Both teams face consecutive cup ties: last Saturday Ham Rec won their FA Vase Second Round Proper match at Hellenic League Premier Division table-toppers Roman St.Glass, Josh Toope scoring the only goal; next Saturday Wimborne host Chatham Town, currently third in the Isthmian League Premier Division, in the FA Trophy Second Round Proper. Although the Dorset Senior Cup won’t end at Wembley, and doesn’t carry the glamour of a national competition, it could be the best chance of silverware for our two teams.
The Magpies and The Rec are both on a five-game unbeaten run. Wimborne: Yate (4-1), Dorchester (2-0), Portchester (1-0), Chertsey (4-1), and, on Saturday a goal-less draw at Hungerford; Ham Rec: Penzance (3-2), New Milton (3-0), AFC Stoneham (1-1), Millbrook (3-1), and that excellent win in the Vase on Saturday.
The Rec were promoted from the Dorset Premier League to the Wessex League Div One at the end of the 2021-22 season. They reached the play-offs in their first season, and were Champions in their second. Last season, their first at Step 5, they finished a creditable seventh. This season they’re sitting third with a W8 D2 L3 GF 24 GA 11 record. Wimborne, in their second season back in the Southern Premier South at Step 3, are currently sixth with a W7 D4 L3 GF 26 GA 13 record.
We don’t know how the respective managers view the importance of this DSC tie, so it’s difficult to second guess their starting line-ups. For Wimborne, Tim Sills, in Saturday’s post-match interview with Kyran, hinted that there’ll be some rotation, some players given needed minutes, and some youngsters from the Club given a chance to shine. Ham Rec were down to the bare bones on Saturday, so manager Wayne Smith, and his management team which includes Chris Senior, may rest key players, or will he go for gold, or rather silverware? His squad includes goalkeeper Shane Murphy, midfielder Aaron Roberts, and strikers Tom Blair, Ash Pope, and Chris Long who has scored a remarkable 200 goals in 208 games for The Rec. But what we do know is that whichever players are chosen by both managers, they will give their best, and try to catch the eye of the boss.
Last season Weymouth defeated Ham Rec 2-1 in the Final of the DSC. You may recall that The Terras also defeated The Magpies in the Quarter-Final (3-0) which was notable for being the 618th and final game of Arnie’s Wimborne career. The previous season Ham Rec defeated Shaftesbury 3-1 to take the Cup. That’s two finals in two seasons for The Rec – they clearly have a taste for this competition. The last time Wimborne won the Cup was in 2017-18.
If scores are level at the end of 90+ minutes, there will be a penalty shoot-out to decide which team will travel to face the winners of the Weymouth vs Bridport tie in the Quarter-Final on 9th December.
Match Info:
Ground: Hamworthy Club, Magna Road, BH21 3AL
Admission: Adults £8; concessions £5
Weather Forecast: Cloudy, 14oC, 70% chance of rain.
