Both Wimborne and Marlow won promotion to the Southern Premier South last season: Tim Sills’ Wimborne as champions of Division One South; Mark Bartley’s Marlow through the play-offs after finishing as runners-up to Chertsey in Isthmian South Central.

Both teams are finding this division a much tougher proposition. Wimborne sit 18th with a W7 D4 L10 GF 24 GA 35 record although, after a blank two weeks, they do have games in hand on teams around them, while Marlow are at the foot of the table with a W3 D4 L17 GF 25 GA 62 record. It’s that goals against figure, the worst in the division, which has been a problem for The Blues. Four times they’ve conceded five, and have kept just one clean sheet – in their only away victory at Gosport. Their away record is W1 D1 L10 – the draw was 2-2 at Basingstoke on Boxing Day. That win at Gosport was the first of three in six matches for Bartley’s boys – the other two were home wins over Wimborne (3-2) and Frome (2-1 on 30th November). But since that upturn in results, Marlow’s most recent six games have netted them just that one point at Basingstoke. They’ve started 2025 with defeats by Hanwell (2-0) and, on Saturday, 3-1 at Winchester. So, not surprisingly, The Blues also sit bottom of the current form table (last six games) with a W0 D1 L5 record. That’s one place behind Poole. Wimborne are 16th with a W1 D2 L3 record.

The Magpies haven’t played for two weeks since skipper Sam Jackson’s 95th minute header sparked scenes of wild excitement to claim a draw against high-flying Gloucester just two days after that excellent 1-0 win at Sholing. Tim’s team have been strengthened by the arrival of experienced defender / midfielder Owen Roundell from Sholing. It’s likely that both Roundell and recovering from injury Matty Burrows will feature in the manager’s squad selection.

As it’s the FA Cup third round weekend, when the teams in the top two tiers enter the competition, and the draw throws up ties like National League Tamworth at home to Tottenham Hotspur, I thought I’d take you back 32 years when Marlow reached that round. The Blues knocked out Salisbury and Rugby after replays in rounds one and two. And guess who they were next drawn against? Spurs – at home. The tie was switched to White Hart Lane where Spurs won 5-1.

No heroics for Bartley’s side in this campaign’s FA competitions however – they fell at the first hurdle to Dartford in the FA Cup, and to Biggleswade in the FA Trophy.

Wimborne and Marlow have met four times before: in 2013-14 in the FA Trophy, The Blues knocked Steve Cuss’s Magpies out at Cuthbury 5-3 (Mark Gamble, Sam Griffin & Matt Kemble scored); there were more goals two seasons later in Southern League Div One with Marlow again winning at Cuthbury this time 3-2 (goals by Jon Blake and Sam Griffin); then in the reverse fixture in March, now with Simon Browne at the helm, the teams fought out a thrilling 3-3 draw (Mark Ford (2) and Sam Bayston scored); and this season, in November, Marlow won this reverse fixture 3-2 with Matty Burrows and Jack Lovell twice equalising before fleet-footed Naheer Nawaf bagged his second and the winner. Another player to keep an eye on is right-back Elijah Oladunjoye who has a long throw in his armoury as well as a cultured right foot.

This is a crucial fixture for both teams. Marlow have 18 games left to claw back the seven points to safety; Wimborne need the points to move back up the table. Wimborne have never beaten Marlow, so that’s another record for Tim’s team to break. This has all the makings of being a cracking way to start 2025. You won’t want to miss this one. So wrap up warm, and come on down to The Wyatt Homes Stadium. After all, it’s what Saturday afternoons were made for.

Match Info:

• There’s reasonable parking at the ground in Ainsley Road BH21 2FU, but if you do decide to travel by car and park on the nearby streets, please do so respectfully to our neighbours.
• The Morebus no.13 runs along Leigh Road from and to The Square in the town centre with stops at the bottom of Parmiter Road, a 5-minute stroll from the ground.
• There is a bike park to the left of the players’ entrance.
• Admission: adults £14, concessions £8, U18s £5, U13s £2.
• Average att: 657
• A printed programme will be on sale.
• Weather forecast: light cloud; 5oC; 20% chance of rain.