WIMBORNE Town’s survival will not be decided by their fixtures with high-flying Farnborough and Hayes & Yeading according to manager James Stokoe.

The Magpies picked up a big three points at the weekend by edging past fellow strugglers Tiverton Town, but now Stokoe’s side have an entirely different proposition.

In the span of five days Wimborne will travel to sides sitting in first and third respectively – with Stokoe admitting that it was a tall ask for Wimborne to come away from either game with a result.

Tonight they visit third placed Hayes & Yeading (Kick-off 7.45pm), before travelling to league leaders Farnborough this weekend.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Stokoe said: “Both games are away - against first and third in the league at present in the next few games.

“It's going to be very, very tough.

“But on Saturday, to get a win against a team that same around us is massive, especially based on the form of the two teams and where we're trying still to get to.

“It’s taken us off the bottom of the table, which is, what we said we wanted to - one target at a time, which was to catch Merthyr and try and get above them, which at the moment, we’ve done.”

Wimborne now sit 21st in the Southern League Premier South, six points behind third-from-bottom Kings Langley – who managed to hold Farnborough to a draw at the weekend.

Magpies have five games in hand on the Hertfordshire-based club, but whilst overtaking their relegation rivals is Wimborne’s next goal, Magpies manager Stokoe is focusing on their fixtures with Farnborough and Hayes.

“Now we've got two tough games, and it'd be nice to try and get something out of either of in the games.

“But ultimately, our survival doesn't come down to beating or picking up points against Hayes and Farnborough.

“Yes, it'd be nice to get something and we try and get something obviously, but it's more important that we're picking up points against the teams in and around us like the Tivertons.

“So it was desperately important that we got our result on Saturday.“

Goalkeeper Gerard Benfield’s suspension does not kick in until the trip to Farnborough, meaning he is available for selection.