-man midfield tomorrow, then Sam Deadfield will likely regain his place alongwith Ben Cook. Therefore unless we go with a different approach, then D’Andre Brown may well be an option off the bench like Saturday.
As expected both Billy Upton & Curtis Angell were both missing Saturday, but unless we risk Billy again tomorrow, only Curtis may return to his left-back role if fit. This means Marcus Johnson-Schuster will remain on the right, and James Clark will partner Jack Ball once again in the middle. Scott Armsworth’s unsurprising return from five months at Uxbridge, means he will be a steady replacement off the bench once again. Aleks Kokoszka could well be once of the five subs tomorrow as well. Simon Grant will don the goalkeeper’s jersey for our first game of 2025 tomorrow.
It has been a long time since we beat Bracknell, so tomorrow afternoon would be a good start to kick-start our final four months of the season and see in the New Year with a win.
Despite the 1pm kick-off, it is expected a large Basingstoke crowd will swell the ground at Bottom Meadow tomorrow, and our players will need you to get back behind them in this big match-up against one of our bitter rivals tomorrow, with the added fuel from the two Bracknell sending’s off earlier in the season.
Match Preview by Martin French..
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