BOSS Matty Holmes insisted no one at Wimborne Town would push the panic button following their troublesome start to the campaign.

The Cuthbury club have experienced a baptism of fire in their opening two fixtures after accepting promotion to Southern League South.

A 3-1 defeat at Farnborough on the opening day and Tuesday’s 4-2 loss at home to Dorchester means Magpies are one of four teams yet to get off the mark.

Now in his third season at the helm, Holmes is backing his troops to "defy the odds" and rise to the challenge of operating at step three.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Harrow Borough (3pm), he told the Daily Echo: “We are not panicking.

"This club nearly went out of business a few years ago. The rise we have had to promotion is very quick and we can’t get above our station.

“Everyone said at the start of this season we would most probably be relegation material because of the way we got into the league. But people said in my first season we would get relegated because I had never managed before. We ended up finishing 11th and making history.

“I have always said if we go eight games without winning it’s part of the course. We are Wimborne Town – a small football club trying to defy the odds and we will keep battling.”

No team in the division has shipped more goals than Magpies in their opening two fixtures. Staines and Kings Langley have also conceded seven times.

But Holmes insisted his side had shown flashes of being able to compete at Southern League South level.

“The boys will get used to it game after game,” he said. “The intensity at Farnborough was great for them – we flagged for a 20-minute spell and got punished.

“Our start was not intense enough against Dorchester – they got four goals and we were dead in the game. We have to learn that in every game, you have to be intense for 90 minutes. The higher up you go, it gets harder.

“These boys wanted to be up there. They wanted to test themselves but they now have to prove they warrant the shirt with us in this division.

“It’s going to be a season where we are going into the unknown in every game and you learn about your players as you go through.”

Visitors Harrow were this season transferred from Isthmian League Premier Division. Holmes is hopeful of having James Stokoe and Lewis Tallack available following knee and hip problems, respectively.

“They both failed fitness tests on Tuesday and are big players for us,” he said.

“Ben the physio is doing a good job with them and we are hoping on Saturday they should be fit to be around the squad.”

Magpies: (from) Benfield, Walker, Penny, Lee, Davidson, Arnold, Kellaway, Francis, L Holmes, Maybury, T Holmes, Burbidge, Lovell, Walsh, Young, Tallack, Stokoe.