Poole Town’s playoff campaign commences with a semi-final match against Gloucester City. The game is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
Poole finished the Southern League Premier South season in fourth place with 75 points after 42 matches. Gloucester City finished in third with 82 points.
Poole’s Form and Key Absences
Poole are heading into the playoffs on good form, having won two of their last three matches. These included two clean sheets and a 3-3 draw against Uxbridge on the final day.
Shaquille Gwengwe finished as the league’s top scorer with 41 goals. Henry Spalding also scored on Saturday.
Jamie Whisken has likely played his last game for the club. Gwengwe is also likely to miss out due to concussion, according to joint-manager Pat Suraci.
Gloucester’s Season and Key Players
Gloucester will be a strong opponent. They beat league leaders Walton & Hersham 1-0 on the final day with Kieran Phillips scoring.
Kane Simpson leads the goal charts for Gloucester with 25 goals so far this season.
Previous Encounters
The last time the two sides met at Meadow Park, Gloucester won 3-2. Gwengwe and Spalding scored for Poole, with King Baidoo scoring the match winner for Gloucester.
When the teams met at Tatnam back in February, Gloucester were comfortable 2-1 winners.
Playoff Implications
Joe Lea and Pat Suraci have had a successful first full season at Tatnam. They secured their place in the playoffs after being involved in relegation battles the previous two seasons.
Key players such as Ik Hill, Harvey Slade and Selim Saied are likely to start for Poole. This is a massive occasion for the Dorset based side and a chance to achieve promotion to the National League South.
This will be Poole’s first playoffs outing since the 2022/23 season. Poole were knocked out on penalties by Truro City at Bolitho Park despite Tony Lee’s opener in normal time.
If Poole win on Wednesday, they will face the winner of either Farnham Town or Berkhamsted in the final.
Tickets are selling quickly for the semi-final and can only be purchased online.