BASHLEY old boy Mark Gamble returned to haunt his former club, paving the way for Wimborne to claim the Bank Holiday spoils in the first league meeting between the teams for 25 years.

Fit-again striker Gamble, who spent three years at Bashley Road, marked his first start of the season by opening the scoring with an emphatically-despatched first-half penalty.

And although Ryan Brading reduced the arrears after Sam Griffin had made it 2-0, Jamie Davidson’s goal condemned Bash to a 19th defeat in 21 league games – with just two points taken during the dismal run.

Bash appealed in vain for a penalty after Richard Morse had gone to ground under Ian Oliver’s tackle in the 12th minute before Callum Maher parried John Blake’s effort and Gamble blazed high over the crossbar from a tight angle.

Bash could have no complaints when referee Ben Cobb pointed to the spot after penalising Ashley Booker for a needless foul on George Webb, Gamble making no mistake and sending Maher the wrong way from the spot.

As Magpies pressed for a second, Maher palmed Blake’s effort over the crossbar before a Griffin header was hacked off the line.

Wimborne went close to doubling their lead when Blake’s piledriver was tipped on to the crossbar by Maher early in the second half.

Maher was beaten after 58 minutes when Griffin nipped in at the near post to head home Scott Arnold’s cross before Brading halved the deficit by sweeping home a Shivan Roushbaiani cross after 75 minutes.

However, for the second time in a week, Bash conceded within 60 seconds of scoring, Davidson seizing on some ponderous defending to complete the scoring.

Bash: Maher, Dunne, Moore, King, Rose (Roushbaiani, 69), Booker, Kinley, L Speechley-Price (Bosma, h-t), Brading, Aurow (M Speechley-Price, 60), Morse. Unused subs: Lambourne, Taylor.

Magpies: Harvell, Arnold, Brimson, Oliver, Costello, Blake, Griffin, Davidson, Stokoe, Gamble (Wilson, 80), Webb. Unused subs: Maybury, Biles, Powell.