Steve Jupp, BA11's Club Historian, previews Saturday's 'big one' in Dorset.
It's the title showdown everyone has been looking forward to for weeks and after the dust has settled on the midweek match-ups, it's advantage Wimborne.
Only a win will realistically keep Frome's hopes alive and perhaps this simple straightforward focus may work in their favour rather than the added complication of settling for a draw.
Top Two
Pld Pts GD
Wimborne 33 75 +33
FROME 34 73 +32
The three possible outcomes to Saturday’s titanic tussle and their effect on the title race (assuming the Robins beat Bristol Manor Farm in their final fixture) are:
1. Wimborne win... Wimborne are champions.
2. Draw... Wimborne would need two points from their remaining two games to lift the crown.
3. Frome win... Wimborne would need to win both of their remaining matches (away to Tavistock and away to Melksham) to be certain of the title, a win and a draw and it's down to goal difference. Anything less and Frome would top the tree.
It's a big ask for Danny Greaves' side against a team with a formidable home record identical to their own (unbeaten in the league all season) but a dozen or so years ago, in similar circumstances in that play-off final at Sholing, the Robins prevailed.
Since being held 2-2 by eight-man Cribbs a couple of months ago, the Magpies have hit top gear, rattling-off eight straight wins, all of them bar one, by a single goal.
Frome have pulled out all the stops in pursuit, building an impressive twelve-match unbeaten run (nine wins, three draws) and Matt Smith's late leveller at Larkhall on Wednesday was their 100th goal in all competitions this term.
In the reverse fixture at Badgers Hill back in December, honours were even in an entertaining 2-2 draw. For The Robins, it was a third draining home contest on a heavy surface in the space of a week, having done battle with Torquay in the Trophy followed by a derby against Westbury and although they were twice ahead, perhaps it wasn't such a bad result against opponents who looked fresher in the second half.
Unsurprisingly, a large crowd is expected at New Cuthbury on Saturday and it will be interesting to see if it tops the 1,685 at Hereford's Edgar Street six years ago, the biggest attendance to date for a Frome fixture in the Southern League.
Their last visit to this corner of Dorset just over a year ago produced a comprehensive 4-1 triumph with James Ollis (a brace) and Reece Rusher among the goals.
The stakes are a tad higher this time but at the business end of the campaign, these are the contests you want to be involved in and, if things don't quite pan out, there's always the drama/second chance of the play-offs. What's not to look forward to?
Match Details
For those who plan on travelling for this crucial game, tickets can be purchased at the link below with adult entry currently priced at £12, concession entry at £8, U16s entry at £5 and admission for U13s is FREE.
It might all come down to this one! Secure your tickets for our final home game of this thrilling season, the big finale!
Frome’s average attendance is now 485, so with 3 potentially big gates to follow, we are going to average over 500 again – the second time in the last three seasons. We have also reached the play offs twice in the last three years and only COVID stopped us reaching three play offs in the last 5 years. This is an amazing record and shows what an amazing job Greavsie has been doing
Season:
23/24 - 485 to date
22/23 – 410 – finished 8th– 6 points off the play offs / injury ravished season.
21/22 – 516 (play offs)
20/21 – 319 – 9th- Covid interrupted & abandoned after just 9 games
19/20 – 263 – 2nd to Thatcham – Covid interrupted & season…