Southern League Premier South – Saturday 18th October 2025
Gosport Borough 3 v 4 Basingstoke Town Attendance TBC
Where: Privett Park, Privett Road, Gosport, Hants PO12 3SX
With a number of forced changes, Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this league encounter was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. James Clark, 3. Joe O’Loughlin, 4. Scott Armsworth, 5. Jack Ball, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. D’Andre Brown, 8. Josh Green, 9. Cheick Lysalla, 10.Ben Cook, 11. James Dickson
On the bench: 12. George Reid, 14. Liam Ferdinand, 15. Bradley Wilson, 16 Connor Barratt, 17. Markus Johnson-Schuster
Referee – James Kerten
The game got off to a slow start, whilst teams got use to each other’s formation and apart from a couple of soft shots by either side, we hit the fifteen minute mark.
Stoke are starting to get a hold in that game, and we confirm that as Scott Armsworth sent over a cross from the right, and Cheick Lysalla is open at the back, and he knocks it into an empty net. GOAL! Gosport Borough 0 – 1 Basingstoke Town (Lysalla 20 mins)
Gosport responded winning back-to-back corners, which we defended as Simon Grant dealt with both of them.
Gosport came forward again and found the equaliser, as we failed to clear the ball, and the ball fell to their right-back, who smashed home a shot from the edge of the penalty area Gosport 1-1 Basingstoke
Gosport came close to taking the lead, but a free header at the far post was knocked wide.
Stoke’s next attack on Gosport’s goal, was via Lysalla once again, as he turned with the ball, and went past three Gosport players, and hit a rasping shot that just flew over the bar.
Stoke pushed forward as Joe O’Loughlin combined well with Josh Green, who found Lysalla, and his back flicked header was held by the keeper.
With five minutes to the break, the Gosport keeper was forced to make save, as he pushed Lysalla’s shot by the byline, out for a corner.
Stoke’s continued pressure finally counted, as a Stoke free-kick was knocked clear to Jack Ball, who clipped the ball back into the Gosport six-yard box, and Billy Upton chipped past the Gosport keeper into the net GOAL!! Gosport Borough 1 – 2 Basingstoke Town (Upton 44 mins)
The referee allowed a minute of time, and we go into the break with deserved lead.
Halftime Score: Gosport Borough 1 – 2 Basingstoke Town
Gosport came out looking to get back in the game, and two minutes in the ball was allowed to bounce around a goalmouth, until Stoke were able to clear after the third attempt.
Gosport continued to press the Stoke goal, and they found the equaliser ten minutes into the half, as a passing move down our left, allowed a Gosport player to sweep the ball home from close range. Gosport 2-2 Basingstoke
Stoke looked to immediately respond as D’Andre Brown drove into Gosport’s half, taking the ball past three opposition players, before being crudely felled ten yards outside the box. Brown, was able to take the kick a minute later, but his curling right-foot shot, flew past the right-hand post.
Both team pushed for a third goal, as we past the hour-mark in the game, and despite good work from James Dickson & Josh Green in the middle, the Gosport keeper was untroubled.
With Ben Cook picking up a knock close to the touchline, Stoke made its first changes of the game, as Cook was replaced by Liam Ferdinand & James Clark was replaced by Bradley Wilson (69 mins).
Stoke’s next attack was a good passing move via three Stoke players, ending with Brown’s shot being deflected out for a corner.
Stoke then went behind, as a mix-up at the back, saw us lose the ball, and a swift two passing move saw Gosport’s Rafa Ramos smash the ball past Grant Gosport 3-2 Basingstoke
Stoke pushed forward for the leveller, and from a Dickson corner, Lysalla’s header was straight at the keeper.
Stoke made its third change, with an attacking move as George Reid replaced Joe O’Loughlin (81 mins).
Stoke’s perseverance finally paid off, as a free-kick from Dickson close to the touchline on the left, flew through a crowded penalty area and into the far right-hand corner of the net GOAL!!! Gosport Borough 3 – 3 Basingstoke Town (Dickson 83 mins)
Gosport broke with pace, but Grant made a fine save down low.
With Stoke fans still celebrating the equaliser, an error by the Gosport keeper close to the goal, allowed Lysalla to tap into an empty net from five yards GOAL!!!! Gosport Borough 3 – 4 Basingstoke Town (Lysalla 87 mins)
A minute later we made a defensive move, as we replaced double goal-scorer Cheick Lysalla with Markus Johnson-Schuster (88 mins).
Now in added-time Stoke made its final change as Connor Barratt replaced D’Andre Brown.
We’re at the sixth minute of added-time, as Grant collected the ball from a Gosport cross.
Two further minutes were played out, before the referee blew the final whistle, and Stoke’s well deserved first win on the road this season.
Full-time Score: Gosport Borough 3 v 4 Basingstoke Town
Read 27 mins, Taylor 56 mins, Lysalla 20 & 87 mins, Upton 44 mins,
Ramos 77 mins, Dickson 83 mins,
Match Thought’s
A performance worthy of all three points, with Cheick Lysalla showing the other forwards where the net is. Another goal from the centre-back position via Billy Upton give him three for the season. The midfield four were in control for large parts of the game, with Gosport’s goal coming from speedy breakaways. Apparently a crowd of over a thousand announced. They must have had 300 sitting in the clubhouse? Two wins in a row, puts us twelfth in the table, with back-to-back games against Dorchester in a week.
Up Next:
We have a quick turnaround as we head to Dorset to face Dorchester Town this Tuesday 21st
Match Report by Martin French..
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