MATCH PREVIEW: Sholing vs Wimborne Town

Wimborne Town FC | 16 April 2026 | Copy link
With the vastly experienced Paul Doswell as Director of Football, high-profile Matt Le Tissier and Levi Colwill as Associate Directors, a new 3G pitch, and investment in the infrastructure, Sholing is clearly a club with an upwards trajectory. Following shrewd retention and recruitment in the Summer, The Boatmen were expected to be a contender for at least a play-off spot in 2025-26. And that’s how it’s been, with Ross White’s team in the top six for most of the season. But now, at the business end of the campaign, they must win their last two games to have any chance of overtaking Berkhamsted for the final play-off spot. Those two matches are home and away against the two Dorset Magpies.

 

Like most of the other play-off contenders struggling to cope with promotion pressure, Sholing have stuttered into the final stretch, garnering a disappointing seven points from their last six games: Walton & Hersham (h) 1-3, Weymouth (a) 1-0, Hanwell (a) 0-0, Tiverton (h) 2-1, Basingstoke (a) 0-1, and on Saturday Farnham (h) 1-2. Those results leave The Boatmen sixth with a W17 D14 L9 GF 68 GA 51 record, four points adrift of The Comrades. At their Portsmouth Road home, Sholing’s record is W11 D5 L4.

 

Michael Folivi is their top scorer with 16 league goals from his 38 appearances. Defender Harry Taylor has also accumulated 38 apps, but he may well have to sit this one out as both he and midfielder Reece Wylie were sent for first dibs of the shower gel in that Easter Monday game at Winklebury against The Dragons.

 

Wimborne have been stuttering for a lot longer than Sholing, and were slowly drawn into the battle to keep out of the dreaded drop-zone. However, that 2-1 Dorset derby demolition of The Dolphins on Easter Monday, Tuesday’s 6-0 tonking of Tiverton, and a vastly superior goal difference to the teams below, have all but banished those blues. After Tuesday’s result, Tim’s team sits 13th with a W12 D13 L15 GF 58 GA 57 record. On our travels it’s W4 D6 L10. In Premier South, our previous best away record was last season’s W4 D7 L10.

 

In 2024-25 our Magpies had the upper hand, or rather upper foot, over The Boatmen, winning 1-0 at Sholing thanks to Billy Walker’s goal, before a bumper Easter Monday crowd of 1,252 saw the teams fight out an entertaining 1-1 draw. This time around, it was again 1-1 at The Wyatt Homes Stadium in December with Joe Smith equalising shortly after Joe Rabbetts had given the visitors a second-half lead.

 

With Will Fletcher and Joe Smith leading the chase for our ‘golden boot’ award after both bagging a brace on Tuesday, and Josh Carmichael and Sam Jackson leading candidates for the accolade of “King of assists”, there’s plenty to interest Magpies followers as well as the match result. Tuesday was only the second time The Magpies have won consecutive away games in Southern Premier South – the other was back in 2018-19.

 

So here’s the deal: Sholing must win to have any chance of catching The Comrades, who visit Farnham; Wimborne need a point to be mathematically safe from relegation. Games between the teams are always crackers, and this has all the ingredients for being another. Can Tim’s team shock Sholing on Saturday to set more Club records?

 

Match Info:

  • The Supporters Club are running a coach to The Magpies’ last away game of the season, and there’s a few seats still available – book online or contact Paula.
  • Venue: The Mortgage Decisions Stadium, Portsmouth Road, Southampton SO19 9PW what3words: ///sudden.arena.chop
  • Admission: Adults £15; U19s £5, concessions £10.
  • Weather Forecast: Sunny intervals; 16oC; <5% chance of rain.