MATCH REPORT: Wimborne Town 1-0 Bishops Cleeve

Wimborne Town 1

Bishops Cleeve 0

Tue 23rd December 2023

Goals: Griffin

Att: 693

A second minute goal by Sam Griffin and a clean sheet secured the points for Wimborne and a return to the top of the table in time for Christmas.

Manager Tim Sills made one change from the team who had taken a point at Frome last Saturday, Jez Bedford making his first start for five games.

In the reverse fixture in August, it took Wimborne eight minutes to take the lead, this time it happened after two. Jez Bedford’s cross from the right fell to Sam Griffin on the left corner of the goal area, he controlled the ball, made space, and fired into the far corner though a mass of Mitres. With Bedford and marauding full-back Oakley Hanger linking well down the right, and Jack Lovell holding the ball well and bringing in midfield runners, it was a bright start for the Magpies. However, on eleven minutes, Cleeve’s tactic of a ball over the top for the dynamic duo of Dunbar and Malshanskyj ended with the ball in the net but the eagle-eyed linesman ruled it out for offside.

After Sam Jackson headed Hanger’s free-kick over the bar, sweeper-keeper Ross Flitney twice raced out to clear his lines. The keeper then demonstrated secure handling with a fine diving catch from a left-wing cross. Although Cleeve’s Holland found the net at the housing estate end on thirty-five minutes only for his effort to be flagged offside, the best of the goalmouth action was at the other end. Lovell headed Matt Neale’s corner wide; Harry Morgan’s goal-bound shot was bravely blocked by a defender; Griffin’s header from Bedford’s cross was brilliantly tipped onto the bar and over by keeper Armstrong, the first of a number of excellent saves; and Sam Roberts headed another Neale corner wide. Much of Wimborne’s attacking intent was being created down the left by Sams Jackson and Griffin. And with Sam Roberts hitting inch-perfect diagonals, the home side were entertaining the large crowd with some samtastic football!

Wimborne made a fast start to the second-half too. On forty-six minutes Hanger’s free-kick from wide on the left was flicked on for Lovell to net from close-in, but that same linesman flagged for offside and “no goal” for a third time. In the following move, Lovell was played through down the inside-left channel only to be thwarted by Armstrong’s sprawling save. Next, Morgan’s shot was deflected into Lovell’s path where the keeper saved again, then Hanger’s shot came back to Bedford who fired over. Just after the hour mark, Bedford picked up a poor clearance by the keeper and speculatively tried his luck from the centre-circle but the ball drifted harmlessly wide.

On sixty-five minutes Hanger let fly from twenty-five yards from the right of the “D”. Your reporter was right behind the flight of his blockbuster, saw the ball fly past the keeper into the top right corner, and leapt up in celebration. By the time I’d taken my seat, keeper Armstrong was clearing the ball upfield. I’m told that the ball had hit the underside of the bar, and maybe the post then bounced into the stopper’s arms. We’ll have to watch the playback on TBTV Sport to see exactly what happened, but Hanger’s was a heck of a strike.

The hosts continued to exert pressure on the visitors’ goal, sometimes over-complicating the moves, sometimes lacking quality with the final ball, but frequently showing a reluctance to shoot. But we did have some efforts on goal: Griffin’s snap-shot went wide, Hanger lined up another pile-driver but that went past the far post; and near the end of the nine added-on minutes, Harry Baker guessed correctly where Flitney’s clearance would end up and drew a final brilliant save from Cleeve’s young keeper.

Tim’s team defended well from the front: the effervescent Bedford, and the willing Lovell chased and harried defenders; Ben Scorey was everywhere in midfield; Jackson hardly missed a header; and Billy Walker was his usual no-nonsense self in central defence – how does he know to be in the right place at the right time? Of course another goal or three would have been welcome, but we can’t complain at nineteen goal attempts. And have I mentioned the massive crowd? To have just short of seven hundred spectators on the last shopping Saturday before Christmas is remarkable. New Cuthbury is a happy place to be! Next up it’s Bashley on the 30th – you wont want to miss that one.

Match stats:

Wimborne: Flitney, Hanger, Roberts (capt), Walker, Jackson, Scorey (Satterley 67), Neale (Carmichael 77), Morgan, Griffin, Bedford, Lovell (Baker 61)

Unused subs: Beale, Munn

Attendance: 693