Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Poole Town vs Basingstoke Town
When: Saturday 18th January 2025 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Black & Gold Stadium, School Lane, Poole. BH15 3JR
Poole Town (The Dolphins), Avg 2024-25 Home Att 662
Our battling win at home to rivals Winchester City, not gave us the double over them, but will ease the concerns to our league position and recent run of home form. We now travel back into Dorset once more, this time to take on Poole Town.
We played Poole Town at Winklebury back in November and was the first of four consecutive league losses in that month, as we fell three goals behind at halftime. A second-half saw us pull one goal back through young Charlie Barlow, in a disappointing three-one home loss.
Our Opponents
The Dolphins made another Management change just ten days ago, as Joint Managers Joe Lea & Pat Suraci, took over from Steve Tully. Both had decent playing careers, and became Jt Managers initially at Petersfield Town before taking over at Gosport Borough last year.
The Dolphins two-one loss to Chertsey in midweek, now drops them to just one place above the relegation places in eighteenth with a record of Pld 24 Won 6 Drawn 8 Lost 10 and 26pts. Their leading goal-scorer is still well-known Tobias Holmes with five league goals, but he left the club at the beginning of December. Another striker Tyler Forbes also departed the club recently. This leaves other strikers Tom Hewlett (2 goals), and Ex-Stokie Ezio Touray (3 goals), and attacking winger Rafa Ramos (3 goals). Young Tom Hewlett signed for Poole for the 2024/25 campaign after turning down a professional contract at Burton Albion. As all Stoke fans are aware, Ezio opened his scoring for the Dolphins against us at Winklebury in November. Note he went off injured Tuesday, so hopefully mas miss tomorrow’s game. Portuguese Rafa Ramos scored an impressive 28 goals in all competitions for Gosport Borough last season before signing for National League South side Salisbury in the summer, but a lack of game time, he decided to explore new ventures and signed for the Dolphins.
Their midfield contains Antonio Diaz who signed from Gosport Borough this season, having come through AFC Bournemouth’s academy, he has also had stints at Weymouth, Dorchester and Wimborne Town. Harvey Slade is a 6’4 box to box midfielder who provides aerial threat, having started his career at Bashley, he joined on loan from Weymouth during the 2023/24 but agreed a contract with the Dolphins for the 2024/25 campaign. Billy Lowes, started his career at Poole as a 17-year-old, before spending time at AFC Totton and then five years at Dorchester. Like others in this team, he was picked up whilst playing at Bashley. Tyrique Clarke, joined from Weymouth, after spells at Met Police, Hendon and Welling United; Clarke joined Wingate and Finchley in the Isthmian League where he won the young player of the year award. Charlie Davis (28), joined after impressing at Sholing, and started at AFC Bournemouth, and has also had spells at local sides Weymouth & Dorchester. 22-year-old Dario De Luca was added to the side, having scored four goals for Stansfield earlier in the season. He started his career in Millwall’s youth academy and has also spent some time in the youth setup of Greek side Olympiacos.
Josh Staunton is an experienced centre half who has over 200 National League appearances at the age of just 28. His journey started at Gillingham before moving to Dagenham & Redbridge in the 2016/17 season. He then spent time at Woking before joining Yeovil in 2020, before moving on to Boreham Wood, where he joined the Dolphins in February. He has three league goals from his defensive position. Jamie Whisken is a fan favourite, and the team captain, after joining from AFC Totton, and has now made over 500 appearances for the Dolphins over a span extending ten years. Harry Thomas is another centre-half that joined Poole Town following his release from Peterborough United at the end of the 2023/24 season. In 2023, Thomas had loan spells at AFC Totton and Northern Premier League side Corby Town. Oakley Hanger is a right sided defender who signed for the Dolphins from rivals Wimborne Town in early June of 2024. Hanger was part of a Wimborne squad that achieved promotion to the Southern League Premier South. In goal will be likely be Ben Taylor, is regarded as an excellent shot-stopper who came through the academies of MK Dons and Cambridge United. He has played for the likes of North Leigh, Gloucester City and Oxford City. He also had a spell playing in the US. Taylor was part of a Banbury squad that won a league title in the 2021/22 season after making 20 appearances for them, and was at Evesham United last season.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
Following our double over Winchester, something that hasn’t probably happened since our Hampshire League days, we now look to get even with Poole Town, who outplayed us for large parts of the game in November. A goal in each half (both headers), Nnamdi Nwachuku’s in the first and Liam Ferdinand’s second-half game clincher, confirmed our win. With that win, combined with a number of other games being postponed, it allowed us to move up to seventh, but following other midweek games, we now sit in ninth place as we head to Dorset, with our record at Pld 25 Won 8 Drawn 10 Lost 7 and 34pts.
Striker Liam Ferdinand now has twelve goals on the season, whilst Nnamdi Nwachuku’s first goal since the visit to Gloucester, now gives him six on the season. They look to start together once again tomorrow afternoon, and it was noticeable the improved performance came when Nnamdi moved into the centre, where he is more naturally suited. They will be supported by the ever hard-working, who se-up many of Stoke’s attacks last week, including Nwachuku’s first-half headed finish. With George Reid still out injured, Charlie Barlow or Jonny Efedje, could earn a spot on the bench.
The ever reliable and consistent Rudy Allen & the improving Sam Deadfield will once more spearhead the midfield, and will be supported by Ben Cook, Luis Le Paih, and D’Andre Brown, who was carrying a slight injury in training.
The defence saw the loss of versatile defender Curtis Angell, who made the decision to return to his home club Hungerford Town, which now means James Clark is likely to continue in the left-back role. Marcus Johnson-Schuster will be on the opposite wing at right-back, leaving the likely pairing of team-captain Billy Upton & Jack Ball as the centre-back pairing. Scott Armsworth is a worthy replacement in the middle, whilst Aleks Kokoszka is a perfect cover in either defensive back role. Simon Grant in goal will be looking to get successive clean sheets, which would be hugely welcome tomorrow afternoon.
There’s been a lot of talk about off the field situations, especially with the game being segregated tomorrow afternoon, but all we should really be concerned about is picking up the three points, and confirming our position in the top of the half table.
The weather is expected be grey, but a little warmer than recently, so why not take the short trip down the A303 and get behind your Basingstoke Town side tomorrow afternoon.
Match Preview by Martin French..
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