Wimborne’s final game at the Wyatt Homes Stadium for the season, and keeper Ross Flitney’s final game, was full of flowing football which kept the large crowd entertained. Sholing took an early lead through Brad Targett on a rapid counter-attack, with in-form Will Fletcher equalising just after the hour mark.

Manager Tim Sills made one change: Owen Roundell-Prince starting against his former club in place of Harry Morgan.

With regular showers making the pitch a decent surface to play on, Wimborne started brightly. The Magpies won a corner on the left in the second minute, combined to send Jez Bedford on a run down the right in the fourth, and had the ball in the net on the sixth when Matty Burrows brushed off a trailing defender on the chase for a through ball down the centre but, to the crowd’s bewilderment, was penalised. In their next attack, a free-kick was played short to Burrows whose low driven cross was deflected for a corner. However, when that set-piece was cleared, Sholing countered at pace down the right. And when defenders failed to clear, the loose ball fell to Targett in the “D” and his perfectly placed shot beat the despairing dive of Ross Flitney on the 10th minute.

It was classic home and away performances: the hosts dominated possession; the visitors counter-attacked at pace. For The Magpies, Sam Jackson was hitting great diagonals aimed at the willing Will Fletcher and the jinking Jez Bedford; from one of these Fletcher charged into the box and rifled the ball into the side-netting. And when The Boatmen’s defence closed off options, the ball was recycled from right to left with Josh Carmichael at the heart of the moves. However, danger was never more than a miss-placed pass away, and on 29 minutes the eye-catching Busari went on a mesmerising dribble through the inside-right channel before making space for a goal-bound shot which Flitney saved with his feet. That was the visitors’ second and final goal attempt of the half.

But there was more to come from the hosts. Fletcher dinked Carmichael’s cross for Roundell to head goalwards; Burrows free-kick from the top of the “D” was blocked by the defensive wall; Roundell fired over from distance; Carmichael’s shot was deflected for a corner, one of five The Magpies had in the half; and Burrows’ volley from Cam Munn’s pass was saved by keeper Nash.

Wimborne continued in the same way after the interval. After clever combinations on the edge of the box, Munn went past two defenders only to be denied by the young shot-stopper; Carmichael, spotting the keeper off his line, audaciously fired a free-kick from wide on the left just inside Sholing’s half towards goal but straight into the keeper’s arms; and Bedford set-up Munn for a shot from the edge. At the other end, Akinola’s curler from the right corner of the penalty area narrowly flew over the bar. Then, on 63 minutes, came the deserved equaliser: slick inter-play on the edge of the Sholing box at the housing-estate end led to Carmichael recycling the ball to Munn who passed to Fletcher who rounded two defenders on the right before firing beyond Nash from 12 yards – it was the finish of a striker in form.

Both teams created chances to win the game. Akinola’s free-kick from right of the “D” beat the defensive wall but also the post; Folivi’s lively run across the edge of the box was stopped by Sam Roberts; Jackson’s cross led to pin-ball in the box; Targett headed Sholing’s only corner over the bar; Harvey Wright charged forwards; and Nash launched a final free-kick into Flitney’s area. After five additional minutes, drenched referee Mitchem gave a final blast, to bring Wimborne’s season at the Wyatt Homes Stadium to a close.

This was a different style of play for Sholing, which was really pleasing on the eye. The point ensured that they will be in this division next season. This was one of Wimborne’s better recent performances, probably because the opposition weren’t intent on an aerial bombardment. The lasting visuals were of Ross Flitney taking the applause of grateful supporters for his two seasons at Wimborne, and being a mainstay in the team which won the Division One title. Thanks, Ross!

Wimborne: Flitney, Eccott-Young (Biss 90+2), Wright, Roberts, Jackson, Roundell-Prince, Carmichael (Neale 64), Bedford, Munn (Morgan 78), Burrows (Lovell 74), Fletcher (Baker 86)

Attendance: 1,252

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