Dorchester Town 1-3 Yate Town: Magpies crash out of FA Cup

Bayston 45+1

YATE TOWN 3

Mehew 35, 41, Sims-Burgess 73

ONE road to Wembley was blocked off for the Magpies for another season by league stablemates, Yate Town in a 3-1 FA Cup first qualifying round defeat at the Avenue Stadium.

After a bright opening spell from the Magpies, two goals from former Dorchester loanee Olly Mehew shook the home side but a first-half stoppage-time goal from Sam Bayston injected renewed belief that progression to the second qualifying round might still be achievable.

But David Sims-Burgess made sure that it was Yate Town’s number in the hat with a third goal on 73 minutes.

Dorchester boss Robbie Herrera was unable to field on loan duo, goalkeeper Gerard Benfield and defender Callum Buckley whose places in the starting line-up were filled by Alan Walker-Harris and Charlie Madden with Ben Symes and Connor Callow earning places on the substitutes' bench.

Yate were quick off the blocks with Mehew winning possession from Ashley Wells to find Joe Tumelty whose shot was blocked.

Then from a right-wing delivery, a stretching Tumelty could not get any power or direction behind his next attempt.

READ MORE: Dorchester Town 1-3 Yate Town - how it happened

A cross from Billy Lowes proved too powerful for Oakley Hanger as Dorchester surged forward. Then Tom Purrington delivered a fine cross-field pass to Hanger who chested the ball down but his cross aimed at Christos Papakonstantinou proved too high.

Tiago Sa was able to retrieve the attack to set up Purrington whose weak effort was comfortably scooped up by Bluebells' keeper, Andrew Hannah.

A Yate corner was cleared and Dorchester again raced forward with Bayston finding Purrington but his menancing cross was cut out by Samuel Kamara.

A promising delivery into the six-yard box from Lowes was well read by Yate right-back Sam Turl who back-headed to concede a corner which was only partially cleared and Hanger’s follow-up ball into the box was diverted around his far post by Hannah.

Oakley Hanger hit the post with this header Picture: RYAN ASMAN

From the resultant corner, Hanger’s looping header struck the far post.

Another fine tackle from Kamara robbed Papakonstantinou and thwarted another sweeping move from the Magpies.

Mehew had a shot deflect wide for a corner while Walker-Harris was called into action to tip over one corner while Tom Soares cleared the next.

A tug on the shirt of Purrington earned Yate Skipper, Liam Angel the first yellow card of the afternoon.

Wells was well placed to head away another Yate corner while Papakonstantinou curled wide at the other end. From a Wells centre, Bayston then headed wide while Papakonstantinou cut inside before firing a 25-yard effort wide.

The turning point of the contest came just after the half-hour mark when Soares tripped Will Tunnicliff to concede a free-kick and pick up a yellow card.

Although Tumelty’s set-piece was blocked, the ball ran loose to Tunnicliff whose low ball across the six-yard box was turned in by Mehew.

Dorchester tried to hit back quickly but Hannah was equal to Hanger’s deflected shot.

The Magpies then suddenly found themselves facing a two-goal deficit when Sims-Burgess out-paced the Magpies' defence to deliver a low ball into the Dorchester six-yard box which was tapped home at close-range by Mehew at the far post.

Despite vociferous offside appeals from the Magpies, referee Paul Barber allowed the goal to stand after consultation with his assistant on the railway side.

A foul on Mehew halted a promising Yate break and earned Madden a yellow card shortly before Dorchester pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage-time when a low shot from Hanger was not gathered by Hannah enabling Bayston to pounce on the loose ball opportunity.

Sam Bayston scored for Dorchester just before half-time Picture: RYAN ASMAN

An early second-half Sa corner was cleared to safety by Sims-Burgess while Sa then fired over.

The introduction on the hour of Yate substitute James Harding for Rees injected new urgency into the visiting attack but it was Dorchester who threatened next with Sa denied by Hannah who clawed aside his drive for a corner which was taken by Hanger and punched clear by the visiting gloveman.

Sims-Burgess then beat Wells but could only fire wide while Sam Davidson volleyed over for Dorchester.

Yate sealed their win with a decisive third goal on 73 minutes when Purrington lost possession enabling the influential Harding to stride through on goal and produce a shot which Walker-Harris could only parry and there was Sims-Burgess to slot low into the net.

There was no way back for a shaken Dorchester side as Yate comfortably saw out the game, earning £2,250 in prize money to boot.

Magpies: Walker-Harris, Wells, Sa, Soares, Davidson, Madden (Hodges 50), Hanger (Burns 62), Purrington, Bayston (Calverley 75), Papakonstantinou, Lowes. Subs not used: Symes, Callow.

Yate: Hannah, Turl, Tunnicliff, Adams, Angel, Lewis, Tumelty, Kamara, Sims-Burgess (Fleetwood 78), Rees (Harding 60), Mehew (Hall 88)

Referee: Paul Barber

Attendance: 358