MATTY Holmes will be confronted by a familiar foe when his upwardly mobile Wimborne host Salisbury today.

The Wiltshire club are managed by Steve Claridge, whose storied playing career was in its embryonic stage at AFC Bournemouth when a young Holmes was making his own way at Dean Court.

Claridge left Cherries in 1985 but the pair’s paths would subsequently cross on a number of occasions – most recently when the Salisbury boss undertook a spying mission as Wimborne won at Winchester seven days ago.

Asked if his side’s display in that match would have given Claridge something to think about, Holmes told the Daily Echo: “Maybe our first-half performance would have. It would be interesting to know what he thought.

“I’ve known Steve for a long time. I was at Bournemouth with him when I was 15 and he was a young pro.

“We went on and played against each other for various clubs. Then, when I was at Dorchester at the end of my career, he was managing Weymouth in the same division."

Wimborne’s 1-0 triumph at Winchester represented their third maximum points haul on the bounce.

Equally significant for a formerly porous side, Magpies’ clean sheet was their second in successive games.

Midfielder Louis Kellaway’s dynamic form has been a significant factor in his team's resurgence.

“Louis has been fantastic,” said Holmes. “He’s very underrated. Sometimes you don’t notice him there.

“He covers some miles and, if you did a stat on the number of tackles he gets in, it would be off the radar. He’s a wonderful young player."

Holmes did some scouting of his own when he watched Southern South & West play-off contenders Salisbury, the division's second highest scorers, beat Totton on Boxing Day.

He saw enough to know his side has no margin for error if they are to continue in a winning vein, a task that will be all the harder for the absence of injured defender Connor Cocklin.

“They’re an impressive team and it will be tough,” added Holmes.

“Connor being out is really bad news for us, but it gives Sam Lanahan a chance in the team and he's a good player as well.

"We have a strong bench now, but we can't afford many injuries."

Magpies (from): Benfield, Penny, Lanahan, Maybury, Hester, Lovell, Kellaway, Stokoe, L Holmes, Cann, T Holmes, Bayston, Walker, Griggs, Walker-Harris.