FOR the second time this season Dorchester had a man sent off on Saturday for swearing at a referee's assistant - and once again it cost them dearly as they slumped to only their second Dr Martens Eastern Division defeat of the season.

On the opening day of the season at Rothwell it was Danny O'Hagan who was red-carded for foul and abusive language - and on Saturday defender Andy Harris ruined his side's chances of returning from the long journey to Histon with at least one point when he was dismissed in similar circumstances after 70 minutes.

Harris definitely wasn't manager Mark Morris' favourite after Histon scored twice against his ten man team to end the depleted Magpies 16 game unbeaten run and take the home side level on points with Dorchester in fourth place.

"I don't think they would have scored if Andy had stayed on and I was very disappointed with him," said Morris. "If anything our three forwards were beginning to look more and more dangerous as they tired a bit, but Andy's dismissal cost us the game and he knows that in his own mind.

"But you can talk about these things and warn people and the players themselves know not to do it, but in the heat of the moment these things slip out. As soon as they say it they wish they hadn't, but it is too late.

"Now he has a couple of home games against Chatham on Tuesday and Corby on Saturday to help us win six points before he has a suspension."

Morris, whose team faced their first real injury problems of the season with their midfield engine room of skipper Matt Lonnon and Jamie Brown joining Phil Andrews and Martyn Sullivan on the sidelines, gave a Dr Martens debut to Carl Poore.

And he was delighted with the youngster's performance. "He took his chance well and looked very confident and composed," said Morris. "In fact there wasn't a lot wrong with the way anyone played.

"It was difficult to play good football on a very poor pitch, but our attitude was good and we were beaten by circumstances rather than Histon's ability."

Morris said Histon's first goal ten minutes from time came from a long range shot which brought an uncharacteristic mistake by goalkeepr Mark Ormerod. "Ninety-nine times out of a hundred Orms would have saved it comfortably, but it slipped past him," said Morris. "It was just one of those days."