Match Preview – Wimborne Town vs Westbury United
What a season this is turning out to be for the nineteen teams in our division! Six Saturdays left, fourteen teams eyeing a play-off spot or better, three teams battling to avoid that one relegation spot, and on their day any team is capable of beating any other.
Last season was Westbury’s first at Step 4, when Lewis Porter and Ricky Hulbert’s squad finished a very creditable 10th, with a W13 D11 L14, GF 51 GA 53 record, claiming the scalps of Sholing, Hamworthy, Evesham and Wimborne, the four teams who finished in the play-off spots.
This time The White Horse Men sit a disappointing 17th, six points above bottom side Paulton, with a W6 D8 L13 GF 36 GA 48 record; on their travels Westbury’s record is W3 D4 L6. As always, digging a little deeper into the stats makes for interesting reading. On the road, Westbury’s thirteen results includes six clean sheets. In their four away games this calendar year – wins at Melksham and Paulton, a draw at Willand and defeat at Cribbs, they’ve conceded a miserly one goal which was at Cribbs. On 16th February at home to in-form Frome, they held a 2-0 half-time lead before losing to a 95th minute winner. Last Saturday they held 6th-placed Bideford to a goal-less draw. In their last four games Jasper Jones has bagged three goals, and Harvey Flippance two.
Wimborne remain at the top of the tree with a W19 D6 L4 GF 62 GA 33 record. In the league we’re unbeaten in nine games; we’re undefeated at home W11 D3; we’ve won the most games; we’ve lost the fewest; we’ve scored the most goals; we have the second best defensive record; and our average attendance (645) is over 200 higher than the next best Frome. By my calculations, one more win and we’re assured of at least a play-off spot.
Wimborne have had an impressive six different goalscorers in the last three games. Manager Tim Sills will be without Jez Bedford and Sam Roberts, but Connor Cocklin is back playing, and Scott Arnold was on the bench for the 2-1 win at Malvern on Saturday. And our latest signing, striker Jonny Stuttle on work experience from AFCB, is available. Tim has kept the same starting line-up for the last two games, victories over Tavistock (3-2) at New Cuthbury and Malvern. Will he stick with that, or change personnel?
We’ve yet to take three points from Westbury in the Southern League. Last season we lost 2-1 at their place early in the season. The return game in January was a second-half six-goal thriller as three times Ryan Bole gave Westbury the lead, and three times Wimborne equalised, with our own Richard Barton stepping up to run the line. This season in late September, when Westbury were playing their home games at neighbouring Melksham, it was another eventful second-half with four goals in twelve minutes resulting in a 3-2 win for the White Horse Men. Games between the two teams never seem to be dull affairs!
Wimborne is arguably the biggest scalp in the division, and it seems every team raises their game against us. Westbury will be no different, especially as they need points to stay above a relegation fight. The Magpies need to win all their games to stay ahead of Frome’s Robins. This game has all the makings of being a cracker. We know how much Tim’s team appreciate the support we give them. So come on down to New Cuthbury and cheer the boys on.
After all, it’s what Saturday afternoons were made for!
Saturday is “Non-League Day” so it’s likely there’ll be another large crowd. If you are travelling by car and park on the nearby streets, please do so respectfully to our neighbours.
The changed Morebus no.13 route is now operational and runs along Leigh Road from and to The Square twice an hour.
Admission: adults £12, concessions £8, U16s £5, U13s £2.
A packed printed programme will be on sale. If you’ve never bought one, give it a try – it’s a proper job.
Weather forecast: sunny intervals and showers; 8oC; 30% chance of rain.
