Match Preview: Southern League Premier Division South
Poole Town vs Basingstoke Town
When: Saturday 22nd November 2025 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Black & Gold Stadium, School Lane, Poole. BH15 3JR
Poole Town (The Dolphins), 2025-26 League Position 5th
Our loss to Gloucester City, was overshadowed by the injury of both George Reid & Ore Bello, especially after Saturday’s injury to Cheick Sylla.
We now head back into Dorset to face Poole Town who sit in the promotion places, and who last season did the double over us. In November 2024 they left Winklebury with a 1-3 victory, then two months later, we lost by a solitary, with the goal coming in the 93rd minute.
Our Opponents
Poole Town, continue to be jointly managed by Joe Lea & Pat Suraci. Both had decent playing careers, and became joint Managers initially at Petersfield Town, then Gosport Borough, before taking over the Dolphins in January.
Poole Town dropped to fifth place, having suffered back-to-back defeats, firstly Gosport (4-0), then Tuesday to Farnham (2-1). Their overall record sits at Pld 15 Won 8 Drawn 3 Lost 4 and 27pts. Their home record sits as 4 Wins, 2 Draws & 1 loss, with the single loss their last home game against Gosport Borough (1-0). Their leading goal-scorer is well-known Shaquille Gwengwe, who has sixteen goals (seven from the penalty spot), after playing for Dorchester City for three seasons, having previously been at AFC Totton, as well as the likes of Worthing, Blackfield & Langley and Andover Town. Attacking winger Ik Hill, has five goals this season, after joining from Winchester City, where he started his career. He did spend a season at Westfield, but returned to the Citizens, where he scored 31 goals last season, before joining the Dolphins on a two-year deal. Samuel Ayo Faniyan, was at Gosport last season with Joe Lea & Pat Suraci, and has joined them this season, although he has only made six appearances this season.
In midfield, they have Antonio Diaz, with three goals, who signed from Gosport Borough last season, having been at AFC Bournemouth’s academy, and then had stints at Weymouth, Dorchester and Wimborne Town. Harvey Slade is a 6’4 box to box midfielder who provides aerial threat, having started his career at Bashley, then on loan at Weymouth during 2023/24 but joined the Dolphins in 2024/25 campaign, and has added four goals this season. Billy Lowes, started his career at Poole as a 17-year-old, before spending time at AFC Totton and then five years at Dorchester. Like others in this team, he was picked up whilst playing at Bashley. Charlie Davis (28), joined after impressing at Sholing, and started at AFC Bournemouth, and then spells at local sides Weymouth & Dorchester. Henry Spalding, joined Poole at the start of this season, having played over 200 games for Swindon Supermarine over a number of stints in his career. He has also spent time at Gosport Borough.
Josh Staunton is an experienced centre half who has over 200 National League appearances at the age of just 30. His journey started at Gillingham before moving to Dagenham & Redbridge in the 2016/17 season. He spent time at Woking before joining Yeovil in 2020, then moved to Boreham Wood, where he joined the Dolphins in February 2024. At right-back will be Josh McCormick, who has spent most of this career at Winchester City, and joined the Dolphins at the start of this season. 31-year-old Ryan Campbell was the Dolphins second summer signing and spending eight years at Swinson Supermarine. The likely left-back has scored over 50 goals in his career from this role. Owen Dore, is a centre-back, who progressed through the youth ranks of Oxford United and Southampton, at 20, he signed for North Leigh in 2022, then Salisbury in 2023, and is loan from the Whites until January. In goal will be Adam Parkes who joined from Gosport at the start of this season. A reliable keeper, who previously played for Taunton Town, and before that Southampton, Watford, Barnet & Plymouth amongst others.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
A poor second-half saw us capitulate with a lack of direction, as we allowed a good Gloucester side to dominate us as the game wore on. This was not helped by further injuries, as attackers George Reid & Ore Bello, sustained injuries at the same time in Tuesday evening’s game, and both are out for an indeterminate time. This loss hit our strikeforce, which had been playing well up to then, but did give Dan Rowe, his second appearance since returning to Winklebury. The game went to the break level, but as stated above, we rarely held onto the ball for more than thirty seconds at a time, and if not for Simon Grant and some great defensive clearances, the scoreline could have been worse than just the 2-0 scoreline.
We head to Poole, with the knowledge that we have five strikers on the injured-list, add that to others in various areas, then it gives the team limited options in how we set-up, unless more loan signings are brought-in. The strikeforce hopefully heading to Dorset, will now likely be Josh Dolling & Dan Rowe, plus the option of putting James Clark in one of his old roles. The loss pushed us one place down to (11thh), with our record, at Pld 17 Won 6 Drawn 3 Lost 8 and 21pts. Our away record now stands at 2 Wins, 2 draws & 4 losses.
The midfield without James Dickson, for the last two games, and after a really good performance at Weymouth, went missing in the second 45 on Tuesday. Unless Dickson returns, and if we go with four or five in midfield, then Josh Green will head this area, and will be supported by D’Andre Brown, Ben Cook & Dara Dada. Connor Barratt still struggles to get real game-time, and potentially one of our wing-backs, could also push into this area if needed.
The defence stood firm for most of the Gloucester game, despite being under immense pressure in the second-half and was that three or four clearances close or off the line during the game. Jack Ball may well still be out missing, which leaves Billy Upton, with either James Clark or Scott Armsworth beside him in the centre-back roles. Again the option of going four or five at the back will be seriously considered, which leaves Joe O’Loughlin, Markus Johnson-Schuster & Elliott Legg as the defensive backs. A further set-back to the team will be the loss of Simon Grant in goal, through injury for potentially both tomorrow and Tuesday’s game at Yate Town. Granty, has continued to show why he is one of the top keepers in the league. It is believed that ex-Stokie Joel Halliday will be on-loan from QPR for the next two games.
With Poole Town coming into this game on a two-game losing streak, they will look to get back to winning ways, and will look at our potential match-day squad, and will be licking their lips, with the prospect, of an easier task.
Depending if we have acquired any short-term reinforcements, Stoke will go into this game with a number of decisions on two to set-up against what is a good team on paper, but hopefully not on the pitch tomorrow afternoon.
Let’s Go Stoke !
Match Preview by Martin French..
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