WIMBORNE Town boss Matty Holmes admitted his side “went to pieces” during the second half in their 2-0 defeat at Yate Town.

Magpies had the better of the opening 45 minutes at Lodge Road in Southern League West but failed to capitalise on a number of chances which fell their way.

And they were punished by an in-form Bluebells outfit, who struck through Kyle Tooze and Ben Brooks in the second half to seal their fifth win in six games.

The afternoon also got worse for the visitors, who had skipper Scott Arnold sent off five minutes from time for bundling his man over on the edge of the box.

Holmes told the Daily Echo: “In the first half we were excellent. We played really well and missed chances cost us in the end.

“We went in at half-time 0-0 but I was delighted with the boys.

“We had some lovely opportunities. Billy Maybury had a great strike and then we had two or three goalmouth scrambles. They just wouldn’t quite fall.

“Luke Burbidge was causing problems down the right and got a few good crosses in and we were stretching them. We were causing them problems.

“But once their first one went in we didn’t play well at all, we sort of went to pieces.

“Everyone played as an individual. I said to the boys they must stick to what we tell them to do and do their jobs. Otherwise, you will leak more goals.

“I was disappointed because we went away from what we were trying to do. We panicked a little bit, so we have ourselves to blame.”

The hosts’ first goal came on 50 minutes. Tooze nipped in after a weak defensive header and struck past Gerard Benfield in the Wimborne goal.

Another mistake allowed Yate in for a second just past the hour mark.

Skipper Arnold saw his clearance charged down, allowing Trey Anderson to round Benfield and provide Brooks with a tap-in.

Defeat meant Magpies dropped to 10th in the league table, having been beaten in all three of their fixtures in 2018.

Holmes added: “Although we have lost the past three, there are still lots of positives to take from it.

“If in the past three games we hadn’t played well and got beaten then I would be worried.

“We just have to keep believing, you go through blips in seasons and a run of games where you don’t get what you deserve. We have to keep upbeat.

“Our aim is still to finish 11th or 10th, which is what it is with the budget we have. If we can do better than that I would be absolutely delighted and we have the ability to do it.”

Wimborne host Cirencester Town on Saturday at Cuthbury.

Magpies: Benfield, Penny (Walker, 60), Cole, Oldring, Arnold, Kellaway, Stokoe (Kendall, 65), Maybury, T Holmes, Burbidge, Lovell. Unused subs: Francis, Okumu, Walsh.