MATTY Holmes admitted it would not have been fair to expect Sam Bayston to continue to play through the pain barrier – after the Wimborne Town winger was ruled out for the season.

Bayston tore ligaments and chipped his ankle bone in an FA Cup clash with Alresford Town in August and although he eventually returned to the first-team fold, another spell on the sidelines is now in the offing.

The 22-year-old was forced off during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Didcot Town and played no part in Tuesday's 3-1 victory over Paulton Rovers, instead preparing himself for the surgery which he knew would end his campaign.

Magpies boss Holmes told the Daily Echo: "I feel sorry for Sam. He had a really good pre-season and was looking really bright but then got hit with a bad injury.

"He got himself back but there was some loose bone left in his ankle. You could see it was causing him pain and he wasn't quite the same.

"We tried to give him the game time but he was just in too much pain so it wasn't fair on him. Hopefully, we will see him in pre-season because he is a good player."

With Bayston out of the equation, Holmes moved to bring in Carl Preston from Sydenhams Wessex Premier side Blackfield & Langley.

Holmes said: "We can only bring in a player if we lose one, that's the situation. When we lost Sam Lanahan, we got Billy Lowes in and when Scotty Arnold got injured, we brought Connor Cocklin in.

"Unfortunately, Sam is out for the season but there was a chance to bring Carl Preston in. I know he was finding it difficult to get to Blackfield and they were good as gold to waive the seven-day approach.

"He gives the same natural width that Sam does, so it's like for like."

The returning Toby Holmes gave Wimborne a 2-0 lead in the first half against visitors Paulton and Lowes grabbed his first goal for the club minutes before half-time.

Paulton scored a consolation in the closing moments of the second period but Magpies already had the points sewn up.

Holmes added: "We started brightly and then had a bit of a lull. They were a good passing team and we couldn't quite get a foothold.

"But after that we were excellent. I thought it was the best football we've played this season and we got the three goals in that time.

"In the second half, the game was scrappy. They had to do something to change it and although we had a couple of breakaways, the damage had been done earlier."

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Penny, Hester, Maybury (Walker, 71), S Davidson, Lowes, Kellaway, L Holmes, T Holmes (Cann, 71), J Davidson (Preston, 57), Lovell. Unused subs: Griggs, Okumu.