Match Preview: FA Trophy 1st Round Proper (Rematch)
Basingstoke Town vs Dorchester Town
When: Tuesday 28th October 2025 Kick-off 7.45pm
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Dorchester Town (The Magpies), 2025-26 League Position 19th
Saturday’s unfortunate abandoned game, with Basingstoke deservedly ahead, now has us facing the Magpies for the third time in eight days, in this still important FA Trophy rematch.
Our Opponents
The Magpies (Dorchester’s version that is), are managed by Tom Killick who is in his third season at the club, following twenty-year’s of managing at Poole Town.
Whilst we were playing in the cup, other matches in the league pushed Dorchester back into the relegation zone (19th), with their record of Pld 13 Won 3 Drawn 3 Lost 7 and 12pts. Their league away record still sits at 1 Win, 2 Draws and 4 losses. They started slowly and never really got going on Saturday, somewhat due to Stoke’s early good pressure.
Updating their squad from the past two games, we saw their leading goal-scorer Thomas Smith, back in the starting line-up, and would therefore assume he will start again tomorrow night. Joe Parker the scorer in the league game also started, so assume will start once more. Parker, joined from Tiverton Town, after a number of spells at Gloucester City over the years. Previously at Newport County, Leamington & Chippenham. Parker has now found the net five times this season. Jayden Crosbie, signed on loan from Torquay Utd in September, has one goal, and was on-loan at Gloucester last season. Another striker to note is Wayne Robinson, who joined from Salisbury in September 2024, but suffered a number of injury set-backs last season, but is back in the starting line-up.
Prior to Tuesday’s game they added central midfielder Connor Underhill, who has been a substitute in the past two games may now well be an option to start with Wes Fogden’s unfortunate absence. He joined on loan from National League side Eastleigh, where he joined the club as an U16 player before progressing through the ranks to the senior squad, making 18 League appearances so far. Luke Pardoe, who joined in February 2024 and has three goals this season, is an exciting winger, who has also played for Poole Town & AFC Bournemouth’s academy. In the centre of midfield is likely to be Corby Moore, who joined towards the end of last season, after stints at clubs such as Bishop Stortford, Poole Town and Chelmsford. Matt Buse, joined Dorchester Town in July 2024 from National League South side Truro City. a combative player, he has extensive experience at Step One and Two of the non-league ladder, having previously featured clubs including Yeovil Town, Torquay United and Weymouth, plus over 100 appearances for Taunton Town. Marcus Daws is a former Northern Ireland U21 player who is an exciting winger, having had spells at Bournemouth at Poole Town.
The defence starts with their current captain William Spetch, another ex-Poole Town player who is also known to play in midfield too. Ollie Haste is back for another season on the left-side of the defence, having signed permanently from Yeovil Town in August 2024. Jack Dickson, is back for his third season with the club, and is highly regarded as a right-sided defender. Harvey Wright, is a powerful and dynamic centre-back who joined in the summer from nearby Wimborne Town. Another former Poole Town player back for his season is left-back Harry Hutchinson, who was at the Dolphins previously. The Magpies switched goalkeeper from the league to cup game as Gerard Benfield replaced Joe Besant. Benfield, who played for the Magpies last season, previously spent time with Weymouth, Salisbury & Wimborne.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
Forced into changes from the league game, Stoke on paper seemed to go more defensive, as it reverted to a more traditional back four, and what appeared four in the midfield, leaving the welcomed return of George Reid up front with Liam Ferdinand. We opened the game on the front-foot and could have taken the lead thirty seconds before Reid’s neat run and finish, which now counts for nothing, as we head into tomorrow’s rematch.
As expected, both Cheick Lysalla (cup-tied) & Josh Green (injury), missed Saturday’s fixture, and will do the same tomorrow night. Like Dorchester we also dropped in the league, with dropping one place to 13th, with our record remaining at Pld 13 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 6 and 15pts. Liam Ferdinand will likely lead the line, will either one or both of George Reid & Bradley Wilson. James Clark is another option here as well. No sign of the return of Remy Bennison, from his back injury.
The midfield were strong and dominated Dorchester until the game was called, and is likely to remain the same tomorrow, although the new signing Dara Dada, may be given a starting role. D’Andre Brown did appear to pick up a knock, but hopefully he will join James Dickson & Ben Cook in the middle, whilst Connor Barratt is also an option.
The defence dealt with Dorchester’s forwards on Saturday, leaving Simon Grant with little to do until the stoppage. With the expected loss of Billy Upton due to injury, I assume we will revert to a back four, with Marcus Johnson-Schuster & Joe O’Loughlin as the backs, whilst Scott Armsworth & Jack Ball, will play the centre-back roles. Elliott Legg was back in the match-day squad Saturday, and will thus assume he will do the same tomorrow night.
Simon Grant one of the league’s top glove-men will once again be wearing the number 1 shirt tomorrow night.
The third match-up within 7 days, will clearly test both sides, and we will need to battle for ninety minutes once again, if we are to progress to an attractive match-up at Dover Athletic in the second round.
Let’s Go Stoke !
Match Preview by Martin French..
English 
Polish 