BOSS Matty Holmes hailed as “our best performance of the season” Wimborne Town’s emphatic 3-0 victory at Yate Town in Division One South & West of the Southern League.

Magpies dominated for long periods at The Jelf Stadium and climbed to second place in the table thanks to goals from Stefan Penny, Toby Holmes and James Stokoe.

Wimborne will be hoping to maintain their impressive start to the campaign when they host Winchester City at Cuthbury today (3pm).

The win in Bristol came just three days after Magpies had exited the FA Cup at the hands of Sydenhams Wessex Premier Alresford.

“I was really pleased,” said Holmes. “I thought it was our best performance of the season.

“We had three youngsters on the bench so to go there and get that performance was excellent, especially after the disappointment of the FA Cup.

“We played quite well at Alresford but just couldn’t finish our chances so it was a great reaction from the players at Yate.”

Penny opened the scoring with a 30-yard piledriver after 18 minutes before Toby Holmes bagged his fifth league goal of the season following unselfish work by Luke Holmes in the 50th minute.

And Wimborne effectively killed off the hosts just four minutes later when Stokoe climbed to head home a Luke Holmes corner.

Asked for an assessment of goalscorer Toby Holmes, boss Matty Holmes said: “He is getting the service he thrives on.

“He wasn’t playing at Dorchester. He was sitting on the bench, playing, getting dropped and left out.

“I knew as soon as I got the role here, he would be one for us. He started out at Parley Sports and it is great for our club and for him if he is getting attention.

“He still knows he has a lot of work to do in terms of his hold-up play but we are working hard on that and to improve his all-round play. We would like all the boys to go higher if possible.”

Jamie Davidson is likely to face a late fitness test after aggravating an ankle injury with Cherries youngster Ben Cooper, who joined Wimborne on work experience, on standby to deputise.

Matty Holmes added: “Ben had half-an-hour against Yate and looked neat and tidy. He is only 17 but he came on and did a good job.

“He is a second year scholar at AFC Bournemouth. We knew him as a kid growing up through the Academy so we knew he would come and fit in to our style of play.

“He came on wide left and came across to the right after Jamie had come off. He fitted in well. He knows the little movements, he receives the ball well and kept it simple.”

Magpies: O’Flaherty, O’Sullivan (Harvey, 85), Maybury, Arnold, S Davidson, Kellaway, Stokoe, L Holmes, T Holmes, J Davidson (Cooper, 60), Penny (O’Hare, 87). Unused sub: Benfield (g/k).