CORBY became the latest victims of Dorchester's amazing home run as goals from Matt Groves, Justin Keeler and Marcus Oldbury took them to their ninth league win of the season in front of the Avenue faithful.
But the Magpies 100 per cent record of 27 points from home games and an average of more than a point-a-game from away trips still leaves them merely keeping pace with Dr Martens Eastern Division top two Hastings and Grantham and manager Mark Morris knows his side might require more victories on the road to achieve his target of promotion at the first attempt.
Mid-table Corby were no real match for the Magpies, though with chain-smoking former Arsenal and Crystal Palace star Eddie McGoldrick bawling at them non-stop from his dug-out area (and sometimes beyond) they kept battling hard enough to cause more than a few flutters in the home defence before Oldbury snuffed out any danger in the 71st minute with an absolute peach of a goal - remarkably his first of the season and only his second in 46 appearances for the Magpies.
All bets were on the prolific scoring trio of Corby's Ashley "Goose" Warner and Magpies Danny O'Hagan and Keeler for the first goal, but Groves took only three minutes to prove the punters wrong.
Mark Ormerod's lengthy goal kick was flicked on by O'Hagan and Groves sprinted clear of the defence before lobbing a superb 25-yard shot over Des Elliott and into the far corner.
O'Hagan might have added a second within minutes when Oldbury put Mark Jermyn in behind the defence on the right and his cross provided a free header for the big-hearted striker. But his header lacked power and was easily scooped up by Elliott.
Keeler neatly side-stepped a couple of tackles before blasting a trademark piledriver a couple of feet wide and when O'Hagan again won the ball in the air, Oldbury cleared the bar with a shot from the edge of the area.
There was little respite for the visitor's defence which cracked again after 21 minutes. Another thundering effort from Keeler smashed against their crossbar and when the ball rebounded back into play both Jamie Brown and Oldbury had rasping shots beaten away off the goal-line. But just when it looked as though Corby might escape, Keeler stepped up to power in another shot from 18 yards which Elliott got both hands to but still couldn't stop.
Keeler almost added to his
13-goal tally when his breathtaking volley from 25 yards dipped just over Elliott's bar but as half-time approached Corby should have pulled one back.
First Ormerod stuck out a leg to block at point blank range when Warner broke through and then a deep free-kick was headed against the bar by Ossie Mintus. When the ball came back into play, the predatory Warner was favourite to profit from the rebound. But the bounce took the ball a fraction too high for a comfortable header and he could only nod it over the top.
Jermyn added to Dorchester's injury problems when he limped off with a calf muscle injury early in the second-half, but youngster Carl Poore again proved an able deputy at right back.
And he was in just the right place after 56 minutes to deny Corby a lifeline with a double clearance off the goal-line after his first attempt had rebounded back towards goal off one of his own defenders.
O'Hagan's tireless running and dominance in the air was a feature at both ends of the pitch as the Magpies discovered that Corby were anything but finished.
But when the Magpies decided a more thoughtful approach and longer spells of possession might prove fruitful, they engineered a superb goal to kill the game off.
Half a dozen passes resulted in Matt Lonnon playing a one-two with Oldbury and the little midfielder skipped past three defenders and planted the ball into the roof of the net from just inside the area.
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