Match Report: Wimborne Town 1 – 0 Basingstoke Town – Saturday 12th April 2025

Southern League Premier South – Saturday 12th April 2025
Wimborne Town 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town Attendance 965
Where: Wyatt Homes Stadium, 16 Ainsley Road, Wimborne, Dorset. BH21 2FU
Manager Dan Brownlie went with a line-up of: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Lewis Colwell, 4. Scott Armsworth, 5. Jack Ball, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Joshua Green, 8. Malachi Ogunleye, 9.Liam Ferdinand, 10. Robbie Gallagher, 11. George Reid
On the bench: 12. Jayden Brissett, 14. James Clark, 15. James Dickson, 16. Ben Cook, 17. D’Andre Brown
Referee – Oscar WhitingThe first attack of the game came from Wimborne, as a neat passing move allowed a Wimborne time to shoot, but he blasted over twenty yards out.

Stoke were to come close on seven minutes, as the tenacious Robbie Gallagher nipped in to clip the ball away from the keeper’s attempted clearance, and George Reid clipped the ball towards goal, only for it to slowly bounce off the far post and a Wimborne defender was first to the rebound and cleared.

Wimborne created the next attack, but Simon Grant made a nice save low down at the right-hand post.
Grant was called into action once more, five minutes later making a tipped save.

On twenty-five minutes, the referee waived away calls for a penalty, as a cross from George Reid hits a Wimborne defenders hands.

Gallagher then received treatment, after being pulled down for about the fifth time this half.
Both defences were getting on top, and we go into the break deadlocked.

Half-time Score: Wimborne Town 0 v 0 Basingstoke Town
It was a quiet start to the second-half, with little action in either penalty area, until the hour-mark, when Gallagher broke away from his marker, but his shot flew over the bar.
Reid then created another chance, but his cross was knocked out for a corner.

Still no sign of a breakthrough by either side, and Stoke made it’s first substitutions of the day, with Josh Green being replaced by James Dickson and George Reid replaced by Jayden Brissett (73 mins).

Stoke were then to concede a penalty, after handball was given against a Stoke player in the wall. The penalty sent Grant the wrong way. Wimborne 1-0 Basingstoke.

Stoke then made two immediate changes, as Malachi Ogunleye was replaced by Ben Cook, and Scott Armsworth replaced by D’Andre Brown (80 mins).

A minute later there was another call for a Stoke penalty, but the referee deemed the foul on Ferdinand was just outside the box. The free-kick is palmed away by the Wimborne keeper, and the loose ball was hacked clear.
Stoke were creating very little as we moved into the final two minutes, and we made our final change in added-time, with Markus Johnson-Schuster replaced by James Clark (91 mins).

One final chance to get an equaliser, fell to Jayden Brissett, but his free-kick was hit straight at the keeper.
A minute later and the referee had seen enough, and Stoke went down to another one-nil defeat.

Full-time Score: Wimborne Town 1 v 0 Basingstoke Town
Burroughs 79 min Pen,

Match Thought’s
With a need to pick-up points, we battled well in the first-half, but lacked any luck or that final pass or shot. A pretty average second-half, which neither team deserved to win, but the solitary goal from a penalty, sees us move into the relegation zone.
Not much else I can or want to say, with three huge games coming up to save us from the drop.
Up Next:
We host second-placed AFC Totton this coming Good Friday (April 18th) KO 3pm.

Match Report by Martin French..