MATCH REPORT: Tavistock 3-2 Wimborne Town

Tavistock 3

Wimborne Town 2

Tue 23rd April 2024

Goals: Lovell, Baker

Att: 201

For the second time in four days, Wimborne were unable to grab the win which would give them the league title. Despite Jack Lovell opening the scoring, and Harry Baker getting a late equaliser, Tavistock took the points by scoring three times from their four goal attempts with the winner in time added-on a wonder strike from 25 yards.

Manager Tim Sills made three changes to his starting XI – Lewis Beale, Josh Carmichael and Jack Lovell coming in. The bench was packed with attacking intent.

The area of the pitch which had caused the original game to be postponed on Easter Saturday had been replaced with grass – credit to the Tavi groundstaff who’d made those repairs. On a sunlit but chilly evening, on a hard, bobbly surface, and in front of a hundred travelling supporters, Wimborne made a promising start. Josh Carmichael pinched the ball in midfield and picked out Lewis Beale wide on the right who shot just wide. Beale then found Bedford who jinked his way into the box on the right only to go down in a sea of flailing legs – the referee waved aside penalty appeals. More chances were created: Sam Jackson’s header from Oakley Hanger’s cross lacked power; Sam Roberts headed Carmichael’s corner over the bar; and Beale’s goal-bound snapshot was well saved by keeper Dearing. The pressure was building, and on eighteen minutes it was turned into a goal. Jackson’s long cross from the left was headed inside by Beale for Jack Lovell to make space and finish well.

The visitors forced two more corners before the hosts surprised everyone by equalising with their first real attack just before the half-hour mark. A low cross from the right was only half-cleared to Elkington on the left of the box who rifled the ball past Ross Flitney. It was to be the first of three cracking strikes by the Lambs from their four goal attempts.

Wimborne looked to restore their lead. Lovell had a shot blocked for a corner; Carmichael’s delivery ended in a mass meleé with two more shots bravely blocked. But the game was now a proper contest, and flowed from end-to-end. Ben Scorey stopped a counter-attack; Billy Walker mopped up the next then stopped a third with two crunching tackles.

The second-half started in similar fashion: Carmichael’s drive from thirty yards is best described as a “sighter”; Tavi’s Prynn came in from the left forcing Flitney to make a low diving save; Jez Bedford jinked his way to the left by-line before his cross was scrambled away; Lovell challenged the keeper for a high ball for Harry Morgan’s instant shot to be deflected wide for a corner; Morgan was next crowded out as he tried to get a shot on target from Bedford’s pass; keeper Dearing punched Hanger’s cross away, then caught Jackson’s cross form the left.

On seventy-one minutes Cunningham put Tavi in front. Coming in from the left wing he fired low and hard into the bottom corner from the edge of the box beating Flitney’s dive. The intensity of the game went up another gear. Bedford’s volley from Neale’s corner was flicked on by Morgan to hit the post before Dearing grabbed the ball; Walker had to hit a dangerous low cross behind for a corner. Crosses from left and right were hit into Tavi’s penalty area, Stuttle steered one into the net but it was ruled out for off-side.

Then, on ninety minutes, came the equaliser. Stuttle raced clear on the right and played the ball across the danger area where Baker picked it up, rounded his defender, and fired into the net. Cue celebrations behind the goal. But the drama wasn’t over. Four minutes of time to be added-on. From a throw-in on the right, the ball sat up for Tavi skipper Harrison to volley into the far top corner from twenty-five yards – it was a wonder strike. And shortly after the final whistle went.

Credit to Tavi’s young team who gave everything to the cause in the second-half, and scored three cracking goals. Wimborne dominated the goal attempt stats 17 – 4, but it’s goals that win games. Of course it was a disappointing result. But all the hard work and super performances of the rest of the season means that winning promotion is still in Tim’s team’s hands. A last push at Melksham on Saturday – players, management and supporters together – can bring the title home. What a season end this could be!

For now, however, the wait for Wimborne’s first league title for twenty-four years continues!

Wimborne: Flitney, Hanger, Walker, Roberts, Jackson, Scorey (Neale 55), Carmichael (Baker 78), Beale (Stuttle 72), Morgan, Bedford, Lovell

Unused subs: Griffin, Munn

Attendance: 201

Match stats: