Match Preview: FA Cup 1st Qualifying Rnd
Gosport Borough vs Basingstoke Town
When: Saturday 30th August 2025 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Privett Park, Privett Road, Gosport, Hants PO12 3SX
Gosport Borough (The Boro), 2024-25 League Finish 12th
Following our first loss of the season at rivals Bracknell, we now take a break from the league and travel to Gosport Borough in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.
We played Gosport last year in the league, drawing 3-3 at Privett Park, and then lost by a solitary goal at the beginning of April.
Our Opponents
The Boro in May 2025 appointed former players, Danny Hollands & Glenn Howes as Jt Head Coaches at Privett Park. Hollands a Boro player moved up to the coaches roll, and has been joined by Howes, after his recent success as Manager at Dorchester Town. Howes had previously played for Boro from 2007 to 2009.
Gosport currently sit in sixteenth place, with a record of Pld 5 Won 1, Drawn 1 Lost 3 and 4pts. Last Saturday they lost 0-2 at home to Walton & Hersham. As for their strikeforce, it starts with club legend Daniel Wooden, back for another season at the club. He started at the club in 2010, after impressing at Moneyfields, and apart from a short stint at AFC Portchester he rejoined in 2021, and has been there ever since. Rafa Ramos has returned to the Boro, after spending last season at Hungerford, Salisbury & Poole Town. Ramos scored for Poole in their 1-0 victory over Basingstoke. In June, Gosport made two big signing, as they signed striker Ethan Taylor from promotion side AFC Totton. Taylor was key to their title, and had spent the last 4 seasons scoring goals for fun. The Boro then added Winchester City’s, Trevor Caborn, who is an exciting winger, who can also play as a striker.
The midfield contains winger Bradley Tarbuck, who has been at the club since 2021. He started his career at his boyhood club Portsmouth, making two appearances for them before leaving in 2015 to join Havant & Waterlooville. They added left-sided midfielder, 21-year-old Kaya Tshaka, from Havant & Waterlooville, who started his career with the Southampton and Sunderland Academies before joining Eastleigh, spending some time at Wimborne before joining Gosport. The Hawks then signed experience Charlie Gunson from Sholing. Charlie has bags of experience having played for AFC Totton & Dorchester, and was a key player for The Whites helping Salisbury to promotion.
In defence they have Charlie Wassmer, who joined in June 2023, after a loan period from Hayes & Yeading. He has played for a number of clubs, including Crawley Town, Cambridge Utd & Margate. They signed 24 year-old centre-back Joe Morrison from Beaconsfield Town back in December and he’s back in the starting eleven this season. Rory Williams is back for another season and is the likely left-back. He started his career in Boro’s youth ranks, but has also played for Havant & Waterlooville & Andover. At right back it is likely to be Benny Read, classy right back who has lots of experience playing at this level and higher, who has been at Havant & Waterlooville, AFC Totton, and most recently Sholing. They also added Ben Greenwood, on a 28-day loan from Farnborough Town. Another defender is young star Harvey Solley, who has signed for another season. Alongside playing for the England school boys, Harvey showed great glimpses of talent last season. In goal will be Ryan Hall, who signed Bognor Regis. Last season Ryan was named Bognor’s Club’s player of the season, having also had spells at Aldershot & Dorchester.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
Despite taking a first minute lead, and looking the better side for the first twenty-odd minutes, once more failed to beat rivals Bracknell Town, not helped by an equaliser that was clearly offside. This gave the homeside impetus for the rest of the half and then even more so in the second, when they took an early second-half lead. We battled to get back into the game but a third Bracknell goal, proved too much, and despite a late goal, we lost once more to Bracknell. This defeat leaves us in twelfth place.
Putting the league aside, we turn to our latest chapter of the FA Cup, with let’s just say, a lot to prove. Our recent ventures in the cup, have been short, but not sweet and have not only cost the club much needed publicity, but supporter engagement, but also the loss of much vital much-needed revenue.
Our forward line looked good in phases at Bracknell, but it was confirmed what many knew or expected, that Charlie Austin will miss the game, as he’s still nursing an injury, and Liam Ferdinand still not fit to make the matchday squad, then it will likely be three from this four, Bradley Wilson, Robbie Gallagher, George Reid & Joel Rollinson. Wilson’s goal after just 15 seconds, will hopefully kick-start a few of more goals. Gallagher, probably the most fouled player in the league, will once again look to tear into Gosport’s defence that has not been at it’s best so far this season. We will need big performances from George Reid & Joel Rollinson too.
The midfield started well at Bracknell, but as the game continued, had to battle to gain possession, and although they helped set-up some neat attacking movements at stages of the game, Bracknell started to control the middle. Despite this, the midfield will contain James Dickson, Josh Green and one of Ben Cook, D’Andre Brown or Connor Barratt.
The defence has taken a hit as Billy Upton, will be unavailable after taking a knock on Monday. Add Scott Armsworth’s suspension for his straight red card at home to Plymouth, and the centre-back pairing will be interesting to see who wins that spot alongside Jack Ball. James Clark will be one of the options, but assume others like Elliott Legg could fill in here if needed. This leaves the defensive backs as Markus Johnson-Schuster & Joe O’Loughlin, with Ben Jefford still unlikely to make the squad. Simon Grant will need to be at his best tomorrow afternoon, to keep a strong Gosport attack out.
Lots of talk about the ‘Magic’ of the FA Cup, but this will was always going to be a challenging game, and now with our matchday squad taking more hits, then the battle will be even harder.
Yes we can win, of course we can win, but we will need to be at our best for the whole ninety minutes, for us to be in the draw come Monday.
Match Preview by Martin French..
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