A ROCKY Baptiste penalty ten minutes from time robbed battling Dorch-ester of a maiden Confer-ence South home victory of the season over Havant and Waterlooville in the mud at the Avenue Stadium last night.

Justin Keeler's spot kick 20 minutes earlier looked like it would be enough to break the Magpies' seven-match county town hoodoo.

But not for the first time this term, Mark Morris' men failed to defend a hard-earned advantage although Gary Middleton can consider himself unlucky to have been pulled up a push on Tom Jordan, that set up the visitors' equaliser.

Having said that, the Hawks should have been awarded a first half penalty when rookie home keeper Nick Jones, who had an outstanding game deputising for Craig Bradshaw, hauled back David Town, and so justice was probably done.

Dorchester's neat passing ensured they enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, played out in driving rain.

However, it was the Hawks who almost swooped in the fourth minute when Brett Poate jinked his way past two defenders before sending over a cross from the left, but Baptiste's diving header spun just wide of the right-hand post.

Jones then pulled off a great point-blank save with his feet to deny ex-Avenue Stadium striker Town, and it Ryan Hill who came to the rescue by turning Baptiste's effort from an acute angle, away for a corner on the quarter hour.

The Magpies first meaningful assault came in the 16th minute when Keeler sent over a teasing centre from wide right which Gareth Keeping nodded just over the bar.

Dorchester had another lucky escape midway through the half when the visitors' appeals for that clear-cut penalty were waved away by referee Mr West.

A long punt forward by Robbie Pethick skidded off the slippery surface and straight past a stranded Jones, who'd raced off his line to meet it.

Then, in a desperate bid to recover, the young keeper blatantly pulled back Town just as he was about to pull the trigger.

The contest got scrappy after that with a constant stream of offside flags disrupting the flow, although both sides had chances to break the deadlock just before the interval.

For Dorchester, a flicked header by Ryan Moss crept just wide at one end, while Jones pulled off two smart reaction stops to keep out close range shots from Jamie Collins and Poate.

Hawks came out flying following the restart, winning three corners inside the opening two minutes.

And again it was Jones who kept the home outfit in contention, this time by diving bravely at the feet of Town and Baptiste as his defenders struggled to clear their lines.

The Magpies responded with a couple of forays into their opponents' penalty box, but on both occasions they were unable to test giant keeper Colin Matthews.

But it was a different story when the Hawks went on the attack. Moments later a stinging strike from Poate produced a stunning fingertip save from an acrobatic Jones.

Having wasted so many good opportunities, Havant were then made to pay on the hour when Keeler set off on a powerful run before being up-ended just inside the penalty box by Neil Sharp.

After what seemed an age, the referee eventually pointed to the spot, with Keeler stepping up to smash home past a rooted Matthews.

The visitors looked vulnerable after that and skipper Jordan almost doubled the Magpies advantage with a horrendous back pass that sailed over his keeper's head and inches wide of the target.

Sensing a first home league success of the campaign, Dorchester upped the tempo considerably with Jamie Brown and Mark Jermyn cracking efforts over the upright.

But just as their rivals had done to them, Havant hit back from the spot against the run of play on 80 minutes, although few could deny they didn't deserve to leave Dorset with a share of the spoils.