Media Watch - Wimborne Town

Irrespective of the other results this weekend, we are guaranteed to be in the Number One slot on Christmas Day. But for those of you hoping for some other good news ahead of the game in Dorset, you can look away now. Although the players will be seeking to rectify the set back experienced near the Jurassic Coast 12 months ago, the early signs are ominous.

Jamie Rewbury has missed the last two and a half games with a back strain and may not be quite ready while Matthew Harris, who injured his foot against Bashley, missed the trip to Fleet in midweek. Kerry Morgan and Guillermo Bauza, have both recently returned from injuries, but both only completed part of the game in midweek. While Tom Bradley is suspended for this game it means that Giles Cutlan is expected to return to first team action. Kris Leek has work commitments and is unable to travel. There’s no doubt that the departure of Ryan Newman couldn’t have come at a worse time and means that the competition for places has been considerably weakened.

Midfield options are in relative short supply, but if Rewbs passes a fitness test before the game then Jarrad Wright could potentially be moved in there. Thankfully, a resurgent Kayne McLaggon recaptured his goal-scoring touch with the opening goal against Fleet.

Either way, it’s not an ideal situation by any means, when you consider the team we’re facing played a Conference North side in the FA Trophy last weekend and they’ll be coming into this game seeking some form of retribution after losing at home to Shortwood on Tuesday evening.

With his involvement in the successful Youth team at Edgar Street, it’s possible that Steve Jenkins will now look towards the Martyrs Academy for any promising youngsters to supplement the first team squad. Both Curtis Scotto-D’Abuscco and David Shallis have been training with the first team, although prolific scorer at Youth level Scotto-D’Abuscco is already currently playing Welsh League football. Pacey winger Shallis may be someone who steps up to the first team bench very soon. Jack Cowley kept a clean sheet in his final Welsh trial earlier this week and is another who has been signed as additional backup cover.  

In the recent past Ashley Morris (who made his debut in the surprise 3-0 win at Welling), Lee Idzi, Marcus Griffiths, Lee Hartshorn, Craig Moses and Matthew Harris have all made the transition from Academy football to first team action and another crop of promising youngsters would be a considerable bonus.

Every manager is always seeking to improve the squad and I’m sure that we are no different. To use a music analogy it’s clear that Steve Jenkins is currently in the recording studio with his head-phones on, twiddling with the bass dial and is now looking for his new perfect wall of sound.

But it’s not all doom and gloom as Steve Cuss the Wimborne manager is facing exactly the same problems and will need to assess the fitness of a number of his players before the weekend, including leading goalscorer last season Mark Gamble, who was only able to complete 60 minutes against Shortwood in mid-week. A disappointed Cuss said after the Shortwood game on Tuesday “It’s certainly a strain on the same eleven to be playing every week. Once we’d equalised it looked as if we could have gone and won the game but Shortwood caught us on the break and grabbed the winner. I was pleased with (debutant) Anthony Waters. He’s an 18-year-old who has come through the under-18s, under-21s and reserves and showed something of what he can do at first-team level. Mark (Gamble) wasn’t fully fit when he started the game but gave us his best for an hour.”

At least there was some good news against Bashley, after six blank games Ian Traylor returned to his buccaneering goal scoring form with a vengeance. He was quick to pounce on the opportunities presented to him and made the right decisions with excellent movement in the box.

With six points already secured in the last five days its important we don’t lose on Saturday but not essential that we have to win.

Southern League leaders Merthyr Town aiming to end 2014 in style and head into the new year on a promotion high
Wales On Line

Merthyr Town have two matches left in 2014 as they focus on their ending the year in style. Captain Ryan Green and his Martyrs make the seven hour round trip to Wimborne in Dorset on Saturday followed by their home match against Cinderford Town on Boxing Day (1pm).

Merthyr have a vastly superior goal difference to all of their rivals - 29 better than second placed Taunton - and look certain to start the new year top of Southern League South and West when they travel to play Bishops Cleeve in Gloucestershire on New Year’s Day. They have scored 62 goals in 19 fixtures, but are under pressure to keep pressing hard after missing out on promotion in the play-offs during the last two seasons.

There is only one automatic promotion place available and Merthyr are in pole position, but they were pipped by Poole Town in 2013 and Cirencester Town last season. Manager Steve Jenkins is keen to avoid play-offs pressure as he works to steer the Martyrs to promotion for a third time in the last five seasons.

Hosts Wimborne have a mixed home record of three wins, two draws and three defeats at the Cuthbury Stadium. They suffered a 2-1 midweek defeat at home against play-off contenders Shortwood United, while Merthyr won 2-1 at Fleet Town.

Centre-half Jamie Rewbury missed the match at Fleet because of work commitments, but he is back in the squad along with Matthew Harris, who is fit again after recovering from a minor injury.

we'll stuff em!!

SwanseaJack wrote:we'll stuff em!!

Hope so! but again we will have to play on a difficult sloping pitch, but hopefully everyone will be fit & we can give it a good go and get those 3 points but it will be a difficult game.

Up the Martyrs, great to go into Xmas top of the league, so well done & thank you to everyone who has contributed to our success so far this season.

I had fancied Wimborne to do well this season, still a long way to go but surprised they sit in 11th

Cuss appeals to Magpies faithful to turn out in force
Bournemouth Echo

MANAGER Steve Cuss is appealing to the Wimborne Town faithful to turn out in force when the Magpies host table-topping Merthyr Town at Cuthbury tomorrow (3pm).

Wimborne started the season with a 1-1 draw at the Martyrs’ Penydarren Park, the South Wales outfit currently six points clear at the top of Division One South & West. And although Wimborne suffered a midweek defeat to Southern League rivals Shortwood United, Cuss is still pleased with his side’s level of performance.

“A game against Merthyr is always an attractive fixture,” he told the club website. “We got a point there on the opening day and that helped set up our season. Despite us losing to Shortwood, I could not fault our performance and, if we can match that or even build on it, we could be in for an entertaining game.”

The Magpies have injury concerns ahead of the encounter with Ian Oliver and Jamie Davidson both major doubts, while Mark Gamble is also set to be assessed.

On the plus side, Jon Blake and Paul Roast are set to return, while Magpies under-21 player Anthony Waters, who made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute against Shortwood, looks likely to retain his place.

SwanseaJack wrote:we'll stuff em!!