MATCH PREVIEW: Wimborne Town vs Farnham Town

Wimborne Town FC | 01 April 2026 | Copy link
Friday features Farnham’s first fixture at Wimborne. ‘The Town’ are in their first season at Step 3 following two consecutive promotions master-minded by manager Paul Johnson. In 2023-24, they were Step 5 Combined Counties Premier League South Champions (W35 D3 L0, GF 130 GA 19), then last season winners of Step 4 Isthmian South Central (W32 D6 L4, GF 120 GA 32) finishing 20 points clear of runners-up Uxbridge.

 

In the summer Farnham recruited players with higher-league experience including striker Ogo Obi, midfielder Bobby-Joe Taylor with over 200 appearances in the National League, full-back Brandon Mason, and midfielder Tom Leggett, with the clear aim of a third successive promotion.

 

And ‘The Town’ are having a really good go at achieving that, although champions-elect Walton and Hersham have all but sewn-up the one automatic promotion place. Farnham, sitting third two points behind second-placed Gloucester, but with two games in hand, are in a great position to claim the runners-up spot, and crucial home advantage in the play-offs. Their league record is W21 D8 L6 GF 81 GA 44; on their travels it’s W9 D3 L4. Owen Dean is the team’s leading league scorer with 14, while Ogo Obi has 12, and Darryl Saunders and Bobby-Joe Taylor eight apiece. That man Taylor is one to watch – for me he’s a class act and one of the best players in this division.

 

It’s also been a very successful season for Farnham in the national cup competitions. In the FA Cup, Johnson’s team thumped home a thrilling three in each round before succumbing to Sutton in a Fourth Round Qualifying replay. And in the FA Trophy they reached Round Two Proper. Both were club records.

 

As the season reaches the business end, Johnson has brought in more experience to shore up the promotion push with the recent signings of Seb Bowerman, who was Bracknell’s captain, Billy Clifford from National South Farnborough, and experienced striker Rhys Murphy from National South Horsham.

 

But has the pressure of pushing for promotion perturbed the players? After rattling in 21 goals in a run of seven successive wins from mid-January, Farnham lost 1-0 at Walton in mid-March. They then had to score twice in time added-on to overcome Dorchester 2-1, drew 1-1 at home with Basingstoke, lost 2-1 at Plymouth Parkway on a Tuesday evening, before beating Chertsey 1-0 at home on Saturday. Those recent results leave them sitting eighth in the current form table.

 

Without a win in their last six, Wimborne are 21st in that table with a W0 D3 L3 record. But recent performances against Walton, Chertsey, and on Saturday a rousing second-half against in-from Uxbridge to grab a come-back 3-3 draw, have been encouraging. The boys have been creating a catalogue of chances, but at last, on Saturday, they converted three of them. “Two-yard” Billy Walker bravely scored the first, then strikers Rafa Ramos and Will Fletcher got in on the act.

 

After Saturday’s results, Wimborne were sitting 13th in the table that matters with a W10 D13 L13 GF 50 GA 54 record, five points above the drop zone; at The Wyatt Homes Stadium it’s W8 D7 L3.

 

In the reverse fixture on a hot August afternoon, Max Bustamante gave The Magpies a first-half lead. A battling backs-to-the-wall second-half effort came within two minutes of a famous victory before a soft, in my opinion, penalty in front of the massed Farnham supporters deep into time added-on, was converted for a share of the spoils.

 

Including this one, there’s just three home games left this season, and you won’t want to miss any of them as the boys give their all to banish thoughts of a relegation battle, and achieve the Club’s highest-ever finish in the non-league pyramid. If Tim’s team can repeat that second-half Uxbridge feel-good factor, then we’re in for a Friday feast of flowing football.

 

Match Info:

  • As there's limited parking at the ground in Ainsley Road BH21 2FU, if you can travel by bus, bike, or on foot it would be really helpful. 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 near the players' entrance.
  • A packed printed programme will, of course, be on sale.
  • After Club Director John Macey's recent diagnosis, there will be collection buckets for Dorset Cancer Care.
  • Admission: Adults £14, concessions £8, U18s £5, U13s £2.
  • Weather Forecast: Cloudy; 13oC; 30% chance of rain.