STALWART James Stokoe reckons Wimborne could be making moves up the Southern League South table – but ensures his teammates are not getting ahead of themselves.

Despite a somewhat heavy 3-0 defeat at home to league leaders Tiverton on Saturday, player-coach Stokoe thought there was enough on show to demonstrate Magpies can improve their patchy league form.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Stokoe said: “Obviously, the minimum aim is to stay in this league. I feel that there is more than enough in that changing room to achieve that.

“If you look at Saturday, we had a fair few chances against a side top of the league. We just have to take them. Unfortunately, things didn’t fall for us.

“Certainly, for now, we’re focusing on staying up – but with so much of the season to go, we can’t limit ourselves. After some changes this summer, things are starting to gel.”

There is little breathing room between Magpies’ perch in 12th place and tomorrow’s opponents Farnborough, with just three points separating the two sides ahead of their clash at Cherrywood Road (7.45pm).

With more than a decade of service and 400 games under his belt, Stokoe certainly knows how to read the squad’s mood – which he labels as “confident”.

“I think we’re confident for most games,” he added.

“We’re ready for Farnborough, we’re preparing as we would for any game – ready to tackle it, create some chances and hopefully convert them.”

Farnborough currently sit in the last safe spot in the league, occupying 19th place, a point ahead of Wimborne’s Dorset rivals Dorchester.

Like Wimborne, they also shipped three goals in their last outing, but managed to pull two back in an enthralling 3-2 encounter with Swindon Supermarine.

Wimborne could hand a debut to new signing Rico Wilson, who signed for Magpies at the weekend.

The 28-year-old striker has previously featured for Dorchester and Blackfield & Langley and he goes straight into Danny Holmes’s squad.

Holmes told the club’s website: “Rico has trained a fair bit with us. He looks good, he can hold the ball up well in the final third and he will add a different dimension to the squad.”

He added: “Rico played 45 minutes for us recently in a behind-closed-doors training match against Weymouth where he scored a goal. The signs are good.”