PLYMOUTH PARKWAY 5

DORCHESTER TOWN 0

TEN-MAN Dorchester Town’s excellent run of form came crashing to a halt against bogey side Plymouth Parkway with a 5-0 hiding at Bolitho Park.

Coming into the game, the Magpies had taken ten points from a possible 12 but had lost each of their last three games at Bolitho, shipping seven goals and scoring none.

Those statistics worsened on a chastening night for Glenn Howes’ men, who were 2-0 down in 22 minutes thanks to Reece Thomson and Callum Hall strikes.

However, an unfortunate booking in each half for Jack Dickson gave Dorchester an even bigger mountain to scale.

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Parkway predictably ran away with it in the second half, scoring three more in the space of 13 minutes as Jack Crago bagged a brace and Matt Wright headed home to cap what was only the hosts’ second league win of the season.

Howes will inevitably now go away and scratch his head as to why Bolitho Park has become such a graveyard of results for the Magpies – and why his side could not transfer their form into this arena.

Dorchester’s manager made two changes to the side that began Saturday’s 3-1 win over Didcot Town.

Louie Slough and Lewis Waterfield came into the side at the expense of the benched Jordi Barnett and Alex Moyse.

Joining the duo in the dugout were Ieuan Turner, Benjani Jr and Lewis Toms.

Armed with Dorchester’s poor record at Parkway and their own necessity for a good result, starting the day in 20th, the hosts came out swinging from the off with three chances.

Ex-Dorchester defender Toby Down witnessed an effort cleared off the line, skipper Ryan Lane’s shot was deflected behind and Hall ballooned an effort over.

But Parkway found the breakthrough in the 19th minute when Crago slipped Thomson through and he adeptly beat Lloyd Thomas in the Dorchester goal.

The Devon side needed just three minutes to double their lead, Hall sending a piledriver into the top corner with Thomas powerless to keep it out.

The two goals stopped Dorchester in their tracks as the Magpies failed to create a chance of note in the first half, despite some promising build-up play.

Before the break, Dickson collected the first of his two yellows for touching the ball away, an act deemed as time-wasting despite his side being 2-0 down with 56 minutes remaining.

His second caution carried greater misfortune when the ex-Poole and Weymouth man slipped, clattering into an opponent to earn red.

Dorchester had chances for a consolation through Shaq Gwengwe and Leighton Thomas but the Magpies’ strikers failed to take them on what was quickly becoming a lamentable night.

Parkway then made sure of the three points with a quickfire treble after Lane saw a free-kick wobble the bar.

Crago was the man to net the hosts’ third, skimming a header beyond Thomas and the keeper should have done better with the fourth goal as Crago’s shot appeared to burst through his defences.

Lane, who caused problems all evening, then served up Parkway’s fifth goal on a plate for sub Wright, who thumped a header past Thomas on 83 minutes to complete the scoring.

Dorchester, who drop to 16th, now have a week and a half before their next game, a trip to Merthyr Town in the FA Trophy on Saturday, October 7 (3pm).

Parkway: Parkes, Lane, White, Wilson, Halls, Down, Williams, Purrington (Garside 78), Thomson (Jones 84), Hall, Crago (Wright 76). Subs not used: Cairo, Rose.

Magpies: Ll Thomas, Haste, Slough (Barnett 62), Ngalo, Foot, Waterfield, Moore, Le Thomas, Gwengwe (Benjani 88), Dickson, Spetch (Turner 71). Subs not used: Toms, Moyse.

Attendance: 389