Southern League Premier South – Tuesday 18th November 2025
Basingstoke Town 0 vs 2 Gloucester City Attendance 407
Where: Winklebury Centre, Winklebury Way, Basingstoke. RG23 8BF
Manager Dan Brownlie’s line-up for this cold Tuesday evening return league match was: 1. Simon Grant, 2. Markus Johnson-Schuster, 3. Joe O’Loughlin, 4. Josh Green, 5. James Clark, 6. Billy Upton (Capt), 7. Ore Belllo, 8. Dara Dada, 9. Josh Dolling, 10. D’Andre Brown, 11. George Reid
On the bench: 12. Ben Cook, 14. Dan Rowe, 15. Connor Barratt, 16. Elliott Legg & 17. Scott Armsworth
Referee – Chris Williams
With the cold weather and a less than expected crowd for this match against second-placed, Gloucester, the game got underway and Billy Upton received a knock in the opening twenty seconds and received treatment, and was able to return a minute later.
Stoke were to create the first chance of the game, as on five minutes, Joe O’Loughlin found George Reid, who raced into the penalty before unleashing a shot that crashed off the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.
Stoke had a further shot on ten minutes, but Bello’s shot flew wide of the left-hand post.
Gloucester’s first attack of the game, came two minutes later, when a fierce shot won them a corner, which was subsequently headed over the bar.
Stoke was back into the action, as Josh Dolling found space to hit a right-foot shot that was pushed away by the Gloucester keeper.
Disaster was then to strike on twenty minutes as Stoke as both George Reid & Ore Bello received treatment at the same time, and after a two minute delay, both were unable to continue, and Reid was replaced by Dan Rowe, and Bello, by Elliott Legg (23 mins).
Rowe’s first action was to hit a shot narrowly wide from Dolling’s pass.
Gloucester had created very little, but has one shot blocked which rebounded to another Gloucester forward, who hit the roof of the stand behind the goal.
With two minutes to the break, Legg, was to make a superb blocking tackle, as a cross from the left-hand byline, looked like an easy tap in for a Gloucester forward, only for Legg to make a block and the ball rolled straight to Grant who recovered the ball.
We played six minutes of added-time due to the number of injuries, and Stoke went into the break level.
Halftime Score: Basingstoke Town 0 vs 0 Gloucester City
Stoke made it’s third change at halftime, as Dara Dada was replaced by Ben Cook.
The opening minutes of the second-half, saw a nasty tackle on Billy Upton, go unpunished by the referee, and a little play by Stoke, then saw Upton hit a low left-foot shot that was easily held by the keeper.
Gloucester then started to push forward and Grant made a fine save pushing the ball out from a fierce shot just inside the penalty area.
The save was unfortunately just a temporary reprieve, as a minute later Grant pushed a shot onto the crossbar, only for a Gloucester forward to head the rebound home from close range. Basingstoke 0-1 Gloucester.
Grant made another save from another Stoke attack minutes later, as the visitors started to control the game, and a clearance off the line by a Stoke defender, kept the score at one.
Stoke were to make it’s fourth change as Markus Johnson-Schuster was replaced by Scott Armsworth (65 mins).
Gloucester had two further attacks, before they doubled their lead, as a Gloucester forward was tackled, then allowed to get up and hit a shot pass Grant in goal Basingstoke 0-2 Gloucester
Gloucester came close to a third, but James Clark hooked the ball of the line and the ball then cleared to the halfway line.
Grant made two further saves, and Stoke made its fifth change as D’Andre Brown was replaced by Connor Barratt (77 mins).
Grant then made a further save, which rebounded towards the goal, but Legg cleared the ball away.
Stoke won two corners in the last five minutes of the game, the second saw the ball ping from one side of the penalty area to the other, before flying out for a goal-kick.
Billy Upton headed a cross just past the post, in the second-minute of four added-minutes, and then Armsworth made two decent blocking tackles, to keep them out, before the referee blew the fulltime whistle, and Stoke go down to defeat.
Fulltime Score: Basingstoke Town 0 vs 2 Gloucester City
Simpson 54 & 68 mins,
Match Thought’s
A competitive first-half where Basingstoke could have easily taken the lead, and the game may have taken a different course. The second-half was completely different, as we failed to get going, poor passing, second to the ball, and Gloucester could easily have had more than the two Kane Simpson goals.
More injury worries, with George Reid & Ore Bello added to the list of attacking players out. Rumours that Sylla could be out three to four weeks. Ore Bello a hamstring injury?
Up Next:
We travel back down to Dorset to take on promotion chasers Poole Town this Saturday (22nd).
Match Report by Martin French..
Polish 
English 
Was not that impressed with Gloucester, but if you capitulate again for another 45 mins, then they will take advantage. Granty was again great in goal, and could have been far worse scoreline at the end.
Without a doubt they were the best team we have played so far, when they upped the tempo in the 2nd half we couldnt get near them, too much pace, incisive movement and all players comfortable on thd ball. Something we cam only dream of.