Match Report: Basingstoke Town 2 – 1 Berkhamsted – Saturday 8th November 2025

Southern League Premier South – Saturday 8th November 2025
Basingstoke Town 2 vs 1 Berkhamsted Attendance 506
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this Remembrance Day Game was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Joe O’Loughlin, 4. Josh Green, 5. James Clark, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Cheick Sylla, 8. Dara Dada, 9. Liam Ferdinand, 10. Joshua Dolling, 11. George Reid
On the bench: 12. Ore Bello, 14.Ben Cook, 15. D’Andre Brown, 16. Elliott Legg & 17. James Dickson
Referee – Joe Wright

With a number of new additions and a very much more attacking looking line-up, the game got underway, but it was Berkhamsted who had the first couple of chances, the first a header over the bar, which two minute later was a shot from inside the penalty area, which Simon Grant comfortably saved.

Berkhamsted did then find the back of the net, but the linesman had been flagging for offside for five seconds, before the referee finally was drawn to the attention of it.

Stoke’s first chance came in the eleventh minute as Joe O’Loughlin found new signing Josh Dolling, who took two touches before hitting a shot that clipped off a Berkhamsted defender and rolled out for a corner on the left.
Twenty minutes in and the visitors had the next attack as Grant was forced into a diving save from a shot inside the penalty area.

Stoke were to break the deadlock form their second real attack, as Dolling found Sylla, who neatly smashed the ball past the Berkhamsted keeper and into the net GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Berkhamsted (Sylla 24 mins)

On the half-hour, Stoke were forced to make its first change of the day as Liam Ferdinand, had picked up an injury and was replaced by the other new signing Ore Bello.
Stoke pushed forward for a second goal, and had two further attacks, the first from Sylla, whose shot deflected out for a corner, and then a minute later, Billy Upton found Markus Johnson-Schuster, whose shot from the edge of the penalty area flew wide of the left-hand post.
Two further shots from Stoke, flew over the bar as were taking a hold in the game.

Then with just minutes to the break, Stoke were made to pay, as Berkhamsted broke from our attack on the left, and their winger fought his way into our penalty area, then neatly set-up their striker, who side-footed his shot past Grant in goal and we were all back level. Basingstoke 1-1 Berkhamsted

Dolling had a shot in the last minute of normal time, but his shot from fifteen yards, lacked power, and was easily held by the keeper.
We played four minutes of added-time, but despite controlling the play, we went into the break level.

Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 1 vs 1 Berkhamsted
Stoke made its second change at the break, as Dara Dada, was replaced by James Dickson.

Stoke’s first attack of the half, was a neat pass from Dolling, who set-up Bello, who took the ball into the penalty, but his shot from an acute angle, was saved by the Berkhamsted keeper down low.

O’Loughlin who had pushed forward when given the chance, again broke down the left, but his cross was held by the keeper down low.
Grant made a comfortable save from a Berkhamsted free-kick from outside the penalty area.

Very little to note from either side as we moved past the hour-mark in the game, but minutes later from a Berkhamsted attack, Grant found Reid with a quick clearance, and Reid did what he does best, beating his defender as he entered the left-hand side of the penalty area, and smashed his left-foot shot past the keeper into the net. GOAL! Basingstoke Town 2 – 1 Berkhamsted (Reid 67 mins)

With twenty minutes to go Berkhamsted broke into our penalty area, but Billy Upton made a perfectly times-tackle, and any danger was averted.

Still little goalmouth action over the next ten minutes apart form a cross from the visitors that Grant claimed in the air.
Stoke made its third change as George Reid was replaced by D’Andre Brown (82 mins).

Berkhamsted struggled to get back into the game, as we hit the last five minutes of the game.

There was few gasps around the ground, when seven minutes of added-time was announced, and as in recent weeks, we always seems to give the opposition one more chance and in the fourth minute of added-time Berkhamsted, broke into our penalty area on the left, but the shot was poor and was dragged wide of the right-hand post, and we comfortably played out the final few minutes, and the referee blew the final whistle and Stoke get back to winning ways.

Fulltime Score: Basingstoke Town 2 vs 1 Berkhamsted
Sylla 24 mins, Reid 67 mins,                         Lacey 43 mins

Match Thought’s
A competitive game that Basingstoke, helped by the return of Cheick Sylla to the starting line-up, who was at the centre of most of first-half attacks, saw a new all-out attack mindset, which finally paid dividends with the win. Notable good performances by Josh Dolling & Ore Bello show promise moving forward. Good to see George Reid getting back on the scoresheet, and unless Liam Ferdinand has picked up a knock, a good day for the club as we move up two places to thirteenth.
Up Next:
We host Aldershot in the Hampshire Snr Cup on Tuesday (11th).

Match Report by Martin French..