HE may grin like a Cheshire cat but Jamie Davidson is more the Dorsetshire moggie rapidly eating through his nine lives.

Davidson was understandably beaming from ear to ear after his stunning second-half strike had earned the Magpies a deserved share of the spoils against high-flying Rovers.

His thunderous 30-yarder – the first league goal conceded by the visitors in more than 10 hours – went some way to justifying Magpies boss Steve Cuss’s decision to keep faith with the hot-headed 21-year-old.

Just days earlier, the versatile frontman had blotted his copybook and let down his team-mates by collecting a needless red card for a wild tackle during Wimborne’s 4-3 defeat at Bridgwater.

It was not his first indiscretion either, an eight-match ban his punishment for a sending off following a brush with a referee while playing for Swanage Town & Herston in the Dorset Premier League at the start of the season.

On target in Wimborne’s opening day win at Yate Town, Davidson had clearly failed to see the error of his ways and received his marching orders for a second time just three games into his return.

Writing in Saturday’s programme, Wimborne’s official match reporter Dave Briggs described the challenge as “reckless” and added: “I’m one of Jamie’s biggest fans but, whenever I see him going into the tackle, it fills me with dread!”

A hugely talented footballer and arguably the most gifted in the Wimborne squad, former Cherries apprentice Davidson will now be forced to sit out the Magpies’ next three games due to his latest suspension.

And on the evidence of his wonder goal and contribution during their rampant second-half showing against Paulton, he will again be sorely missed.

Magpies boss Cuss said: “Jamie has had a troubled season so I was delighted for him. It has been stop-start for him so to strike one like that into the top corner was a great moment. Hopefully, he can push on after his next suspension.

“We had no complaints with his red card at Bridgwater. His enthusiasm got the better of him and he was keen to win back the ball. But you can’t tackle like that and he knows it. I hope he looks at what he did against Paulton and thinks he enjoyed it. He is a talented player and we have got to get him on the ball.”

Wimborne, beaten 7-0 by Rovers just five weeks previously and yet to keep a clean sheet this season, withstood a barrage of first-half pressure and reached the break trailing to James Billing’s 24th-minute strike.

However, the tables were turned during the second period and the frustrations of the visitors were highlighted by the late dismissal of midfielder Nick Dunn for raising his arms at Tom Jeffes.

“It was a great point and I thought we deserved it,” added Cuss. “We dug in during the first half and had to be quite resilient. We had a lot more possession in the second half and maybe could have sneaked a winner.”

Magpies: Harvell, Arnold, Dear (Kemble, 65), Jamison, Strugnell, Magookin, Cream (Lynch, 87), Webb, Jeffes (Hunt, 90), Davidson, Parsons. Unused subs: Battison, Ackerman (g/k).