Malvern Town 1

Wimborne Town 2

Sat 16th March 2024

Goals: Lovell, Baker

Att: 310

 

Playing against ten men from the ninth minute, Jack Lovell finally opened the scoring for Wimborne just after the hour mark. The lead lasted only seven minutes before Annear equalised. However, Harry Baker scored the all important winner late on to keep the Magpies’ promotion hopes on track. Manager Tim Sills kept the same starting line-up from last Saturday’s victory over Tavistock.

 

Malvern have been in fine form on their 3G pitch in 2024, and had yet to concede a goal; Wimborne had won their previous four away games, so both teams were full of confidence going into the game.

 

 

The pattern of play became obvious early on. The Magpies would have the majority of possession, the Hillsiders would be hard to break down, then counter-attack at speed. This was exemplified on seven minutes when Wimborne’s patient possession drew a foul; Oakley Hanger’s free-kick was cleared; and Ben Scorey had to make a terrific challenge to stop the break-away.

 

In Wimborne’s next attack a long ball was played over Malvern’s back-line. As the ever-willing Jack Lovell chased for the ball he was man-handled to the ground by Bullock, referee Porter flourished his red card, presumably because he saw the defender as the last man who had denied the striker a scoring opportunity. Harry Morgan’s free-kick was goal-bound until it hit one of our own men.

 

Malvern played with two disciplined lines of four, Wimborne patiently probed but often the final ball lacked quality. Lewis Beale fired in a dangerous cross; Sam Griffin’s chipped cross was laid back to Matt Neale; Hanger’s cross found Lovell in space only for his stooping header to go wide. Wimborne did find the net on thirty-three minutes: Neale’s corner resulted in Hanger’s shot being blocked; Billy Walker reacted fastest and thumped the ball into the net only for the offside flag to be raised. At the other end, Annear’s run into the box was stopped by Sam Jackson – referee Porter waved away appeals for hand-ball. On forty-three minutes the referee again waved away appeals for a penalty at the other end. Cam Munn’s clever control took him past his defender on the right of the box. First a blatant shove, then a trip sent the attacker sprawling to the ground – it was as clear a penalty as you’d see; but the well-positioned official said “no” – was he evening up his decisions?

 

Wimborne continued to have the majority of possession after the interval too. On fifty-three minutes clever inter-play on the edge of the box gave Morgan a shooting opportunity but he could only find keeper Bishop. Harry Baker entered the fray ten minutes into the half, and had only one thing on his mind. Griffin glanced on Jackson’s long clearance for Baker to shoot; Griffin crossed from the right and Baker shot wide. Then on sixty-three minutes came the opening goal. Hanger’s long diagonal was controlled by Baker on the left, he charged to the by-line and pulled the ball back for Lovell to fire into the net.

 

The lead lasted a mere seven minutes. Wimborne gave away possession near the half-way line; the ball was played down the inside-left channel for danger-man Watts; Ross Flitney saved his initial shot as Walker slid in to challenge; Annear gleefully stroked the rebound into the beckoning net as the Wimborne lads struggled to reach the loose ball. With a quarter of the game still to play, the visitors reacted well. Jackson, now playing at left-back, hit a series of crosses into the area; Hanger and Griffin were doing the same from the right; and Morgan and Neale plied their trickery through the middle. Malvern were defending desperately, but the chances kept coming: Griffin shot wide; Hoey headed wide. Then, on eighty-eight minutes came that all-important winner. The ball fell to Baker to the left of the goal; from an acute angle he fired through keeper Bishop for the ball to hit the inside of the far post and ricochet into the net. Cue wild celebrations!

 

Wimborne weren’t at their best against a well-organised and dangerous team who appeared to make light of being a man short. This was a good three points against a team in with a shout of a play-off spot. Harry Baker deserves the plaudits for his match-winning performance. Credit, too, to the Manager whose shrewd changes in personnel and formation made the difference.

 

Match stats:

Wimborne: Flitney, Hanger, Walker, Jackson (capt), Scorey (Cocklin 61), Griffin, Neale, Morgan, Munn (Baker 54), Beale (Hoey 80), Lovell

Unused subs: Arnold, Carmichael

Attendance: 310

	Magpies	Hillsiders
Goal attempts on target	6	4
Goal attempts off target	5	2
Goal attempts blocked	2	1
Corners	5	1
Fouls conceded	9	11
Offside	2	2
Cards	2Y	1R, 3Y