Dorchester'S inability to defend saw them crash to a 4-0 defeat against highly-fancied Havant & Waterlooville at Westleigh Park in the Conference South last night.

If it hadn't been for some excellent saves from goalkeeper Craig Bradshaw, including one from the penalty spot, then it could easily have turned into a bigger rout.

It was a third defeat in four games for the Magpies and manager Mark Morris, who gave a debut to former Reading central defender Gary Middleton in place of the unavailable Andy Harris, knows he has problems to sort out after watching his side crumble in the second half.

"The bottom line is if you can't defend simple situations then you get hammered in games where it should never happen," said Dorchester boss Mark Morris.

"I thought the first half was even and didn't think there was too much in it in the second either.

"But their second goal killed the game and fair play to them they took their chances. We just can't defend it is as simple as that.

"At the moment we always look likely to concede goals and it is something that I will have to do something about."

After a bright opening Dorchester fell behind after just seven minutes when a neat inside ball allowed Geoff Pitcher to get to the byline and ex-Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers striker Dean Holdsworth headed his pin-point centre past Bradshaw from close-range.

After that Dorchester battled hard and went closest to scoring when Jamie Brown's superb strike was heading for the top corner only for home goalkeeper Gareth Howells to deny him with an outstanding one-handed save to divert the ball over.

Almost immediately skipper Alex Browne also went close when he rounded the home goalkeeper only to have his effort cleared off the line by Jason Chewins.

But Dorchester's troubles began on 27 minutes when injury-plagued Justin Keeler, who returned for the unavailable Mark Robinson after missing Saturday's win over Margate through a groin strain, aggravated the same injury and was replaced by Simon Radcliffe.

In the second half Bradshaw kept Dorchester in the game on the hour when Carl Poore was harshly adjudged to have brought down Luke Byles in the area to concede a

penalty.

Holdsworth struck the spot-kick perfectly towards the bottom corner but Bradshaw, returning to the ground where he played regularly for Pompey Reserves, went full-length to his left to tip the ball around the post for his second superb penalty save of the season.

The respite only proved brief

however and four minutes later there was little Bradshaw could do to

prevent Holdsworth curling an exquisite finish past him and into the far corner from the edge of the area.

That was game over from that point onwards as the Hawks poured forward looking to exploit their opponent's defensive fallibility.

On 71 minutes ex-Magpie Dave Town scored with a shot on the turn from the edge of the area and, when home substitute Bobby Howe caused panic in the area, defender Tom Jordan, watched by his father Joe, the former Scottish international, scooped the ball past Bradshaw for a fourth goal seven minutes from time.

In the final minutes Bradshaw again had to beat away a Dean Blake free-kick that flew at him through the defensive wall and Dorchester had another let-off when an unmarked Jordan headed wide from right in front of goal.