Southern League Premier South – Tuesday 23rd September 2025
Basingstoke Town 4 vs 2 Yate Town Attendance 448
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this evening’s game was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Joe O’Loughlin, 4. James Dickson, 5. Jack Ball, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Bradley Wilson, 8. Josh Green, 9. Liam Ferdinand, 10. Robbie Gallagher, 11. D’Andre Brown
On the bench: 20. Max Evans, 12. Connor Barratt , 14. Joel Rollinson, 15. James Clark & 17. Scott Armsworth
Referee – Jake Hillier
Tonight’s game got underway with the belief this was a must win for the club, but the first fell to the visitors in the sixth minute, as a shot from half-cleared corner, flew over the bar.
Bradley Wilson combined with Robbie Gallagher, with the latter having a shot that was blocked away.
Just before the twentieth minute Gallagher broke down the right, but his cross was out of the reach of any Stoke player.
Stoke gradually asserted more pressure, and from a Yate attack, we took the lead, as the ball was fed to Wilson on the left, who then cut in on his right, and curled his shot past the keeper into the far right-hand corner of the net GOAL! Basingstoke Town 1 – 0 Yate Town (Wilson 25 mins)
With the Stoke fans behind still celebrating the goal, Yate became their own worst enemies, as a poor pass out from the keeper could only find Wilson, who calmly and neatly chipped the ball over the keeper into an empty net GOAL!! Basingstoke Town 2 – 0 Yate Town (Wilson 28 mins)
Ten minutes before the break, Stoke came close to making it three, but the ball pinged around the Yate penalty area, without the vital finish needed.
Yate who had rarely troubled Simon Grant in goal, then pulled a goal back with just two minutes left in the half, as a cross flew in off Jack Ball into the net Basingstoke Town 2-1 Yate Town
The unfortunate goal seemed to unsettle us for a minute, as in added-time of the first-half, Yate pushed forward for an equaliser, but a dangerous shot was blocked away, and Stoke were able to clear.
Then just before the referee blew for halftime, Wilson came close to getting his hat-trick, as his left-foot shot flew past the far left-hand post.
We go into the break with the lead.
Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 2 vs 1 Yate Town
With no changes by Basingstoke during the break, it was a slow opening few minutes to the second-half, until Liam Ferdinand found space inside the Yate penalty area, but his shot was blocked away by the keeper.
Ferdinand then came close once more, but a Yate defender, just got to Gallagher’s good cross a split second before him and Yate clear.
Stoke continued to pile on the pressure looking for a third, as Ferdinand fed D’Andre Brown, who took a touch as he entered the penalty area, before he hit a left-foot shot that the keeper could only parry away, and a Yate defender hooked the ball clear.
Stoke continued to push forward and Basingstoke’s third arrived as Gallagher, was felled inside the penalty area, and the referee pointed to the spot. It was Ferdinand not Wilson, who took it, but Ferdinand sent the Yate keeper the wrong way. GOAL!!! Basingstoke Town 3 – 1 Yate Town (Ferdinand 69 mins Pen)
Ferdinand came close to adding his second, as a cross from O’Loughlin found Ferdinand, but his turn shot deflected off a Yate defender and flew inches wide of the post.
Basingstoke made it’s first change of the evening, as James Clark replaced Joe O’Loughlin (75 mins).
Yate then created a half-chance but their forward headed off the bar.
Stoke made it’s second change as Liam Ferdinand was replaced by Joel Rollinson (82 mins).
Wilson neatly sent a low cross over from the left with Rollinson just inches away from getting that vital touch.
What the Stoke crowd had been waiting for arrived, as Gallagher was somewhat fortunate to be awarded a second-penalty, as he appeared to be brought down once again, and the referee awarded the penalty, which Wilson stepped up and comfortably made no mistake, sending the Yate keeper the wrong way GOAL!!!! Basingstoke Town 4 – 1 Yate Town (Wilson 84 mins Pen)
Basingstoke continued to ring the changes, as D’Andre Brown was replaced by Connor Barratt (87 mins), and then two minutes later Scott Armsworth replaced Billy Upton (89 mins).
We were in the first of eighth added-minutes, as Barratt, found Rollinson, but appeared to be fouled as he looked to shoot, but Wilson was there and found the bottom corner, only for the referee to award Yate a free-kick for a foul by Rollinson.
Yate then found a second as a similar style shot as Wilson’s first goal beat Grant in goal. Basingstoke town 4-2 Yate Town
Yate could have had their third a minute later, but Grant made a spectacular save at the far post and the referee blew immediately after and Stoke management and fans breathe a sigh of relief as we get back to winning ways.
Final-Time Score: Basingstoke Town 4 vs 2 Yate Town
Wilson 25, 28 & 84 (Pen) mins, Ball 43 mins (OG),
Ferdinand 69 mins (Pen), Evans-Harriott 97 mins,
Match Thought’s
A different attitude, and with your star striker Bradley Wilson rightly back in the starting line-up, he did what he does best and that’s finding the net with a first-half brace. Although Yate were poor, they were still in the game as we entered the second-half, it was Stoke through Gallagher’s perseverance that got those two other goals.
A strong performance from the whole team, kept Yate on the second-foot for most of the game.
Hopefully this will give us some real confidence as we head to Gloucester City.
We sit in sixteenth place.
Up Next:
We head to second-placed Gloucester City, this Saturday (27th).
Match Report by Martin French..
English 
Polish 
Time to kick start our season now. Utfs