MATCH REPORT: Wimborne Town 3-2 Westbury United

Wimborne Town 3

Westbury Utd 2

Sat 23rd March 2024

Goals: Cocklin, Neale, Stuttle

Att: 908

We got there in the end! Five goals, four weather seasons in ninety minutes, three points, and a crowd of over 900. With first-half goals by Connor Cocklin and Matt Neale, Wimborne appeared to be cruising to another win at New Cuthbury before Jones pulled one back for Westbury. On his debut Jonny Stuttle restored the two-goal cushion before Jones bagged his and the visitors’ second to make it a tense final ten minutes.

Manager Tim Sills made four changes, bringing in Connor Cocklin, Josh Carmichael, Harry Baker and Jonny Stuttle. The strong bench looked very attack-minded.

With the wind gusting and the dark clouds threatening heavy showers, Wimborne got off to a perfect start. On two minutes Oakley Hanger’s free-kick from the right was played back into the danger area by Sam Jackson for Cocklin to deflect the ball into the net off his shoulder.

The Magpies were into their stride, and further goals seemed imminent: Stuttle’s ball over the last defender gave Griffin the opportunity to shoot; Baker’s turn made room for a shot which keeper Hill saved; quick passing saw Stuttle through in the inside-left channel, he rounded the keeper but shot inches over the bar; Cocklin headed Matt Neale’s corner over the bar; Billy Walker intercepted and found Harry Morgan who shot wide; Baker crossed from the left by-line for Stuttle to shoot wide; and a flurry of four corners were scrambled away. A second goal which Wimborne’s attacking play deserved, did come two minutes before the interval. Baker bravely challenged for the ball which ran loose to Neale on the right of the penalty area and he rifled it into the net.

Wimborne came close to scoring a third a minute after the break. A typical Neale charge ended with him finding Baker on the left, the striker cut back inside, his shot was parried by the keeper for Stuttle to fire the loose ball wide. In their next attack, Baker’s clever back-heel gave Hanger the chance of a glory shot which worried the pigeons rather than keeper Hill. By now Westbury were coming more into the game, and with the gusting wind behind them decided to shoot on sight from any distance: Jones and Loxton sending snap shots over Ross Flitney’s bar. After Cocklin had snuffed out a quick counter-attack, Westbury pulled a goal back just after the hour mark. A low cross from the right resulted in the ball going loose for Jones to fire into the net.

Seven minutes later the two-goal cushion was restored. Hanger’s perfect pass sent Neale charging to the right by-line to cross low into the goal area for Stuttle to crash the ball into the net. A goal on your debut? – it doesn’t get much better than that! It was a goal the youngster’s performance deserved. For a few minutes the goal took the wind out of Westbury’s sails, and the Magpies patiently played the ball around, probing for opportunities.

But the White Horse men weren’t finished, and with the experienced Tooze, recently signed from Paulton, becoming more influential, they scored again on eighty-four minutes. It was Tooze who created it, his cross from the right falling for Jones who hit a stunning swerving volley into the top corner from the edge of the area. That man Tooze hit an audacious lob just over the bar after Flitney had to race out to head a through ball clear; and then he forced Flitney into a good low save after cutting in from the right. After four additional minutes, referee Whiting’s final blast on his whistle was met with cheers of relief from the large crowd.

The stats are impressive: a first Southern League victory over Westbury; a fifth successive win; a tenth game unbeaten; nine different goal-scorers in our last four league games. However, this wasn’t an easy watch and the boys had to battle to earn the three points. As manager Tim said in his post-match interview: “We got there in the end!”

Match stats:

Wimborne: Flitney, Hanger, Walker, Cocklin, Jackson (capt), Carmichael (Scorey 66), Griffin, Neale, Morgan, Baker (Lovell 79), Stuttle (Munn 72)

Unused subs: Beale, Hoey

Attendance: 908