Southern League Premier South – Saturday 15th November 2025
Weymouth 1 vs 2 Basingstoke Town Attendance 813
Where: Bob Lucas Stadium, Radpole Lane, Weymouth, DT4 9XJ
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for our match against Weymouth was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Elliott Legg, 3. Joe O’Loughlin, 4. Josh Green, 5. James Clark, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Ore Bello, 8. Ben Cook, 9. Cheick Sylla, 10. Joshua Dolling, 11. George Reid
On the bench: 12. D’Andre Brown, 14.Dan Rowe, 15.Connor Barratt, 16. Markus Johnson-Schuster & 17. Dara Dada
Referee – Lewis Ward
With a strong police present behind the segregated end, the game got underway, and after an opening minute of Basingstoke play, Weymouth had two attacks, the second, despite calls for offside, saw a through pass cut our defence open, and their forward rounded Simon Grant in goal, and slotted the ball into an empty net Weymouth 1 – 0 Basingstoke
Fifteen minutes and the Stoke travelling fans were restless, not only unhappy with the match officials, but also with sliced clearances out of play, and numerous misdirected passes by the Stoke players.
Stoke then spent two minutes in the Weymouth final third of the pitch, but were unable to put anything on the Weymouth goal.
Cheick Sylla then won a corner on the right, but then needed treatment from a tackle, and two minutes later was replaced by the returning Dan Rowe, in a Basingstoke shirt (24 mins).
Stoke were still struggling to get any foothold in the game, and Weymouth failed to take advantage, as a lack of a final pass kept the score at one.
Our play had not improved as we hit the half-hour mark, and a minute later Josh Green lost the ball just outside our penalty, but Weymouth’s forwards let us off the hook, as a shot from inside the penalty area rebounded off the left-hand post to another Weymouth forward, only for him to casually hit a shot that rebounded off the right-hand post, which then allowed Grant to dive on the loose ball.
Stoke continued to struggle to put three passes together, not helped by the referee, who continued to make some strange decisions.
Weymouth then had another chance to double their lead, but a poor finish, allowed Grant to make the save.
Then virtually out of the blue, Basingstoke got back in the game, as a neat two passing movement allowed Ore Bello to pick out George Reid, directly in front who flicked the cross past the Weymouth keeper GOAL! Weymouth 1 – 1 Basingstoke Town 1 (Reid 41 mins)
Weymouth looked to retake the lead, but a diving block by Billy Upton, saw the Weymouth shot deflect over the crossbar. Grant made the catch from the corner, as we played the first of four minutes of added-time
Stoke then had another shot on the Weymouth goal, this time by Bello, but the shot was pushed out for a corner.
Despite some very average play, we went into break on level terms.
Halftime Score: Weymouth 1 vs 1 Basingstoke Town
The second-half got underway as Stoke attacked the goal, that the Stoke fans were behind, and Stoke came close to taking the lead as he clipped the ball from the dead-ball line over the keeper and in slow motion, two defenders took seconds to clear the ball of the line.
Weymouth had the next chance, as they broke down the left, but Grant made a fine save, blocking the ball out for a corner.
Stoke started to push forward and were getting a grip of the game, with the Stoke faithful behind the goal cheering them on, as we made our second change of the day as Ore Bello was replaced by D’Andre Brown (59 mins).
Dre was straight into the game, making a timely interception, a minute later.
Stoke pushed forward once again, and the improved play brought us a second-goal, as a neat passing movement, set-up Ben Cook, who took two touches, before planting the ball in the back of the Weymouth net GOAL!! Weymouth 1 – 2 Basingstoke Town 1 (Cook 64 mins)
Weymouth then had two attacks, but two good blocks kept them out.
Stoke came close to doubling their lead, as good work from Green found Elliott Legg on the right, whose cross was headed by Josh Dolling, but with the keeper motionless, the ball hit the post and bounced away.
Brown continued to spark the Stoke attack, and his perseverance almost paid off, as a one-two pass with Dolling, allowed Brown to ease his way through three defensive statues, then slide a ball across the face of the goal, but there was no Stoke forward to tap the ball home.
Grant was forced into another save with just over ten minutes remaining.
Brown was the provider of Stoke’s next chance as his cross from the right was knocked in the air, which allowed Reid, to try his famous bicycle-kick shot, but the ball slid inches wide of the right-hand post with the Weymouth keeper once again motionless.
With four minutes to go, Weymouth had their chance to level the scoring, but the shot was hooked wide of the left-hand post.
Stoke then made its third change as match-winner Ben Cook was replaced by Dara Dada (89 mins).
Then in the second minute of added-time, Grant pulled out another critical save, somehow pushing the ball away from the goal-line.
Stoke then made its fourth change as George Reid was replaced by Connor Barratt (93 mins).
Five minutes into added-time, Grant pushed another shot out for a corner, and the referee blew the final whistle twenty seconds later, and the team leave Dorset with all three points.
Fulltime Score: Weymouth 1 vs 2 Basingstoke Town
Watts 4 mins, Reid 41 mins, Cook 64 mins,
Match Thought’s
Where in previous games, Stoke failed to take their chances to kill sides off, this was the downfall of a poor Weymouth side, who should have been well clear, before George Reid flicked in the equaliser, just before the break.
That woeful opening thirty-five minutes, was replaced by a much-improved second-half, especially when D’Andre Brown was introduced into the game. Two league wins and one cup win in eight days, with few other games in our league, pushes us up to tenth in the table.
Further injury worries to our forward-line as Cheick Sylla is unlikely to make Tuesday’s league game.
Up Next:
We host promotion chasing Gloucester City this Tuesday evening in the league (18th), KO 7.45pm
Match Report by Martin French..
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