Match Preview: Southern League Premier Division South
Tiverton Town vs Basingstoke Town
When: Tuesday 20th January 2026 Kick-off 7.45pm
Where: Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium, Tiverton Devon EX16 6SG
Tiverton Town (Tivvy/Yellows), 2025-26 League Position 22nd
With our unbeaten run ended, in what was a frustrating game at Berkhamsted, we now head back out to try for a second-time down in Devon to take on bottom-placed Tiverton Town.
Last season we split the games, with each team winning on each other’s patch, as Tiverton won 3-1 at Winklebury in November, then in March Stoke thumped them 5-0 on what looked like a field more suited for grazing cattle. Two goals by Liam Ferdinand & Ben Cook, and a Scott Armsworth header, were the Stoke scorers on the day.
Our Opponents
Tiverton made a change in manager, after Basingstoke gave them that five-nil thrashing back in March this year, with Asa Hall replacing Rob Bray, Asa then saved them from relegation and has continued as Player/Manager for this season.
Tiverton sit adrift at the bottom of the table as we head towards the final three months of the season. This was not helped by last Saturday’s (0-2), home loss to fellow strugglers Hanwell Town. Their record now sits at Pld 22 Won 4 Drawn 2 Lost 16 and 14pts. Yes, they have a number of games in hand over other teams at the bottom, but their points per game sits at just 0.6, which if continues has them as relegation certainties. They are the lowest goalscorers in the league with just 26, whilst conceding the most goals in the league at 56. Their home record sits at 2 Wins, 1 Draw and 6 Losses. Their leading goalscorer is forward Louis Jagger Cane with six goals, after rejoining to the club this summer from Sidmouth Town, where he was their top scorer last term. Daniel Koita, has four goals after joining from Okehampton Argyle, having grown up and played youth football here in Tiverton before spells with Crediton United, Tavistock and Willand Rovers. Jacob Wellington, has two goals, and is a former Torquay academy player, who joined from Willand last summer. Joshua Swann has four goals, in his second spell with Tiverton, having played at Barnstaple and Exmouth.
The midfield contains Player Manager Asa Hall, who has three goals and joined after six seasons at Torquay United. He has amassed over 600 competitive games in a 19-year career that began at Premier League Birmingham City and has included seven EFL clubs. Ryan Keates joined from near neighbours Willand Rovers. Ryan, has also played for Exmouth Town, and Barnstaple Town. Gabe Billington made 17 appearances and scored twice on loan from Exeter City during the 2024/25 season, and has signed permanently this summer. Jack Kennell (19) joined from Exmouth Town, after beginning in the youth set up with Torquay United before moving to Willand Rovers in the summer of 2024.
The defence has had major changes since we played them in March, and now consists of Toby Down, the son of former Bideford and Taunton player Ian Down, and is in his second spell with the Yellows, having made 7 appearances for the club during the 2022/23 season. Brooklyn Wilkins is the right-back, having impressed on trial during pre-season. Matthew Previously with Plymouth Marjon, Tavistock & Camelford. Matthew Wood is regarded as a commanding centre back Matt joined the Yellows this summer from Frome Town. Corey Koerner is a left-sided defender, who joined the Yellows this summer following his departure from Yeovil Town. Another loan signing is Dorchester Town’s Harry Hutchinson, the left-sided defender, who signed at the end of October, and depending on loan agreement, may be back at his parent club for tomorrow’s game. Matt Wonnacott, is likely to be the Tivvy goalkeeper, who is on his second loan spell from Torquay Utd, having broken his arm when he was with us for three games in the 2024-25 season.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
We potentially (once again) head to Devon one more, knowing that Tiverton’s pitch is likely to be far worse than Berkhamsted’s, where we struggled to change how we play on a much different surface. Yes the referee was poor allowing the opponents to spend more time on the floor than playing football in the last twenty minutes of the game, but we lacked any cutting edge, and with Berkhamsted sitting deeper as the game went on, we never really looked like getting a goal all-game.
With our unbeaten run ended, we now sit in eleventh, with our record at Pld 26 Won 10 Drawn 4 Lost 12 and 34pts. Our away record now stands at 3 Wins, 3 draws & 7 losses. The good news for the club is that both Check Sylla & Tom Blake have agreed to contracts until the end of next season. Our strikeforce for tomorrow night should contain Robbie Gallagher, Cheick Sylla, who has now had two twenty-plus minutes playing time in the past two games, plus George Reid & Joe Barough. Ore Bello missed Saturday, through what is hoped a minor injury, and could make the matchday squad. It’s still unclear what Dan Rowe’s position is in the squad, as he is in one week then out the following week.
The midfield struggled to take control of the game, when Berkhamsted were reduced to ten, but again the pitch did not help our play. Even with this it is unlikely to change, so Tom Blake, Josh Green and D’Andre Brown are the potential starters. Ben Cook, who scored that cracking goal in the last visit to Tiverton, could of course be an option. James Dickson was the unused sub Saturday, and probably needs some more gametime, before returning to a starting role.
The defence battled hard, especially in the first-half, and looked strong for most of the game. With this, I can see no change to the starting back four, tomorrow night. Therefore, James Clark will continue to patrol the right-back role, with Joe O’Loughlin on the left. The centre-backs will once more be Billy Upton and Scott Armsworth. Elliott Legg continues to be the current back-up in the defensive back roles, whilst Jack Ball’s return goes another week on. Simon Grant again did little wrong and made two important saves, and will don the goalkeepers jersey tomorrow night.
With no mention of a pitch inspection currently, in just over 24 hours, we head back down to Devon, to take on a team that will be fighting for survival on a pitch that is likely to be bumpier than Berkhamsted’s last Sunday, and it may take the sort of all-round performance, that we produced in March to come away with all three points.
Let’s Go Stoke !
Match Preview by Martin French..
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