Match Preview – Frome Town vs Wimborne Town
League games don’t come much bigger than this as the two table toppers go toe-to-toe.
As well as being first and second in the league table, there are many other similarities between the two clubs. We have both been relegated from Southern League Premier South in recent seasons: – Frome at the end of 2018-19 season, Wimborne at the end of 2021-22. We both harbour ambitions of returning to the Southern Premier at the end of this season. We both have an unbeaten home league record this season: Frome W6 D1 L0, Wimborne W7 D1 L0. We both have a W4 D1 L1 record in the current form (last six games) table. We are the two best supported clubs in the division: Frome averaging 406, Wimborne 570. And we were both knocked out of FA competitions at home this season by National League South Torquay United: Frome in the FA Trophy last Saturday 1-4 in front of 1305, Wimborne in the FA Cup in September 0-3 in front of 1852.
Frome finished eighth in this division last season, three places and six points behind Wimborne and a coveted play-off spot. But they seem to be making up for that disappointment this time around. After Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Westbury at Badgers Hill, they currently lie second with a W9 D2 L2 GF 30 GA 15 record, just one point behind Wimborne but with two games in hand. And the reason they have played fewer league games is because of their exciting runs in both FA competitions. In the FA Cup they knocked out Falmouth (6-2), Clevedon (3-1), Southern Premier Plymouth Parkway (2-1) after a 2-2 away draw before succumbing 1-2 to Isthmian League Ramsgate in Kent. In the FA Trophy they reached the Third Round Proper by defeating Cirencester (3-1), Bemerton (3-0), Bishops Cleeve (5-1), Cribbs (1-0), and National South Worthing 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw before losing to Torquay.
After a shaky start to their league campaign: an opening day goal-less home draw with Cribbs followed by a 1-3 defeat at Bemerton, Danny Greaves’ side have only dropped four points: a 2-3 defeat at Bashley in October, and a 2-2 draw at Bishops Cleeve last month. Apart from that opening day match, The Robins have scored in every game, and boast the second meanest defence in the division with five league clean sheets. At their Badgers Hill home, Frome were unbeaten in sixteen until Torquay came calling on Saturday. Their squad includes an impressive array of attacking talent: with Jonathan Davies, Marcus Day, and Roy Simpson all having scored two in their last three league games.
As they sit top of the table with a W9 D3 L3 GF 31 GA 18 record, Wimborne will feel they are “Up where we belong” too. Although their home record is exemplary, their away record leaves room for improvement. Defeats by Westbury (2-3), Bideford (1-3), and Cribbs (1-2) have overshadowed victories at Bishops Cleeve (5-2) and Bashley (2-1), and goalless draws at Evesham and Bemerton. Frozen and waterlogged pitches mean Tim’s team haven’t played for eighteen days so minor niggles and knocks should have cleared up giving him a near full squad to choose from. Before that unwelcome weather interlude, Wimborne had won twice in four days: beating Willand (4-2) and Larkhall (2-1) with Jack Lovell finding the net four times.
So much for this season’s form, but can we learn anything from how Wimborne have fared against Frome in the past? If you’re a Magpies’ supporter, you might want to skip this paragraph. In our Southern League days, Frome twice visited (old) Cuthbury. In 2010-11 in Div One, our first season at Step 4, Frome beat us 3-0 on their way to promotion. In 2018-19, in Southern Prem at Step 3, we won 3-2 when the visitors were on their way to relegation. Last season was the first visit of The Robins to New Cuthbury when they won 4-1 on a re-arranged Tuesday evening in March. In each of those three seasons The Robins won the reverse fixture at Badgers Hill, last season winning 3-0. And they also knocked us out of the FA Cup 2-0 at their place in 2014-15. So, in our Southern League days, we’ve won one and lost six of the seven times the Magpies and Robins have met, and we’ve lost all four on our visits to Badgers Hill.
But there’s no need for Wimborne fans to be disheartened. Tim Sills’ team are used to overcoming bad runs and setting their own club records: first away league victory for fifteen months; an unbeaten fourteen game run; six successive away wins to name three.
This game between two entertaining, footballing teams has all the ingredients for a Christmas cracker. Put the present buying on hold, wear an extra Christmas jumper, and get down to Frome to cheer the boys on. It’s what Saturday afternoons are for. See you there!
Adults £10; concessions £7; students £3.50; U16s £2
Frome’s Badgers Hill ground: Berkley Road, Frome, Somerset BA11 2EH – 43 miles
Weather forecast: cloudy; 11oC; 10% chance of rain.
