MATCH PREVIEW | Chippenham Town vs Weston-super-Mare | National League South | Tuesday 19th August 2025
Harry Minton previews the Bluebirds’ avian clash with the seagulls.
It’s the first game under the lights for the Bluebirds on Tuesday as we welcome Weston-super-Mare to the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium.
Last time out
The season looked to have gotten off to a flyer for our boys in blue, as they took a two goal lead at home to Mark White’s Dorking Wanderers inside eighteen minutes on the opening day. Harry Parsons scored two very well taken goals before unfortunately being forced off in the second half through injury. The visitors then sadly came back to draw level in the game through goals from Brennan Christopher Camp and last minute equaliser from Alfie Rutherford. On the weekend just gone, Gary Horgan’s boys travelled to newly relegated Ebbsfleet United. Whilst the Bluebirds dug in well all game and made it difficult for the Fleet to break them down, a second half strike from Aaron Cosgrave was enough for the home side to take the points.
Meanwhile, Weston have had a very similar start to their opponents this midweek. Scott Bartlett’s side looked to have rescued a point away at Hornchurch. With Luke Skinner and Sam Pearson bringing the Seagulls back from two goals down, only for Nathan Bertram-Cooper to win it for the hosts with five minutes to go. Then at the weekend, they got a well earned point and clean sheet in their first home outing against Chelmsford City, who have had an unbeaten start to the league campaign so far.
The opposition
The Seagulls will be hoping they can achieve a similar finish to last season, if not go one better. Last year they narrowly missed out on the playoffs, finishing in seventh place with a club record points tally in the National League South. Their last three games did cost Scott Bartlett’s side, falling to defeat in all three matches, including a defeat at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium to our own Bluebirds by two goals to nil.
Chippenham Town played up against Weston-super-Mare a total of four times last season. Although, we got the better of the Seagulls in the league, completing the double over them, it was the side from Somerset who just edged the Bluebirds in the cup. In the first match in the FA Cup third qualifying round in Wiltshire, the game ended one each with Reuben Reid scoring for the visitors and Leone Gravata on target for the Bluebirds in his first goal for the club. Then just three days later at the Optima Stadium in the replay, the hosts narrowly edged it with a Brandon Bak second half goal enough to take Weston through into the next qualifying round.
Eventually the Seagulls reached the first round where they were rewarded with an away tie against local EFL side Bristol Rovers. The sixth tier side gave the Gas a real good run for their money, taking the tie to extra time after an equaliser in the second half through Jordan Bastin. However, the home side showed a professional performance in extra time, scoring two goals to put the tie to bed at three goals to one.
The new signings
Weston have had a very exciting summer transfer window, bringing in a good blend of experience and youth. On the one hand, they have signed veteran defender Michael Smith from Yeovil, who has a total of 615 senior career appearances to his name. Couple that with winning two promotions in his football career as well, one with Hearts in the Scottish Championship in 2021, and also most recently with the Glovers in 2024 when they won the National League South. On top of all this, Smith also has experience of playing in Europe with Hearts, in the 22/23 season, he played in five out of their six group games in the Europa Conference League. But then also, the Seagulls have signed quite a few young players that could have a lot of potential, with the likes of Josh Salmon, Dylan Mitchell and young forward Luke Skinner coming in on loan from Bournemouth, Swindon and Bristol City respectively.
Whereas, the Bluebirds have done sort of the same transfer business as their opponents over the summer. Bringing in experienced heads like Reece Fleet and Canice Carroll both from Oxford City. Fleet spent the last ten years with the Hoops playing at step two, experiencing a couple exciting FA Cup runs in that time. The first came in 17/18 where he lined up alongside fellow Bluebird Freddie Grant against League Two outfit Colchester United in the first round and they both achieved a well earned one nil victory to take Oxford City through to the second round. Once again, they were drawn away to a League Two side this time in Notts County. The Hoops battled hard all game to try and send them through to the third round for the first time in the club’s history, however they narrowly lost by three goals to two thanks to a last minute winner from Notts. Fleet also reached the second round with Oxford City in the 20/21 season, knocking out League One side Northampton Town by two goals to one in the first round before falling at the second hurdle once again in a one nil defeat away to Shrewsbury Town.
Along with playing for Oxford City, Carroll has also gained experience of playing in the EFl for the likes of Oxford United, Swindon Town, Carlisle United and Stevenage. He has also played in the Scottish Leagues for Queen’s Park, where they won promotion to Scottish League One in 2021. Two years later, Carroll and Fleet would both secure promotion to the National League with the Hoops for the first time in the club’s history. A comfortable four nil win in the playoff final against St Alban’s City was more than enough to see them promoted, with Fleet opening the scoring inside just four minutes of the game.
But then also, Chippenham have gone with the more youth approach with some signings, one of them being young striker Ezio Touray from Poole Town. The twenty two year old scored twelve goals in twenty eight appearances for Poole last season in the division below. But before his time with the Dolphins, he had a full season at Weymouth in the National League South 23/24 season where he got a total of nine goals to his name.
It promises to be a great match for the Bluebirds as always under the lights at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium for the first time this season. If you are available, feel free to come down and cheer the boys on as we seek to win an all important three points against Weston-super-Mare. COME ON THE BLUEBIRDS!!!
Tickets can be purchased from the link to our Eventbrite page
