Poole Town vs Basingstoke Town - FA Trophy

The FA Trophy returns to the home ground on September 26, 2026, where Poole Town and Basingstoke Town will lock horns in a contest that could shape their respective campaigns. The sheer joy on the 18-year-old defender’s face resonated with Paul Schaffran back at the academy.

Both Poole Town and Basingstoke Town will be eager to build momentum when they meet in FA Trophy. The hosts will hope that the the home ground crowd can inspire a performance, whatever the numbers suggest. The visitors will travel in the hope that a change of scene can spark a turnaround, whatever the form book says. The midfielder faces a significant period on the sidelines after being stretchered off during Uruguay's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the recent FIFA World Cup.

Wing play is likely to be central to the contest. Poole Town will look to stretch the pitch and isolate their wide attackers, while Basingstoke Town must find a way to compress the space and choke the supply lines. City also want to continue improving their attack, with a top left-winger still in the offing too.

In fixtures as finely poised as this one, it often comes down to who holds their nerve in the big moments — and both camps have players who relish that responsibility. The wide areas will be a key battleground, with full-backs and wingers on either side capable of swinging the contest one way or the other. They plan to open talks with PSG forward Bradley Barcola, but it will be a difficult deal to do with the French and European champions valuing him at around £145m.

Predictions are tricky when the sides are this evenly matched, and small margins — a moment of quality, a slice of luck — could decide it either way. A share of the spoils looks the most probable outcome, with neither side holding a decisive edge — a 1-1 draw feels like a fitting result. The result at the home ground could resonate well beyond matchday in the FA Trophy picture. And Fonseca does not place too much weight on the decision of Roberto Martinez to omit him from the World Cup squad in favour of his Benfica team-mate Tomas Araujo.