The Magpies were held to a goalless draw at Bulpit Lane, in a game where defences came out on top.

 

Tim Sills made one change to the side that beat Chertsey last week, with Josh Carmichael making way for Cam Munn in the starting eleven.

 

The squad currently has a clean bill of health, other than long term absentee Seung-Woo Yang, giving Sills a variety of options across the pitch.

 

After the Last Post and an impeccably observed minutes silence for remembrance, the Magpies started on the front foot in the glorious Autumn sunshine.

 

Wimborne created three openings in the first 15 minutes, the first of which being a Billy Walker header which fired wide of the post after a cross from Owen Roundell.

 

The second came from Will Fletcher, whose shot too ended up over the crossbar, and then Cam Munn whose effort was easy pickings for goalkeeper Jenson Kilroy, who was later awarded man of the match.

 

The Crusaders had their first chance of the game on 18 minutes when Jordan Rose struck a volley, clearing both the crossbar and the clubhouse bar behind it.

 

However, chances began to dry up for the rest of the half, with the only notable opportunity coming from a Josh McQuoid header from a Roundell long throw, which ended up narrowly over.

 

After the break, the Magpies continued with purpose, with Lewis Williams’ volley in the box whistling narrowly past the post.

 

Then came the closest chances of the game, after Kilroy made two stunning saves in the space of 60-seconds to deny first Williams and then Fletcher.

 

After a moment of pinball in the box, the ball found Lewis Williams whose fiercely struck shot was tipped wide of the post by a superb diving save from Kilroy.

 

The subsequent corner, taken by Josh Carmichael who had just come on for McQuoid, met the head of Fletcher, whose powerful header was palmed over the bar in acrobatic fashion.

 

As hopes began to rise for a breakthrough, the game entered another lull, with neither side creating another clear cut chance until injury time.

 

This chance fell to the Crusaders returning hero, Charlie Austin, who was on the receiving end of a sweeping move. However, the debutant couldn’t keep his effort down inside the box, with the scores destined to remain goalless.

 

After eight minutes of injury time, the referee blew the final whistle. Despite the game being unlikely to be one that will live long in the memory, this was a good battling point on the road for the Magpies at a typically difficult place to come to.

 

Attention now turns to two cup games in the coming week, with a trip to Hamworthy Recreation in the Dorset Senior Cup on Tuesday night, and then Chatham Town in the FA Trophy at home on Saturday.

 

Plain; Eccott-Young, Walker, Roberts, Jackson; Roundell, McQuoid (Carmichael 61’), Munn; Bustamante (Ryan 71’), Williams, Fletcher (Smith 77’)

Unused subs: Borges, Scorey

Match Report: Tom Whittick