Match Preview: Hampton & Richmond (H) - 31st January 2026

Photo courtesy of Fin Hall

By Josh Cole

The Stags are at home for the second consecutive Saturday as we welcome Hampton & Richmond to The Snows Stadium!

Last time out we beat Dover Athletic 3-0 at home in a classy display! CLICK HERE to read the match report.

HAMPTON & RICHMOND – THEIR SEASON SO FAR:

The visitors come into this game sat in 20th place, outside of the relegation spots by one goal. CLICK HERE to view the league table.

Hampton & Richmond had a really good start to the season, in August winning four out of their six games, drawing one and losing away to Maidstone, which had them sat in 2^nd.

Into September and they started with two league draws against Torquay and Chippenham as well as Dover, which was sandwiched in between two FA Cup wins against AFC Croydon (4-2) and Merthyr Town (0-1).

October is where the good start became undone, as they lost every game in the month. Their four league losses came against Slough (2-3), Weston-super-Mare (0-1), Hemel Hempstead (1-2), and Hornchurch (2-1). In the FA Cup fourth qualifying round Hampton & Richmond lost 0-2 against Eastleigh. Their final loss in October came in the Middlesex Senior Challenge Cup as they were knocked out by Rayners Lane.

Their bad form continued into November where they remained winless in the whole month. More league losses started the month against Worthing (3-0), and Chelmsford (1-0), before an away draw at Horsham (0-0). In the FA Trophy 2^nd round, their run was over at the first hurdle as they lost 2-0 to Leatherhead.

To round off November, Hampton & Richmond lost all three in the league against Bath (1-2), Tonbridge Angels (0-3) & a heavy defeat last time out against Eastbourne Borough (6-0).

The Beavers kicked off December with a 2-0 home win against The Stags but unfortunately couldn’t carry that form on as they lost 1-3 against Maidenhead and drew 0-0 with Maidstone. However, they did manage to round off December with a 0-2 win away at Farnborough.

The start of 2026 saw Hampton & Richmond lose 4-1 at Torquay and then go four more games without a win (three losses and a draw) before pulling off a big upset by beating top of the league Worthing 1-0 on home soil last time out.

LAST FIVE: HAMPTON & RICHMOND

Vs Worthing | Home | ENLS | Won 1-0

Goalscorer: Reece Grego-Cox 80’ (PEN)

Vs Salisbury | Away | ENLS | Drew 1-1

Goalscorer: Reece Grego-Cox 87’

Vs Chesham United | Home | ENLS | Lost 0-1

Vs Dorking Wanderers | Home | ENLS | Lost 0-2

Vs Torquay United | Away | ENLS | Lost 4-1

Goalscorer: Aaron Lacey 21’

LAST FIVE: AFC TOTTON

Vs Dover Athletic | Home | ENLS | Won 3-0

Goalscorers: Scott Rendell 27’, Luke Hallett 34’ & Tony Lee 49’

Vs Tonbridge Angels | Away | ENLS | Lost 4-1

Goalscorers: Ash Clarke 30’

Vs Enfield Town | Home | ENLS | Won 3-2

Goalscorers: Tony Lee 24’ 90+2’ & Ralph Vigrass 45+4’

Vs Chippenham Town | Home | ENLS | Drew 1-1

Goalscorer: Tony Lee 68’

Vs Salisbury | Away | ENLS | Lost 3-1

Goalscorer: Craig Tanner 47’

COMPARING THE STATS (all comps)

OPPOSITION PLAYERS TO WATCH:

DEFENCE: DAVID LONGE-KING

He began his playing career in Non-League football in 2014 with Step 5 Colney Heath before moving to St Albans City. He earned a call up to the England C team when playing for Biggleswade Town in 2018 and earned a moved to Newport County at the end of the 19-20 season.

He made his professional debut aged 25 on the 5th of December, coming off the bench in a 2-1 victory over Morecambe in League Two. After the expiry of his contract, he had stints at multiple National League clubs from 2021 to 2024 before returning to St Albans City in the National League South last season where he made 43 league appearances, scoring three goals.

Before joining the Beavers, Longe-King started the season at Chelmsford City, where he made 19 league appearances, scoring one goal, prodding one home from close range against Chesham United in August.

MIDFIELD: HARRY GARDNER

Harry Gardner joined the Beavers in March 2025, racking up four goals in seven appearances. The highlight coming in the form of a hat-trick in the 5-0 defeat of Welling.

Hampshire native Gardner was a scholar at Exeter City, joining the academy as an under-12 when he was a pupil at Millfield School. He had brief spells at Taunton Town and Dorchester Town before accepting a sports scholarship in the USA. He played NCAA Division II football at Walsh University in Canton, Ohio before transferring to Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida.

Upon moving back to England he rejoined Taunton Town in January 2025 in the Southern League Premier Division South before making the step up to the National League South at the Beaveree.

ATTACK: REECE GREGO-COX

Reece Grego-Cox joins the Beavers after a loan spell at Dagenham and Redbridge last season.

The striker comes in with plenty of experience at multiple levels of English football and has appeared over 80 times in the National League, scoring 23 goals.

So far this season, Grego-Cox has five goals this season, two in his last five and a very good finish against us back at the start of December.

MATCH OFFICIALS:

Referee - Said Ouchene

Assistant Referee 1 - Lewis Ward

Assistant Referee 2 - Thomas Green

Fourth Official - Jacob Wright

GO STAGS