This will be Plymouth Parkway’s first-ever visit to Wimborne. The Magpies have only played Parkway once before, in the reverse fixture at Bolitho Park on a Tuesday evening at the end of October last year. Will Fletcher had given his team an early lead before some controversial refereeing decisions and second-half goals by Beardmore and Garside saw the hosts bag all three points. A star performer for we visitors that evening was on-loan keeper Alex Rutter. Parkway manager Chris McPhee admired his performance so much that he signed the shot-stopper permanently in early February to become the eighth keeper he has used in this campaign.

Parkway are currently 15th in the table with a W11 D8 L16 GF 55 GA 67 record; on their travels it’s W5 D5 L7 which is only one point less than they’ve taken at Bolitho Park. As we often see, it’s always worth digging into the detail of recent results. In 2025 Parkway’s record is good W6 D2 L5; four of those victories have come in away games: Basingstoke (1-0), Marlow (2-0), and this month Bracknell (3-1), and Taunton (3-2) – Parkway were three up at half-time in that one. They also managed an impressive 2-2 draw at Merthyr on 8th February. Last Saturday, after a run of three successive wins, they went down 2-0 to Hungerford at home.

McPhee makes clever use of loan signings, gives them game time, and sends them back to their host clubs better players. Mitch Beardmore, who scored all six goals in that remarkable hammering of Gloucester on the Saturday before Christmas, returned to Exeter City in January, and Tylor Love-Holmes who scored four in three games for Parkway in February and March has been recalled by National South Truro City.

Wimborne’s seven-game undefeated run sees them sitting second in the current form table with victories in their last three matches at The Wyatt Homes Stadium: 1-0 wins over Poole and Frome, and that 3-1 triumph over title-chasing Totton. In the table that matters, Tim’s team are now 10th with a W12 D9 L13 GF 42 GA 49 record; at home it’s W9 D4 L5. That stable back four, with Owen Roundell-Prince patrolling in front, and Cam Plain behind, have been in excellent form so it’s unlikely that manager Sills will change that. He has plenty of options going forward, including young Fin Richardson and Harry Baker who has returned from his loan at Melksham. But there’ll be no Toby Holmes who has gone on loan to Shaftesbury for the rest of the season.

Parkway have had a recent rapid rise through the leagues. Champions of the SouthWest Peninsula League (Step 6) in 2017-18, they finished second in Western Premier in 2018-19; then were second again when the 2019-20 season was curtailed; before being promoted to Southern League Div One after the 2020-21 season was also curtailed, this time with Parkway top of the table. In their first season at Step 4 they romped away with the title to be promoted to the Southern Premier. Our paths crossed that season: while Parkway were winning promotion, James Stokoe’s Magpies were being relegated from Southern Premier to Div One. In their first season at Step 3 Parkway finished a very creditable 10th, 24 points above the drop zone. However, last season they were well and truly embroiled in the dog-fight at the bottom, escaping relegation with a battling 1-1 draw at Beaconsfield on the final day banishing their opponents to step 4 on goal difference.

There’s been 122 goals in Parkway’s 35 league games in this campaign, and with Wimborne on a good run of form this match-up has all the makings for being an exciting encounter. With just two more home games to come, and with Under 13s getting free admission for this one, bring the children and the grandchildren and their friends to the Wyatt Homes Stadium for a family footie fix. After all, it’s what Saturday afternoons were made for.

There’s reasonable parking at the ground in Ainsley Road BH21 2FU, but if you do decide to travel by car and park on the nearby streets, please do so respectfully to our neighbours.

The Morebus no.13 runs along Leigh Road from and to The Square in the town centre with stops at the bottom of Parmiter Road, a five-minute stroll from the ground.

There is a bike park to the left of the players’ entrance.

Admission: adults £14, concessions £8, U18s £5, U13s free (Non-League Day promotion).

Average att: 726

A packed printed programme will be on sale.

Weather forecast: light cloud; 14oC; 20% chance of rain.