Match Preview: Southern League Premier Division South
Gosport Borough vs Basingstoke Town
When: Saturday 18th October 2025 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Privett Park, Privett Road, Gosport, Hants PO12 3SX
Gosport Borough (The Boro), 2025-26 Current League Position 7th
Following our fortunate, but much-welcomed 2-1 win on Tuesday against Chertsey Town, we now head back down to the south coast to take on a Gosport side that we lost to, back in August in the FA Cup.
Our Opponents
Since our visit to the Boro in August, there has been a change in managership, as earlier this week, it was confirmed that Danny Hollands had stepped down from his Jt Head Coaching position. This currently leaves Glenn Howes as the Head Coach at Privett Park. Howes, has had recent success as Manager at Dorchester Town, and Howes had previously played for Boro from 2007 to 2009.
Gosport currently sit in seventh place, with a record of Pld 10 Won 5, Drawn 2 Lost 3 and 17pts. Their home record sits at 3 Wins, 1 Draw 1 Loss. They are unbeaten in their last four games, winning the last three, and without a midweek game, they had a 3-2 win at home to Hungerford Town seven days ago. Their strikeforce, starts with club legend Daniel Wooden, who scored his first goal of the season last Saturday. 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 three goals after returning to the Boro, after spending last season at Hungerford, Salisbury & Poole. In June, they made two big signings, as striker Ethan Taylor joined from promotion side AFC Totton. Taylor who was key to their title win, already has six league goals this season. Gosport then added Winchester City’s, Trevor Caborn, who is an exciting winger, who can also play as a striker, and has one league goal.
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. Another player signing from AFC Totton was experienced midfielder Adam Tomasso, who had spent the previous seasons with the Stags. 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 captains the side from his left-back role. He started his career in Boro’s youth ranks, but has also played for Havant & Waterlooville & Andover. At right back it is Benny Read, regarded as a classy right back who has previously played for Havant & Waterlooville, AFC Totton, and most recently Sholing. 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
With a number of changes to the starting line-up from the Uxbridge to Chertsey game, many will feel we were fortunate to gain all three points, in that last gasp win via Mr Reliable (James Clark’s), penalty conversion in added-time. Clark’s and Bradley Wilson’s shot that was helped in by a defender gave us the three points in a 2-1 win that Chertsey will feel hard done by after their first-half display. However a better second-half Stoke performance and the win pushed us upto fifteenth in the league, with our record now at Pld 11 Won 3 Drawn 3 Lost 5 and 12pts. We head to Gosport with us still to win on the road, our away record standing at 2 draws & 3 losses.
With Chieck Lysalla replacing an absent Liam Ferdinand, we suffered a further set-back, as tricky winger Robbie Gallagher, hobbled off Tuesday, and will likely miss at least tomorrow’s game. Assuming we have no more knocks or injuries, then both Bradley Wilson & George Reid will be in contention with Lysalla & Ferdinand, depending on how we set-up. Our other new signing Remy Bennison was an unused sub on Tuesday, but also must be inline for some real gametime tomorrow.
The midfield trio of James Dickson, Josh Green & D’Andre Brown, came into the game and were in full control of the middle of the park with thirty minutes to go. With this and unless we look to make change, then these three should retain their starting places. Ben Cook is currently the obvious option here to start or be first change in the middle. This leaves the odd man out Connor Barratt, absent from Tuesday’s squad, fighting for a place tomorrow.
The defence at fault at Uxbridge has seen a couple of changes as Jack Ball missed the Uxbridge game, and Billy Upton missed the Chertsey game. With Scott Armsworth the recipient of these changes, and his goal at Uxbridge, this leaves a decision on how and who we set-up tomorrow afternoon. If we go with a back five, then all three centre-backs will be used, but if we go to a normal back-four set-up, I would assume Billy Upton will return as also where the captains armband, and then either Jack Ball or Scott Armsworth will be his replacement. It is assumed that Markus Johnson-Schuster will be on the right, whilst Joe O’Loughlin has impressed in recent games on the left. Elliott Legg has missed the last two games, so whether he is still returning from injury is undetermined.
Simon Grant continues to keep us in games, which is obviously his job, but he’s done it pretty well recently, and will thus be between the sticks tomorrow afternoon.
We now face a strong Gosport side, who have picked up since their FA Cup victory, and have a side with a number of goal-scoring options, that we will need to counter tomorrow afternoon, if we are to come away with any points.
With the game being segregated and forced up the open end, it will be interesting to see how many Stoke fans decide to make the trip.
Let’s Go Stoke !
Match Preview by Martin French..
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