MANAGER Matty Holmes said Sam Davidson had been given a clean bill of health after being involved in a car accident ahead of Wimborne’s clash at Bideford on Saturday.

Davidson was unable to join the squad for the trip to north Devon having been shaken up in the incident which took place as he made his way to Cuthbury to meet the team coach.

Holmes told the Daily Echo: “He is fine and, fortunately, he didn’t sustain any injuries. He had a prang in his new car and it was one of those unfortunate things.

“He called me straight away and said he had to wait for the police and a tow truck to arrive.

“We were hoping to get someone to pick him up but with all the palava and routine you have to go through, he would never have been able to get there in time, which was a shame.”

Davidson’s absence was compounded by Billy Maybury being ruled out through suspension and Paddy Hester unavailable due to work commitments.

It left Wimborne without three of their first-choice back four against in-form Bideford and forced Holmes to name defensive coach Shane Traynor among his substitutes.

The Devon outfit made the most of the Magpies’ misfortune by scoring through Billy Tucker and Sean Downing inside the opening 23 minutes to rack up a fourth league win in succession for the first time since September 2013.

Tucker’s excellent lob after just three minutes gave Gerard Benfield no chance and the Wimborne goalkeeper was also well beaten by Downing’s venomous finish, the two players both registering their 13th goals of the season.

Boss Holmes added: “We lost the game in the first 25 minutes. Even though we had three of our back four missing, you still expect basic defending to be dealt with.

“When you go away to the likes of Bideford, Barnstaple and Didcot, you have to have a strong mentality which we felt was missing in the first half.

“We told the boys a few home truths at half-time about what was expected. We changed the shape in the second half and I was delighted with the effort.

“But we gave them a 2-0 lead and they were able to sit behind the ball and made it really hard for us to break them down.

“We were a lot better in the second half. We were more solid, we kept a clean sheet and caused them a couple of problems going forward. Hopefully, it is a lesson they will learn from.”

Magpies: Benfield, Lovell, Penny, Preston, Cocklin (Hartley, h-t), Kellaway, Stokoe, L Holmes, T Holmes, Cann, J Davidson (Walker, 69). Unused subs: Traynor, Walker-Harris (g/k).