MATCH REPORT: Wimborne Town 3-0 Hanwell Town

After 88 days without a league win, the smiles on players’ and supporters’ faces told you all you needed to know about the result. 

Goals by Josh Carmichael, Will Fletcher and skipper Sam Jackson ended that 10 game sequence, which started with a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture. And Ben Rodwell’s first-ever clean sheet for The Magpies made it a near perfect afternoon for Wimborne.

Manager Tim Sills made two changes from the team which started at Evesham a week ago: Sam Roberts came into central defence with Joe Smith joining Will Fletcher up front. After winning their last three league games, Hanwell came into the fixture lying second in the current form table. But injuries, suspensions, and very recent departures meant manager Chris Moore could only put out a depleted team for The Geordies’ second visit to the Wyatt Homes Stadium.

After a storming second-half at Evesham, The Magpies came out determined to carry on in that fashion, and that’s just what they did. On five minutes Owen Roundell-Prince’s long throw into the danger area was half-cleared; Cam Munn retrieved the ball, hitting a long cross to the back post; Sam Jackson rose highest to nod the ball back to Josh Carmichael who swept the ball beyond keeper Beasant into the far corner.

Long throws into the penalty box would become a feature of the afternoon: Roundell with eight, was more than matched by Hanwell’s left-back Oladunjoy who hurled eleven prodigious javelin-like efforts from anywhere in the last third of the pitch – they were phenomenal throws, and right on the money.

Fortunately, the hosts were prepared, and keeper Ben Rodwell used all his height to grab many of them. But not all: on the quarter-hour mark the young stopper had to acrobatically catch Hoath’s goal-bound header. But it wasn’t just long throws which were peppering the Wimborne defence; free-kicks from any distance were launched into the area only to be repelled by the well- marshalled home defence.

After soaking up aerial pressure, The Magpies extended their lead at the mid-point of the half thanks to individual brilliance by Will Fletcher. Picking-up a loose ball just outside the penalty area, the big centre-forward twisted and turned like Rudolf Nureyev (ask your grandad) to make space for a shot which he placed under the diving keeper. It was a stunning goal – look out for it on the highlights – a second for the striker in two games.

Although Wimborne were seemingly in charge for the rest of the half, the visitors created the better chances: Rodwell saved Waight’s shot from the elusive Cook’s pull-back; the shot-stopper grabbed Hoath’s low drive at the second attempt; Sam Roberts intercepted another attack and drove forward to encouragement from the home faithful; and the centre-back twice timed his tackles to perfection to disrupt further attacks.

After Rodwell dived to save at the foot of his post immediately after the re-start, Wimborne snuffed out Hanwell’s expected onslaught, and resumed control of the game. Roundell fired over from 25 yards; and Joe Ryan’s 30 yard free-kick was blocked by the defensive wall.

Then on 66 minutes, substitute Lewis Williams’ first touch won the ball, and his second drew a foul on the left corner of the penalty area. Ryan’s free-kick was again blocked, before, in the subsequent pin-ball, Josh Carmichael deftly back-heeled to Jackson who smashed the ball into the far top corner – a super strike in front of the massed support at the housing-estate end.

And that was game over. Wimborne’s best late chance came when Max Bustamante flashed a header inches wide from Drew Eccott-Young’s cross. But at the other end, there was real determination from Wimborne’s back five to keep that elusive clean sheet, helped by Cook’s weak and wide header from the one long throw which eluded Rodwell and his colleagues.

After dominating the attacking stats in most of their recent games but finding goals hard to come by, hitting the net three times from eleven attempts makes sweet reading for all connected with The Magpies.

This was a terrific team performance, with just about everyone worthy of a man-of-the- match award. And let’s not ignore the groundstaff who produced such a good-looking surface following all the recent inclement weather.

It was a good day at the office – no, make that a very good day!

Wimborne: Rodwell, Walker (Eccott-Young 65), Roberts (Burchall 82), Edmondson, Jackson, Roundell-Prince, Carmichael, Munn (Jenkins 88), Ryan (Bustamante 73), Fletcher, Smith (Williams 65)

Attendance: 652