HAMWORTHY UNITED 4, Dorchester RESERVES 2

DORCHESTER Reserves boss Phil Simkin predicted the Magpies first team will get a difficult game at the County Ground when they meet Hamworthy in the Dorset Senior Cup in two weeks time.

"Their player-manager Sean Bartlett has put together a good, well-organised side and on a surface that isn't the best in the world they won't make it easy for us," said Simkin.

Simkin's injury-ravaged side - the Magpies were effectively without eight of their normal team - is only a shadow of the one which soared to the head of the Dorset Combination table and though their manager was disappointed at a fourth defeat in their last six league games, he was delighted

with the way some of his youthful replacements performed.

"It was a good game very well refereed and Dan McDonald and Will Rowland were excellent in the centre of the defence," he commented. "If there is one good thing to come out of the current situation it is that the youngsters will get valuable experience."

The Magpies went ahead when Bartlett brought down Anthony Baines inside the area and Lee Cornick scored from the spot.

But Hamworthy equalised when David Elm was beaten by Darren Orchard's 30 yard shot which the Magpies goalkeeper clearly thought was going wide.

Then just before half-time Elm allowed a skied ball to bounce in the area and ex-Magpie Keith Middletown nipped in to toe-poke home.

Elm, who was suffering from flu and probably shouldn't have played, slipped up again early in the second-half when he allowed an intended cross from the right to sail over his head into the net.

Middleton made it 4-1 from the penalty spot after McDonald fouled Orchard but Cornick had the last word for Dorchester with a 30-yard free kick.