Match Report
Basingstoke Town 4 Yate Town 2
Wilson 25, 28, 84 (pen), Ferdinand 69 (pen) | Ball (J) own goal, Evans-Harriott
Southern League Premier Division South
Tuesday 23rd September 2025
A number of defensive errors consigned Yate Town to another defeat away from home as they conceded two penalties, plus a defensive howler, which allowed Basingstoke to secure their first win since the opening day of the season, with Basingstoke’s Bradley Wilson scoring a hat-trick.
Following the defeat at Dorchester Lucas Tomlinson came in for Corey Evans, Chris Zebroski replaced Marlon Jackson, with Dan Dempsey also in the starting eleven in the place of Dayle Grubb. In the Basingstoke side was former Yate Town player Joe O’Loughlin.
The Bluebells started brightly and Lucas Tomlinson forced an early corner from which Rex Mannings fired over when well placed. Following another corner, which was won when Charlie White’s shot was blocked, Matt Britton’s header was cleared off the line but shortly afterwards Yate were to concede two quick goals. Bradley Wilson was allowed to cut in from the left and his low speculative 25-yard shot came through a host of players and ended up beating Aaron Sainsbury just inside his far post. If this setback wasn’t enough, three minutes later, as Sainsbury and his defenders tried to play the ball out from the back, a misplaced pass was gleefully accepted by Wilson who was able to double the hosts lead, from about 30 yards, by rolling the ball into an empty net.
Lucas Tomlinson headed over from a corner but Yate were fortunate to get back into the game just before half time when James Taylor and Lucas Tomlinson managed to work a space on the right and Tomlinson’s cross was deflected into his own net by Basingstoke defender Jack Ball.
Basingstoke had another chance to extend their lead just before half-time when D’andre Brown shot wide when well placed.
Basingstoke started the second half looking to extend their lead with neither side were able to create any clear-cut chances but after 68 minutes Charlie White brought down Robbie Gallagher in the penalty area and Liam Ferdinand stepped up to confidently score from the spot.
Both sides made substitutions and with six minutes remaining White fouled Gallagher again in the same spot and Bradley Wilson took the penalty this time to increase Basingstoke’s lead and secure a personal hat-trick.
With eight minutes added time, Yate substitute, Aaron Evans-Harriott, signed from Bishops Cleeve, reduced the arears with a goal of real class as he cut in from the left and fired a 25-yard shot past Basingstoke goalkeeper Simion Grant, who then pulled off a spectacular save from Evans-Harriott with the last kick of the match.
Yate Town sit in 21st position in the league table but with four other teams also on 6 points the gap to safety, outside the bottom four, is, at the moment, small.
The Bluebells host Plymouth Parkway at the South West Interiors Stadium on Saturday, in a re-arranged fixture, and the following Saturday Poole Town are the visitors for an FA Trophy tie, which will be an ALL-PAY game.
Basingstoke Town: Grant, Johnson-Schuster, O’Loughlin (Clarke 75), Dickinson, Ball (J), Upton (Armsworth 89), Wilson, Green, Ferdinand, (Rollinson 81) Gallagher, Brown (Barrett 85),
Unused sub: Cook
Bookings: Green (80), Dickson (88), Rollinson (90+2)
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor (Grubb 63), Larvin, Dempsey (Ball D. 75) Britton, White, James, Tomlinson (Evans 70), Zebroski (Jackson 70), Taylor-Clarke, Mannings (Evans- Harriott 61)
Unused Subs: None
Bookings: Britton (43), Taylor-Clarke (59), Jackson (88)
Referee: Jake Hillier