HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 3 Dorchester TOWN 2 A GOAL off the underside of the bar two minutes from time from Hawks' Neil Davis was a cruel blow for Dorchester after a brave second half fightback in a topsy-turvy contest at Westleigh Park last night.

Trailing 2-0 to a well-organised Hawks at the interval, the Magpies seemed well out of contention.

But an incredible revival by Mark Morris' men saw them more than match their hosts first half efforts until that late, late strike swung the contest in the home side's favour.

The Magpies struggled to match the pace and power of their hosts throughout the opening 45 minutes, though they did carve out the first chance of the night when Mark Jermyn's right wing centre produced a looping header from Martin Shepherd that was comfortably held by Hawks' keeper Gareth Howells.

It was another 25 minutes before Dorchester's sizeable travelling support had cause for further cheer when Justin Keeler picked out Matt Tubbs, in for the injured Matt Groves, and his drive was parried by Howells.

In the ensuing melee Keeler looked to be upended by the keeper but Dorchester's appeals for a penalty were rejected by Dorset referee Kevin Pike.

In between the two Dorchester efforts it was largely one way. Mark Ormerod dropped the ball at the feet of James Taylor in the third minute but recovered in time, then Dean Blake charged into the area before blasting over.

Ormerod rescued his side when he raced out to head clear from recent Magpies' target Chukki Eribenne, Taylor drove wide and then Ormerod saved unconventionally from the ex-Cherry by sitting on the ball.

Eribenne missed a six yard sitter, Davids lobbed on to the top netting and Ormerod dived to his left to palm away Brett Poate's free-kick.

Michael Walker headed into the home net only for the effort to be ruled out for a push on Howells by Andy Harris before Havant netted twice in three minutes.

Taylor's venomous drive hit the inside of the post and flashed across the face of goal and when the ball was played back to newcomer Aaron Skelton on the edge of the area, his drive squirmed under the diving Ormerod. The Magpies keeper then seemed unaware of Eribenne's presence when he opted to beat down a speculative 30-yard effort from Gareth Hall and the lurking predator pounced to plant the loose ball into the net.

The never-say-die spirit which helped Dorchester in good stead in last season's promotion run-in resurfaced as Tubbs and Keeler both brought the best out of Howells.

But it was after the interval that Dorchester lit the touch paper to rocket themselves back into the match.

Keeler sliced an open goal chance wide after 46 minutes then Matt Hann's free-kick was met by Harris whose header was hauled down on the line by Howells.

The increasingly influential Tubbs played Walker through but the tall wingback fired over and then Tubbs set up Keeler for another shot which Howells pushed away.

Dorchester then got back on terms with their own rapid double strike. Alex Browne power-fully headed in Matty Holmes' 65th minute corner and Keeler's angled drive four minutes later was then touched in by Tubbs.

Both sides then had chances to snatch all the points. Jermyn tested Howells and Skelton twice forced superb saves from Ormerod before Davis spotted the Magpies' keeper off his line in the 88th minute and fired over his head and the ball crashed down over the line off the crossbar.

STATS HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 3 Skelton 35, Hall 38, Davis 88

DORCHESTER TOWN 2 Browne 65, Tubbs 69

Havant: Gareth Howells, James Ford, Brett Poate, Neil Davis, Gareth Hall, Alec Masson, Dean Blake, Chukki Eribenne, Bobby Howe (Neil Champion 76mins), James Taylor (David Town 76mins), Aaron Skelton. Subs not used: David Leaver, Chris Ferrett,

Dorchester: Mark Ormerod, Mark Jermyn, Michael Walker, Mark Rawlinson, Alex Browne, Andy Harris, Matt Hann, Matty Holmes, Martin Shepherd, Matt Tubbs, Justin Keeler. Subs not used: Michael White, Carl Poore, Jamie Brown, Simon Radciffe, Stuart Cooper

Referee: Kevin Pike (Gillingham)

Bookings: Havant - Poate (foul, 41mins). Dorchester - Jermyn (foul, 35mins), Walker (foul, 90mins) Attendance 501

*Dorchester Reserves have a new look about their squad when they play their first Dorset Premier League home game of the season against Hamworthy Recreation tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

Goalkeeper Andy Graves, defenders Dan Lock, Matt Brannigan and Stuart Langrish, midfielders Gary Langrish, Gary Vincent and Martin Edwards and former Lewes Town striker Warren Brierly are all recent additions to Phil Simkin's side.

"It's all part of the process of looking for players capable of providing competition for first team places," said Simkin who will be looking to his side to repeat last season's 3-1 win over a Rec side who are among the division's front runners.

Last season's top scorer Aaron Turner is fit to return after missing the 0-0 draw at Sherborne on Saturday but promising teenager Mika Dronyk is away on a coaching session with the England Under-18 squad at Keele University.

Dorchester Res: Graves, Wilson, S Langrish, Lock, Poore, Dovell, Legg, Critchell, G Langrish, Turner, Brierly, Christopher, Vincent, Gilbert, Brannigan, Edwards.