Match Preview – Wimborne Town vs Melksham Town
Last season was the first time these two Towns had been together in the same division. In early October at Oakfield Stadium, the Wiltshire side ran out 3-1 winners with Jez Bedford scoring a late consolation for the visitors. This game was notable as the last one The Magpies played under the management of James Stokoe and Mark Gamble. A month later, both teams had new managers: Tim Sills at Wimborne, Mark Collier at Melksham. The return league game in February ended in a 1-1 draw: Albie Hopkins giving Melksham an early lead, Lewis Beale replying at the start of the second-half in front of a crowd of 516 at New Cuthbury. That game was notable too – it had forty-five goal attempts, twenty-four by Wimborne, twenty-one by Melksham!
The two clubs had met twice before in the FA Cup, with Wimborne being successful on both occasions. In 1987 we won 3-1 away, and in October 2020 at (old) Cuthbury the tie was decided on penalties after finishing goalless. Young AFCB loanee Billy Terrell pulling off a couple of remarkable saves as we won the shoot-out 5-4.
Earlier this season, Melksham showed all that is good about non-league football clubs when they hosted neighbours Westbury United while their enforced changing room enlargement building works were being carried out in August and September. Although that goodwill didn’t continue on the pitch when they beat the White Horse Men 4-1 in their first game at their temporary home.
After finishing twelfth last season, twelve points below a play-off spot, Melksham sit a disappointing fourteenth this time around with a symmetrical W4 D5 L4 GF 18 GA 18 record. On their travels they won their first two games, lost the next two, then drew the most recent two. The victories were both in August: 1-0 at Paulton, and that 4-1 against Westbury, albeit on their own pitch. The losses were 1-3 at Bideford, three weeks before we lost there by the same score, and 0-1 at Larkhall, a 90+4th minute penalty. And the draws were both last month: goalless at Willand, and 2-2 at Bemerton. Their two home wins were 2-0 over Exmouth, and 3-2 over Mousehole.
Collier’s colleagues have drawn their last three games, last Saturday at Oakfield Evesham equalised in the 90th minute after Hopkins had given them a second-half lead. As well as Hopkins, Ben Brooks and Robbie James are in goal-scoring form.
In the FA Cup, Melksham won 4-2 at Cowes Sports before going down 1-5 to AFC Stoneham, both Wessex Premier teams. In the Trophy, they were knocked out 0-3 by Hamworthy at Weymouth before the unfortunate demise of our neighbours.
Despite Saturday’s game at Paulton being frozen off, Wimborne remain at the top of the table with a W9 D3 L3 GF 31 GA 18 record. At New Cuthbury it’s an impressive W7 D1 L0 record. The Magpies’ last two games have both been home wins: Jack Lovell and Sam Jackson scoring in the 2-1 mid-week win over Larkhall, after a Lovell hat-trick and a Lewis Beale goal had beaten Willand 4-2. With no game last Saturday, Tim’s team will have had more time to recover and train. Josh Carmichael could be nearing a return, which would leave Jack Hoey as the only long-term injury doubt. With all the squad wanting to be involved in the action, and all the squad viewed as “starters”, Tim will carefully consider who is his best team for this tough encounter.
We’ve heard from management and players how important our vociferous support is, and how much they appreciate the atmosphere we create. So come on down for live footie at New Cuthbury – after all, it’s what Saturday afternoons were made for!
Melksham are a well-supported team, with attendances at Oakfield Stadium averaging 356. With Wimborne’s average being 570, it’s quite likely that there’ll be a large crowd on Saturday – please be respectful of our neighbours if you have to park on the nearby streets.
Admission: Adults £12; concessions £8; U18 £5; U13 £2.
A printed programme will be on sale.
Weather forecast: sunny intervals; 12oC; 10% chance of rain.
Please note – the Wimborne “Save the Children” Christmas Parade takes place on Saturday afternoon, leaving Allenview car park circa 14:15 heading towards The Square. If you’re travelling from or through the town centre, you may need to allow a little more time than usual to get to New Cuthbury for the game.
