DORCHESTER Town manager Robbie Herrera felt as if he’d had his “pocket pinched” after Beaconsfield Town snatched a 92nd-minute winner at the Avenue Stadium.
Herrera’s Magpies had dominated long spells of their Pitching In Southern League Premier South opener.
However, Beaconsfield led against the run of play through Aaron Minhas’ well-taken strike before Tiago Sa thumped home a volley on the stretch to equalise.
Sam Davidson, Oakley Hanger and Tom Purrington all missed excellent chances for the home side, while Sa hit the post with five minutes remaining as Dorchester dominated.
For all their attacking superiority, defensive creaks of old resurfaced as a simple ball over the top sent Oliver McCoy clean through to devastate the hosts.
The result now means Dorchester have won just seven of their past 18 opening-day fixtures.
“I feel as if I’ve had my pocket pinched,” Herrera told Echosport.
READ MORE: Dorchester Town 1-2 Beaconsfield Town - match report
“First half I thought we were good, even though we went a goal down. We caused our own problems. Take nothing away from the lad’s finish, it was a good finish.
“We seem to give away goals quite cheaply and then we work hard for ours. I thought ours was a well-worked goal and going in at half-time 1-1 we were on top.
“We played some good football, looked like we could push on a bit – but same old Dorchester.”
Herrera felt the Rams’ first goal should not have stood.
“I thought it was a foul,” he said. “Obviously the referee was closest and didn’t give it.
“We’ve allowed ourselves to get one-on-one at the back and caused our own problems from that.
“We said before the game, don’t make mistakes and leave people free, see danger. We didn’t see it.
“We got back into it, started moving the ball well and we caused them problems without scoring.
“We had a lot of balls in the box, didn’t get on the end of them, we had shots on goal, the keeper’s pulled off a couple of good saves, a couple have gone wayward.
“We created quite a bit but there was always that sense of danger that one ball over the top (could come).
“I spoke to the lads about spotting the danger, staying with runners, not letting things bounce, and all those happened in the 90th minute.
“No time’s a good time to concede but at that late stage when we maybe should’ve managed the game better and taken a point, we need to improve.”
Herrera also confirmed that the absence of winger Christos Papakonstantinou was down to a paperwork issue and was no fault of the club’s.
New signing Callum Buckley was ill with sickness and diarrhoea and Tom Soares is still nursing a niggling calf injury.
All three are doubts for the league match at Taunton Town tomorrow evening (7.45pm).
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