Matty Burrows’ first-half goal earned Wimborne a hard-fought three points under relegation threatened Frome’s floodlights. In a game which football purists would not have enjoyed, the Magpies’ brave defenders repelled non-stop aerial assaults from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins to keep their unbeaten run going.

Manager Tim Sills made three changes to his starting XI: Billy Walker in central defence following Harvey Wright’s elbowed eye injury on Saturday; Matt Neale in midfield for the travel-delayed Owen Roundell-Prince; and Jez Bedford for the injured Jack Lovell.

Let me give you some stats: this was Wimborne’s first-ever win at Frome in our Southern League days; Tim’s team are now nine games unbeaten (our best run ever in the S.L. Premier Division); they’ve only conceded four goals in those nine games; they’ve taken 21 points from the 27 available; the boys are unbeaten in five away games; Cam Plain has kept four clean sheets in his six games since re-joining us.

But what about the highlights of the actual game, I hear you ask? To be honest, there weren’t many.

Given Frome’s “pragmatic” tactics in the reverse fixture earlier this month, tactics which had seen The Robins lose just twice in their previous 14 games in 2025, Wimborne knew what was coming. The only surprise was that it arrived from the very first whistle with Frome’s bench screaming at their players to “get at ‘im!”. Frenetically the hosts lumped the ball forward for their tall attackers at every opportunity, then scrapped for every loose ball, hoping to win a set-piece or throw-in. And when they did, the ball was launched into the danger area for another aerial assault.

On seven minutes, from a corner on the left, Wood’s flicked header at the near post was brilliantly cleared off the line by the strong arm of Cameron Plain – and that turned out to be Frome’s best chance of the game. The visitors were relying on the speed of Matty Burows to get behind Frome’s backline, and in the next minute it was evident they couldn’t handle him. Jez Bedford played a ball through for the flying winger who outstripped defenders before crossing into the side-netting.

Then, after Billy Walker had used his strength to shepherd a through ball behind, Drew Eccott-Young had thrown himself into a brave block, Sam Roberts cleared with a towering header, Sam Jackson was in the right place to stop a cross, and Josh Carmichael would not be moved off the ball, Wimborne used Burrows’ pace to take the lead. Walker played a ball over the defence down the inside-left channel, the flying winger was onto it in a flash, raced forwards, and absolutely thumped the ball past Philips from 15 yards. Ten minutes before the interval, Wimborne’s defensive wall blocked a 25-yard free-kick, and then Plain twice punched two corners clear under massive physical pressure to ensure the lead remained intact.

If anything, Frome upped the dial on their frenetic pressing to maximum in the second-half. But apart from bruising Wimborne’s brave blockers, all the hosts had to show for it was a free-kick driven at the well-placed shot-stopper, and a shot which went high and wide. The Magpies repelled everything The Robins threw at them. Four minutes into the six referee Woolley added on, Frome had a final corner on the right. Home keeper Phillips ran upfield into Plain’s goal area – his intention was clear, not to try and win the ball but to prance about in front of our keeper and block his movement. When the lofted ball reached the melee at the far post there was an almighty scramble with bodies flying in all directions, before two more heroic blocks – by Fletcher and Bedford. Shortly after, the magnificent Magpies could celebrate, and haul their exhausted bodies to the end of the pitch where their jubilant supporters were congregated.

The game can be summed up in one sentence: Frome were desperate; Wimborne were defiant.

Yes, there was drama and excitement, but this was about as far away from the beautiful game as you could get. We don’t have the stats for how long the ball was actually in play. But I doubt it was more than 50% of the game as we had to wait for Frome’s tall defenders to trundle up the field for over 30 long throw-ins, corners and free-kicks. Presumably the idea was that if you launch the ball into the danger area enough times, by the law of averages there’ll be at least one opportunity from a ricochet or collision for the ball to be poked past the keeper. Well, it didn’t work tonight – Frome hadn’t bargained for Wimborne’s mighty defence! Wimborne remain eigjt, and second in the form table.

Wimborne: Plain, Eccott-Young, Roberts, Walker, Jackson, Carmichael, Neale (Morgan 73), Munn (Roundell-Prince 60), Bedford, Burrows (Baker 80), Fletcher

Unused subs: Biss, Richardson

Attendance: 513

Match stats: