Match Preview – Melksham Town vs Wimborne Town
A final game of the regular league season doesn’t get much more important and exciting than this. Here’s the deal: – win at Melksham, and we bag the title and the one automatic promotion place. Fifteen miles away, title rivals Frome’s final game is against Bristol Manor Farm. If they win and we don’t, then the play-offs beckon, albeit with home advantage. If Frome draw or lose then we are the champions irrespective of our result at Melksham.
Tuesday evening’s defeat at Tavistock, who’d previously beaten both Frome (6-2) and Cribbs (5-4) at Langsford Park, brought an end to Wimborne’s 14 games unbeaten and 6 consecutive away victories runs. The Magpies’ goals were netted by our two top scorers Harry Baker (16 in league & cup) and Jack Lovell (12 – all in the league), the assists were by our 2 other strikers, Lewis Beale and Jonny Stuttle. However, that defeat still leaves us at the top of the tree with a W23 D7 L5 GF 73 GA 41 record, on our travels it’s W9 D3 L5. The last time the Magpies failed to score in a league game was 24 matches ago at Bemerton on 4th November. At the other end of the pitch we’ve kept just 3 clean sheets in our 18 league games in 2024.
Mark Collier’s Melksham team started the season well, and were in the play-off places until early October. But now they sit disappointingly in 16th spot with a W10 D10 L15 GF 51 GA 62 record, at their Oakfield Stadium home it’s W6 D5 L6. As always, it’s interesting to dig a little deeper, and we’ll see that their league position belies what a good team they are. Their best results have been a 2-2 draw at Frome on Boxing Day, and a double over one of the best footballing teams in the division – Mousehole: 3-2 at home, and 4-3 in Cornwall earlier this month. The latter win was one of three on the bounce for Melksham this month, the others were home victories over Bemerton (4-0), and their last home game Bideford (2-1). They’ve scored 14 goals and conceded 14 in their 6 games this month (W3 D0 L3) – Henry Sady (2), Sam Hendy (3), and Elliot Haffenden (4) are in goal-scoring form. You may recall, in the reverse fixture at New Cuthbury at the end of February, that it was Hendy who gave the visitors an early lead before Cam Munn and Harry Morgan scored in our 2-1 win.
2022-23 was the first season when these two Towns had been together in the same division. In early October at Oakfield Stadium, the Wiltshire side ran out 3-1 winners with Jez Bedford scoring a late consolation for the visitors. This game was notable as the last one The Magpies played under the management of James Stokoe and Mark Gamble. A month later, both teams had new managers: Tim Sills at Wimborne, Mark Collier at Melksham. The return league game in February ended in a 1-1 draw. That game was notable too – it had 45 goal attempts, 24 by Wimborne, 21 by Melksham!
The two clubs had met twice before in the FA Cup, with Wimborne being successful on both occasions. In 1987 we won 3-1 away, and in October 2020 at (old) Cuthbury the tie was decided on penalties. Young AFCB loanee Billy Terrell pulling off a couple of remarkable saves as we won the shoot-out 5-4.
Earlier this season, Melksham showed all that is good about non-league football clubs when they hosted neighbours Westbury United while their enforced changing room enlargement building works were being carried out in August and September. Although that goodwill didn’t continue on the pitch when Collier’s men beat the White Horse Men 4-1 in their first game at their temporary home. Melksham is a proper non-league club – good facilities, friendly people.
There were a number of walking wounded hobbling off the pitch after Wimborne’s Tuesday encounter in Devon, so Manager Tim Sills will want a full dossier of fitness reports before naming his team. One man he’ll definitely want out there is Sam Jackson who has started every league game since joining us. Tuesday was Jez Bedford’s 100th appearance, and Ben Scorey’s 50th – I know a great way for how the two of them can celebrate those milestones!
Tim and his players have repeatedly told us how important we supporters are as a twelfth man for the team, and, boy, do they need us on Saturday. The lads will give their all for the cause, it’s up to us supporters to get behind them and cheer them on. A first league title for 24 years? Bring it home, boys!
It’s going to be a cracker, and maybe a history maker for the Club. You won’t want to miss this one.
Excited? Me too. Nervous? Me too. Going to be there? Me too. After all, it’s what Saturday afternoons were made for!
Melksham’s Oakfield Stadium: Eastern Way, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 7GU 53 miles
Average attendance: 402; although it was 272 for their last home game on a Saturday.
Admission: adults £10, seniors £8, U15s £2.
Weather forecast: cloudy; 10oC; 30% chance of rain.
