LIVE - Farnborough v Basingstoke Town (From Basingstoke Gazette)

4:51pm

FULL-TIME - Farnborough 2 Basingstoke Town 1

Another defeat for Town but it was a much improved performance. After a dodgy opening spell, they dominated the game and may have deserved a point.

Still, it's another game without any points and they remain in the drop zone, with a trip to Hayes and Yeading United facing them on Saturday.

In the Premier League, Reading have drawn 0-0 at home to Swansea, while Southampton claimed a point at Fulham, Rickie Lambert converting a late penalty to make it 1-1.

4:49pm

Matt Warner's clearance is charged down and Nic Ciardini's shot is deflected out for a corner.

4:48pm

Town have four minutes of added time to find an equaliser.

4:46pm

FARNBOROUGH HIT THE POST

Stuart Lake commits a foul in a central position just outside the area and Nic Ciardini's effort crashes back off the post, with Ashley Bayes beaten.

4:44pm

SUBSTITUTION - Basingstoke Town - Matt Warner on for Ben Jefford

4:43pm

Dave Tarpey flashes the ball across goal but there is nobody there to touch it home and Ben Jefford clears.

4:39pm

A Farnborough corner is only cleared as far as the edge of the area - but the shot is fired well over.

4:34pm

GOAL - Farnborough 2 Basingstoke Town 1 - Tim Sills (77 min)

A lifeline for Town. Farnborough fail to clear their lines and the ball drops to Tim Sills just inside the area. He curls the ball into the top corner, possibly with the help of a deflection.

4:31pm

SUBSTITUTION - Farnborough - Medi Abalimba on for Reece Connolly

Connolly had taken a knock and had to be replaced, meaning the hosts have now used all three of their substitutions.

4:29pm

Elsewhere, Southampton are still losing 1-0 at Fulham, while Reading are holding Swansea.

4:28pm

Dave Tarpey beats Jay Gasson for pace down the Town left - and it takes a great piece of defending from Ross Adams to prevent a third goal, the centre-back sliding in to take the ball away from Nic Ciardini.

4:25pm

SUBSTITUTION - Basingstoke Town - Manny Williams on for Simon Dunn

Williams is on to make his debut, with Town switching to 4-3-3 for the final 22 minutes.

4:24pm

It's all Town at the moment, with Tim Sills header from a corner hacked away from inside the six-yard box.

Stuart Lake then makes space for a shot on the edge of the area, but it goes wide.

4:21pm

TOWN HIT THE CROSSBAR

Agonisingly close there. Shaun McAuley plays in Tim Sills, who returns the favour with a low centre. McAuley's effort is blocked but the ball falls to Simon Dunn, who smashes it against the crossbar.

4:18pm

DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION - Farnborough - Nic Ciardini and Marcus Moody on for Elvis Hammond and Dan Bennett.

4:15pm

Delano Sam-Yorke shoots from the edge of the area - but it's a poor effort dragged wide.

4:11pm

A Farnborough corner is met by Alfred Bosch, but he can only head wide.

It's raining pretty hard again.

4:10pm

Good play, first by Shaun McAuley and then Simon Dunn, who feeds Delano Sam-Yorke. He shoots through the legs of a defender, forcing Craig Bradshaw to push the ball wide.

The resulting corner leads to another chance for Sam-Yorke, but this time Bradshaw is able to hold on.

4:07pm

Good play by Delano Sam-Yorke and Shaun McAuley, but the former is only able to head the latter's cross into the air at the near post.

4:03pm

Jay Gasson gets his head to a free-kick from deep - and that's not too far wide.

4:02pm

KICK-OFF

Farnborough get the second-half started.

3:59pm

Town are out early for the start of the second-half. Can they turn it around?

3:56pm

Remember you can have your say on the game by using the comment box at the bottom of the page or #BTFC on Twitter.

3:55pm

3:51pm

Half-time in the Premier League sees Southampton losing 1-0 to Dimitar Berbatov's goal for Fulham, while it's still goal-less between Reading and Swansea at the Madejski Stadium.

3:47pm

HALF-TIME - Farnborough 2 Basingstoke Town 0

Apart from three minutes of defensive meltdown from the hosts, it's been a fairly even half. Farnborough have had the better chances and deserve the lead - but Town improved as the half went on.

3:46pm

There will be one minute of added time at the end of the half.

3:45pm

That's a chance for the visitors. Delano Sam-Yorke does well down the right before picking out Simon Dunn at the far post. He's unmarked but shoots on the volley first time, the ball going behind Tim Sills and easily collected by Craig Bradshaw.

3:44pm

Town only half-clear the ball and a shot is deflected narrowly wide.

3:43pm

Shaun McAuley does well to win a free-kick near the corner flag and Simon Dunn's ball in causes problems, with Craig Bradshaw doing well to claim.

3:37pm

YELLOW CARD - Farnborough - Craig Bradshaw

We may only be 35 minutes in, but Farnborough goalkeeper Bradshaw has just been booked for time wasting, having already been warned by the referee.

3:36pm

That's a great ball in by Wes Daly from a free-kick, but Tim Sills can only head over. The referee decided it should be a corner for some reason, with Simon Dunn heading narrowly wide from it.

3:34pm

YELLOW CARD - Basingstoke Town - Ben Jefford

Jefford slides in strongly on Bennett and is duly booked. Needless.

3:32pm

Farnborough are playing some excellent football in and around the Town area. More good interplay leads to a shooting chance for Dan Bennett, but his effort is straight at Ashley Bayes.

3:30pm

Dave Tarpey's direct run ends with a shot from distance - but it's straight at Ashley Bayes.

3:26pm

Town are improving and they have a couple of efforts in the Farnborough box. Delano Sam-Yorke's acrobatic effort is blocked, while Tim Sills fires wide from the right sides of the area.

3:25pm

Farnborough threaten again down the right, with the cross being hit over the bar.

More bad news for Town is that the rain has stopped.

3:24pm

Reece Connolly has a shot from the edge of the Town area but it's well wide.

Elsewhere, Southampton are 1-0 down at Fulham, while it's goal-less between Reading and Swansea.

3:23pm

Shuan McAuley finds himself in space in midfield and he fires in a low shot that fizzes narrowly wide.

The good news for Town is that the rain is getting heavier and the pitch worse. An abandonment would certainly suit them right now.

3:18pm

That could have been a third goal for the hosts. Town's defence looked ragged as Farnborough played it around inside the area, eventually playing in Elvis Hammond. He looked set to score - and only a good save from Ashley Bayes prevented him doing so.

3:16pm

That's Town's first opportunity of the match, Ross Adams putting a free-header wide from a corner. He was quite a way out and it would have taken an excellent effort to beat Craig Bradshaw.

3:15pm

GOAL - Farnborough 2 Basingstoke Town 0 - Dave Tarpey (11 min)

Oh dear. Having gone close minutes earlier, when he fired the ball over following a weak punch from Ashley Bayes, Tarpey makes his old club pay.

The ball was played into the striker's feet and his turn left Ross Adams for dead. He then held off Jay Gasson before firing past Bayes from six yards to double the lead. 

Town already require a Christmas miracle.

3:09pm

GOAL - Farnborough 1 Basingstoke Town 0 - Alan Inns (8 min)

Town needlessly concede a free-kick in the left-back area and David Tarpey puts in a high centre. Ashley Bayes possibly could have claimed it but instead Alan Inns was on hand to force the ball over the line from close range.

There were a few seconds indecsion from the officials but they eventually ruled the ball was in.

3:06pm

Farnborough almost get through but Nathan Smar covers well to clear the danger. It's been a scrappy opening in difficult conditions, with the rain seeming to have got harder.

3:01pm

KICK-OFF

Town get the game under way.

2:58pm

The teams emerge from the changing rooms. The rain has eased but it's still a soggy afternoon and the floodlights are on already.

2:47pm

Good news. The rain seems to have eased off - but the warm-ups have taken a toll on certain areas. Going to be a difficult afternoon out there. Expect plenty of slipping.

2:43pm

TEAM NEWS

As expected, Town make three changes to the starting 11, with Ross Adams, Delano Sam-Yorke and Tim Sills coming in, so they stick with 4-4-2. Robert Rice is injured, while Jordace Holder-Spooner does not even make the bench.

Farnborough feature two former Basingstoke men in striker Dave Tarpey and midfielder Steve Laidler.

Farnborough: Bradshaw, Huggins, Treacher, Bosch, Inns, Jones, Bennett, Laidler, Connolly, Tarpey, Hammond. Subs: Ciardini, Moody, Abalimba, Salami, Norris.

Town: Bayes, Smart, Jefford, Adams, Gasson, Lake, Daly, McAuley, Sills, Sam-Yorke, Dunn. Subs: Warner, Williams, Paterson, Brown, Campbell.

2:33pm

Have your say on today's game by using the comment box at the bottom of the page or #BTFC on Twitter.

2:23pm

From the sounds of it, there will be three changes to the Town side that lost at Hornchurch last time out. Ross Adams returns in the centre of defence, replacing Chris Paterson, while it's all change up front, with Tim Sills and Delano Sam-Yorke back in attack. New signing Manny Williams has to settle for a place on the bench.

I'll give you the full teams as soon as I have them.

2:21pm

Good afternoon, belated Christmas wishes and welcome to live updates from this afternoon's game.

First, a weather update. The pitch already looks greasy and it's raining quite hard. I'd suggest that had the rain started a couple of hours ago, we would not be playing this afternoon. Could be touch and go whether we finish if it gets much worse.