After a number of enquiries, here is my first match preview of the season, and are my thought’s at 11am without the probable squad updates that the club are likely to make.
Match Preview: FA Trophy 1st Round
Swindon Supermarine vs Basingstoke Town
When: Saturday 28th October 2023 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Webbswood Stadium, Supermarine Road, Swindon, Wilts. SN3 4BZ
Swindon Supermarine (Nickname – The Marine), Avg 2023-24 Home Att 300
Well we travel to Swindon to take on the Marine in the first of two match-ups over the next seven days, the first being this Saturday’s FA Trophy game.
The last time we played the Marine was back in March 2019 at the Camrose, winning two-nil (goals by Ben Wright & Harry Pearse), whilst we visited the Webbswood Stadium the December before having taken the lead, we got thumped 5-2 in atrocious weather conditions.
Our Opponents
The Marine are managed by Stuart Fleetwood, whose playing career as a striker, includes a string of clubs (some on loans), but started via the Cardiff City’s youth scheme, before playing for clubs such as Redditch Utd & Merthyr Town. He initially joined Supermarine as a player coach in 2017-18 season, but then took on the coaches role at Yate Town, before returning to take on the Manager’s role just two months ago.
Swindon progressed to this Trophy round following a 3-1 home victory against division rivals Tiverton Town earlier this month. Their goals then were from Levi Irving, Ioan Richards & Brad Gray. Their participation in the FA Cup was like us a short one losing 2-1 at home to Southern League South Division one side Cribbs.
They sit bottom of the Southern League Premier Division without a win, just four draws and nine losses from thirteen games. They have scored just seventeen goals, whilst conceding thirty-nine goals. Their current leading goalscorer is Levi Irving who apart from his trophy goal, has added four league goals. Irving 22 years-old, joined in June this season after spending around three seasons at Cirencester Town, having previously coming through Swindon Town’s academy. Striker Ed Williams also had a total of five goals, but left last week to join Chippenham Town.
Their other strikers include Ryan Campbell, who joined in December 2016, is a left-sided player who has two league goals, and like many other players, previously played for Chippenham Town. 33 year-old Brad Gary, rejoined Marine for his fourth spell last month, having spent the previous season at Evesham Town, and has spent time at a number of other clubs during his career. Zack Kotwica is another experienced striker, having played for a number of clubs, but has yet to open his account for the club this season.
The midfield will likely be led by Joe Tumelty, who has two league goals so far, and will be their main threat from free-kicks. Tumelty, has previously played for clubs such as Yate Town, Larkhall, Frome Town and Chippenham Town. Alongside him will probably be left-sided Henry Spalding, another player with two league goals, who has previously had spell with the Marine. Other teams include Cirencester Town and Salisbury where he left to join the Marine. Another midfielder is George Dowling (one goal), who came through the Bristol City academy before joining Weston-Super-Mare back in 2019, before joining Marine in 2021. Jake Andrews (26), has two league goals, and is another experienced midfielder player, who has spent time at Havant & Waterlooville, as well as loan spells at Poole Town & Gloucester City more recently.
The defence will contain 31 year-old Matt Liddiard who joined from Gloucester City in 2019, and is Marine’s club captain. With him will be Welsh-defender Ioan Richards, who is on a season-long loan from Gloucester City. Add Sam Turl, joining the Marine at the start of last season, where he was an ever-present at the club, playing all 52 games. He has played at Cinderford Town and other clubs before joining from Yate Town. Young Malik Sesay, is another defender, who has found a role at the club having joined from Bristol Rovers.
The keeper’s gloves will more than likely be worn by Conor Brann, who is on a 3-month loan from Swindon Town. Brann is a young Irish keeper, who started his career at Galway Utd.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
Following our midweek injury-filled loss at home to Hayes & Yeading Utd, Manager Dan Brownlie, will be scouring a number of options in bringing in players to help with this weekend’s playing squad that will travel to Webbswood Stadium. The loss, plus other results in the week, means we have finally dropped one place to seventh in the table, as we push the league to one side in an effort to progress in the FA Trophy. Our previous Trophy match saw us comfortably defeat Southern League Division One Central side Kidlington three-nil. Goals on the day were from Dan Rowe, Billy Upton & James Clark.
To confirm our league position following the midweek loss leaves us in seventh, with a record of Pld 16 Won 6 Drawn 3 Lost 7 GF 32 GA 35 with 21pts. Our strikeforce will likely be our strongest area of our playing squad this Saturday, with leading goalscorer Dan Rowe chomping at the bit to add to his ten goals on the season. He will be ably supported by Bradley Wilson who has eight goals, six in the league. Attacking winger George Reid, sits with a very healthy nine goals, eight in the league, and will look to tear into the Swindon defence. The recent return of Stefan Brown, will have an active role as well, whilst our new signing Liam Ferdinand will surely be upfront if he is not cup-tied. Young Noah Chengun will also play a part in tomorrow’s game. Best wishes go to Ashleigh Artwell, who picked up yet another frustrating injury at Plymouth last Saturday. We also extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Paul Hodges, who narrowly missed a more serious injury on Tuesday.
The midfield will likely see James Clark slip into a midfield role, supporting Michael Atkinson, who will be wearing the captains armband tomorrow afternoon. D’Andre Brown will also have a starting role this Saturday, whilst losses to Simon Dunn will be sorely missed. The fitness of much-liked Luis Le Paih is unknown at this time, but his return would be a welcome return tomorrow. This area is also not helped by the long-term loss of Ben Cook.
The defence will clearly be the area that recruits will be Dan’s target, with us already short of a healthy Scott Armsworth, we lost the services of man-mountain Billy Upton and left-back Callum Winchcombe for an unknown period. This leaves experienced Nathan Smart as the main centre-back, whilst Jon Boardman may be called upon if required to start at the other centre-back slot. Markus Johnson-Schuster will resume his right-back role, whilst it is unclear who will fill the left-back role, but recently signed Harvey Collins from our academy may have a part to play tomorrow.
In goal will be the ever-experienced Paul Strudley.
Swindon Supermarine will come into this match on an unbeaten four game run, and will look to keep that run going against an injury-hit Stoke side, but Dan and his backroom staff will have been working hard to get a squad ready for tomorrow’s match, so why not take the 45-mile trip and get behind the team, in this important FA Trophy match and the first of two games against Swindon Supermarine over the next seven days.
Your support is much-needed
Match Preview by Martin French..
English 
Polish 
Good to see these back again. Big game and we need to get through.