Basingstoke Town's struggles continued as they suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Welsh team Merthyr Town, extending their winless streak to 12 matches.

Despite a valiant effort by 'Stoke, Merthyr secured a convincing victory at home.

Merthyr took an early lead in the 21st minute after converting a penalty. The Welsh side swiftly doubled their advantage in just seven minutes, leaving Basingstoke with an uphill battle.

'Stoke had their moments, with a close attempt to pull one back in the 33rd minute when Stefan Brown's header narrowly missed the target.

However, Merthyr continued their dominance, adding a third goal in the 41st minute, effectively taking control of the game.

Just before the half-time whistle, Basingstoke was handed a lifeline as they were awarded a penalty.

Bradley Wilson successfully converted, reducing the deficit to 3-1 at halftime.

Entering the second half with determination, Basingstoke aimed to turn the tide in their favour.

Unfortunately, Merthyr dashed those hopes by scoring a fourth goal in the 51st minute, securing a comfortable lead.

The defeat leaves Basingstoke Town in 14th place on the table, with 28 points from 27 games.

Despite the disappointing result, manager Dan Brownlie expressed that the scoreline did not truly reflect the team's performance.

“It's a bizarre game - you take a snapshot of any five minutes and for a large part, we did well," Brownlie said.

"It felt like a nil-nil game which we lost 4-1. Don't get me wrong, they are one of the best sides we played this year. They are certainly up there in the top three in terms of performance. They keep the ball well and they've got some great moments. But when you look at overall territory and chances created, we did well. But results matter, and they scored four, while we scored only one.”

'Stoke face Hanwell Town away on Saturday, January 13.