Match Preview: Southern League Premier South
Hungerford Town vs Basingstoke Town
When: Saturday 15th February 2025 Kick-off 3pm
Where: Bulpitt Lane, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0AY
Hungerford Town (The Crusaders), Avg 2024-25 Home Att 354
Following worthy back-to-back draws against two playoff teams, we now head back on the road to the team who are on the league’s current best run of form, Hungerford Town.
We played the Crusaders back at Winklebury in mid-October, drawing one-one on the night, with Billy Upton’s second-half equalising header.
Our Opponents
The Crusaders are managed by former Thatcham Town boss Danny Robinson, who had five successful seasons with the Kingfishers, which included them winning the FA Vase in 2018.
Hungerford are now unbeaten in their last seven games, winning six of them and have not conceded a goal in the last four matches. This form has them sitting five places above us in eighth, with an overall record of Pld 29 Won 10 Drawn 9 Lost 10 and 39pts. Their home record sits at 7 wins, 3 draws & 3 losses. Their leading scorer is young Venezuelan striker Jose Marquez, on loan from Forest Green Rovers, with eight goals. Originally on loan for a short period, this has now been extended until the end of the season. Then at the end of January, the Crusaders made a big splash, when they signed ex-Liverpool & AFC Bournemouth striker Jordan Ibe. Ibe, 29, joined Liverpool from Wycombe Wanderers in 2011 and made 58 appearances for The Reds scoring four goals. He joined Bournemouth for a then club record £15million in 2016 and has since had spells at Derby County, Turkish side (Adanaspor), Ebbsfleet United and most recently Hayes and Yeading. At the end of January they signed another striker Joe Beardwell from Westbury Utd, who described himself as a fast direct player.
Their leading midfielder was Welsh born Elis Watts (who had eight goals) but he joined Gloucester City in January, and played against us last Saturday. In December they signed 34-year-old Kyle Tooze, and he has a wealth of experience across Non-League football, including at Bulpitt Lane back in the 2020/21 season. He has added two goals. Add the experienced Brad Hooper, who played over 200 games for Swindon Supermarine, before a short stint at Cirencester, before coming to Bulpitt Lane last season. Louis McGrory has added four games in his third spell at Hungerford and has played for more clubs than Sam Allardyce has managed, but more recently Gloucester, Weston-Super-Mare & Salisbury. Joe Shepherd who arrived from Cirencester Town last season, having also spent time at Swindon Supermarine. Jacob Bancroft is wide playing midfielder who has two league goals, and was at Kingstonian & Hartley Wintney previously.
The defence is led by Baboucarr Jarra, who rejoined the Crusaders last season, and has three league goals, having played for nearby Thatcham Town. Rhys Tyler, will likely be the right-back, and spent time for German 3rd division club FC Rot-Weib Erfut, and signed for Hungerford in 2015 has been instrumental in their success since arriving. Ramarni Medford-Smith, was a Reading youth product, and before joining Hungerford, he played for the likes of Bracknell, Farnborough & Marlow. Matthew Barry-Hargreaves, is a product from Hungerford’s academy, was signed by Oxford Utd, and has been an ever present in the team since rejoining the Crusaders back in the 2018-19 season. Curtis Angell could well earn the start having left us to return to the Crusaders last month. Luke Softley is another defensive option, who is on loan from Aston Villa’s academy & youth sides and has two league goals. Louie Paget is another option on the left and spent time at Leatherhead & Hartley Wintney.
In goal will be Ryan Clarke, who started his career at Bristol Rovers, and has played for other football league clubs such as Oxford Utd, Southend and AFC Wimbledon, before joining from Bath City last season.
Our Basingstoke Town Side
Two points from six against playoff teams, truly did not represent our performances, but with one highlight that Jayden Brissett has importantly hit the ground running with both goals in those games. With other midweek results going in our favour we remain in thirteenth place as we head to Berkshire-based Hungerford Town. Our record now at Pld 30 Won 8 Drawn 11 Lost 10 and 36pts, with our away record sitting at 3 wins, 7 draws and 5 losses.
With changes to the midfield, it will be interesting to see how we set-up at the top, but Liam Ferdinand will link-up with Jayden Brissett, leaving Robbie Gallagher to play the wide role. This means potentially George Reid may have to sit back in a more holding role if he starts. It is also noted that academy star Charlie Barlow is unavailable this weekend.
With the understanding that Rudy Allen has left the club to join Hampton & Richmond Borough, this leaves a major role to fill. However, the club this afternoon have signed Raynes Park Vale’s James Dickson. Dickson was at Dorking Wanderers for three years before Raynes Park. Sam Deadfield will likely take over the lead role, and Ben Cook is likely to slot alongside him with Dickson. Pele Koulsseoue could earn a start on the left, whilst versatile James Clark could return to a starting role in the midfield. Flynn Bolton is another option, but he was the missing from the match-day squad last Saturday, so will he be called back tomorrow? Aleks Kokoszka is another option, but possibly more suited to a second-half liven the side-up role.
The defence has picked-up since the Taunton game, and will need to be at it’s best once again, against an in-form Hungerford, which will use the sloping pitch to their advantage. If we go with a back five tomorrow, it should mean Marcus Johnson-Schuster on the right, potentially JL Colwell on the left, and three centre-backs in Billy Upton, Jack Ball & Scott Armsworth. In goal will be the ever-present Simon Grant.
The tough matches keep coming thick & fast, and tomorrow will possibly be more harder than the previous two against a team that has a potent offence and a defence at the top of its game as well. Add the fact that we will need to set-up differently each other to combat the sloping pitch, and this will be made tougher due to the loss of Rudy Allen, who was an ever-present in the league this season.
I would like to thank Rudy for his efforts and it is very sad to see him leave our club. Hope things work out well at Hampton.
I would expect like last season, that another strong turnout by Basingstoke fans, will travel the thirty miles to Hungerford tomorrow afternoon, whilst the weather is expected to be slightly warmer, but with some expected rain during the day.
Match Preview by Martin French..
Polish 
English 