BOSS Matty Holmes remained tight-lipped on Wimborne's prospects of reaching the Southern League West play-offs and said he would be “upset” if anyone at Cuthbury did otherwise.

The Magpies manager has banned talk of a top-six finish and is instead opting to focus purely on Saturday’s trip to fellow high-fliers AFC Totton (3pm).

Wimborne are five points ahead of the Stags, who themselves are still in the promotion shake up.

Despite being five points behind second-placed Salisbury with three games remaining, Holmes insisted he would not comment on the possibility of securing a play-off spot until such time as it had been achieved.

He told the Daily Echo: “I have said all along that we don’t talk about the play-offs at all because the three games we have left could kick us in the face.

“You could easily get no points from them if you don’t do things correctly. If it’s mathematical, then I will talk about it but you have to earn the right.

“I would be really upset if anyone talked about it or if anyone in the club put something on Twitter that we were guaranteed the play-offs, because that’s wrong.

“It looks like we have secured 10th. If we could secure ninth, eighth or seventh at the weekend, that would be brilliant.

“But until you secure sixth place, you cannot even talk about it because I have been in the game too long – football has a nasty way of kicking you in the teeth.

“You have to earn respect in any league and we will just keep doing what we are doing.”

He added: “This season, you can see what we have tried to do and achieve and it has surprised me that we have done so well.

“But it’s all credit to the boys. They have taken things on board and believe in what we are trying to do with them.

“We will keep our feet on the ground and I will say ‘look, you have done so well to this point, just keep doing the basics right’.”

Skipper Scott Arnold is set to return for Magpies following suspension, while Ben Walker remains a doubt with a hamstring problem.

Totton go into the contest unbeaten in their past four games. A second-half goal from Callum Chugg earned them a 1-0 victory at Yate Town on Tuesday to keep alive their play-off hopes.

“It will be a tough game because the lads know each other and I know some of their young lads from my Bournemouth days,” added the Wimborne boss.

“They are good players and have had a good season. They are a youthful side and might even sneak into the play-offs themselves. They will be a tough nut to crack.”

Magpies: (from) Benfield, Maybury, Hester, Davidson, Oldring, Kellaway, Cole, Stokoe, Penny, L Holmes, Francis, T Holmes, Burbidge, Lovell, Arnold, Walsh.