If you like watching your football with a smile, then the Wyatt Homes Stadium admiring Tim Sills’ new team is the place to be! Experienced campaigners, enthusiastic young guns, and even younger keepers from the Club’s successful Academy combined to send supporters home happy to have seen The Magpies score four against the Isthmian League South Central (Step 4) side.

Goals from Will Fletcher and Lewis Williams gave Wimborne a half-time lead, Simba Mlambo pulled one back for The Rocks before Joe Smith bagged another brace.

With Cam Plain in Spain, hopefully avoiding the rain, Academy student Tom Thorne again started between the posts, and he had to be quick off his line in the first minute to clear a through ball. On seven minutes Josh Carmichael’s thunderous 20-yard volley cannoned off the foot of the post before the midfield maestro’s shot from the rebound was almost deflected past keeper Chisholm. Josh McQuoid was showing his class by timing tackles, pinging passes, and shooting sharply. The two Joshes combined with Cam Munn in a one-touch triangle to send Joe Ryan galloping down the left-wing. Ryan’s twinkling runs were giving his full-back a torrid time.

The first goal came on the half-hour mark when Munn cut inside from the right forcing the keeper into a diving save, only for Will Fletcher to be in the right place to net the rebound. Lewis Williams had been relatively quiet by his standards, but on 38 minutes he picked up a loose ball, beat his man, and hammered the ball into the net from inside the “D”. The half was cut short by a couple of minutes when Bognor’s keeper Chisholm injured his back and was unable to continue. He’d been playing well, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

As in most pre-season games, there were multiple changes at half-time, including Smith in goal for The Rocks. And it was the visitors who stunned the crowd on 47 minutes when Mlambo’s left-wing cross deceived everyone and drifted into the far top corner. On the hour mark the lively Joe Smith was upended in the box; however, Fletcher’s penalty was saved by the substitute keeper’s legs. More player changes meant The Magpies’ right-side of the back-line was Bill and Ben (Walker & Scorey).

The enthusiasm, energy, and excitement of Sills’ young guns was delighting the crowd. Williams’ speed down the left-wing meant no ball was a lost cause, while on the other side Max Bustamante harried and hustled until he won the ball back. And it was he who created the third goal on 75 minutes by pinching the ball and sending a low cross into the danger area which Joe Smith converted from close range. Four minutes later it was four; this time Williams played the pass of the game for Smith to run onto, hold off defenders, and bag his second. Joe Smith scores goals – period! And we nearly had a spectacular fifth when Munn’s free-kick was met with an audacious acrobatic overhead by Williams which whistled inches over the bar.

Of course, it wasn’t a perfect performance – don’t mention the “p” word, and the lads at the back nearly caused themselves problems on a couple of occasions. But with all the youthful exuberance of the young guns, Tim’s team will score more goals than they concede.

Buy your season ticket now – it’s going to be football with a smile!

Team: Thorne, Eccott-Young, Roberts, Scorey, Jackson, McQuoid, Carmichael, Munn, Williams, Ryan, Fletcher.

Used subs: Barton (gk), Borges, Bustamante, Roundell-Prince, Seuny, Smith, Walker

Att: 346