MATCH REPORT: Melksham Town 1-3 Wimborne Town

Melksham Town 1

Wimborne Town 3

Sat 28th April 2024

Goals: Baker, Roberts, Morgan

Att: 1,124

We are the Champions!

At the third time of asking in eight days, Wimborne gained the victory which saw them crowned as league winners and bag that one automatic promotion place. After Melksham had taken an early lead, Harry Baker scored a first-half equaliser. Then the Magpies dominated the second-half with Sam Roberts and Harry Morgan scoring to spark massive celebrations. Manager Tim Sills had asked for plenty of travelling support, and the Wimborne faithful responded in their hundreds. We’ll probably never know the exact number, but my estimate is 7-800.

Tim made a bold statement with his team selection: Harry Baker and Jonny Stuttle joined Jack Lovell in attack, with Sam Griffin in midfield. Scott Arnold was on the bench. Wimborne started brightly. On three minutes Jonny Stuttle won a corner on the left delivered into the area by Oakley Hanger’s trusty right foot. In the next minute, Melksham mounted their first attack. A high ball to the right was controlled by Hopkins who shrugged off his marker, got to the by-line, and cut the ball back for Brooks to fire past Ross Flitney to give the hosts the lead – now that wasn’t in the script! It was clear that Collier’s team weren’t there just to make up the numbers. A minute later, news filtered through that Frome had taken the lead in their game.

Harry Morgan – (c)Steve Harris Photography

Hanger swung in a trade-mark cross, Ben Scorey made a decisive tackle in mid-field, and Flitney saved Hendy’s low free-kick. Then, on sixteen minutes, Billy Walker passed to Sam Griffin to Stuttle who crossed into the danger area where Harry Baker ended a scramble by firing into the net to equalise. News filtered through that Bristol Manor Farm had done likewise at Frome.

The action intensified at Oakfield Stadium. Sam Jackson’s cross from the left was headed down by Walker 2 yards from goal only for the ball to be cleared off the line for a corner; then, on the counter-attack, a cross-field ball sent Brooks on his way down the inside-left channel and his blast from 25 yards forced a brilliant diving save from Flitney who diverted it onto the post. Just after the mid-point of the half, Wimborne were awarded a free-kick at the top of the “D”. Harry Morgan fired low and hard, beating the wall, only for keeper Butler to somehow send the ball spinning over the bar. Hanger’s corner was met at the far post by Jack Lovell whose effort was cleared off the line. Stuttle had two shots blocked, Baker one; Flitney punched a free-kick clear under pressure, and three times Walker cleared his lines. Although the ball was spending a lot of time in the air, it was compelling action, and we were all grateful for the chance to relax during the half-time break.

It needed a typical Walker tackle to stop Melksham’s first attack after the interval, and Hanger was in the right place to clear their next. Then the action swung to the other end in front of the massed Magpies’ support. Hanger’s corner from the left flew across the face of Butler’s goal; Jackson’s header from Hanger’s free-kick was cleared off the line; and from the second of Hanger’s rapid corners Sam Roberts powered home a header from close range just before the hour mark. News filtered through that BMF had taken the lead at Frome.

Melksham still looked dangerous. Graham’s shot was blocked, and Morgan headed Hopkins’ blast clear. At the other end Lovell ran and battled to win a throw-in, and Jackson shot over the bar from distance. Pressure was building on the Melksham goal, and on eighty minutes it paid dividends. Lewis Beale found Morgan in the penalty area, his shot took a deflection before spinning into the corner sparking pandemonium behind the goal – and it was rather noisy in the stand too! Tim’s team had a 2-goal cushion, and you could see from their faces that they weren’t going to give that up.

With 3 minutes of normal time remaining, manager Tim decided it was time for one last substitution. And to the loudest cheer ever for a substitution, Scott Arnold, “Mr.Wimborne”, came on to become joint top appearance maker for WTFC. Referee Demetriades, who had a good game, played five relatively uneventful additional minutes before he gave a final blast on his whistle, and the celebrations began. Saturday afternoons don’t get much better than this.

A word of thanks to the officials from Melksham who were so accommodating and helpful and welcoming – a proper non-league club.