DORCHESTER TOWN 3

Barnett 27, Le Thomas 65, Spetch 86

DIDCOT TOWN 1

Osborne 34 pen

DORCHESTER Town dominated Didcot Town to win 3-1 in their Pitching In Southern League Premier South clash at the Avenue Stadium.

The Magpies have now taken 10 points in their last four league games but might have wondered if a frustrating day was on the cards following numerous missed chances.

Jordi Barnett put Dorchester ahead before Pat Osborne cancelled his opener out via the penalty spot.

Dorchester hit the woodwork twice but Leighton Thomas pounced for 2-1 after Will Spetch’s header was blocked on the line.

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

And Spetch notched his first Dorchester goal in only his second appearance since joining from Poole Town to wrap up the win.

Dorchester boss Glenn Howes made only one change to the side that began the 1-1 draw at Hungerford Town.

Ollie Haste was back in the starting XI at the expense of Alfie Saunders, following his one-month loan from Farnborough.

It was status quo on the bench, too, with Louie Slough returning to the matchday squad having missed the trip to Hungerford ten days ago.

The Magpies had four subs on that occasion and returned to their full contingent of five on the bench.

Dorchester’s last encounter with Didcot was a 2-1 win in the FA Trophy 11 years ago and the Magpies always looked like emulating that victory.

Skipper Jordan Ngalo sounded the first warning shot as he exchanged passes with Shaq Gwengwe before seeing his effort blocked in the seventh minute.

Barnett tested Didcot keeper Leigh Bedwell with the game’s first shot on target and Ngalo sent a deflected attempt spinning into the side-netting as the Magpies began with intent.

They later had a goal ruled out for an adjudged push in the box, Thomas the unfortunate player after nodding home.

Jack Dickson joined the list of players denied by Bedwell, but the Diddy keeper was powerless to prevent the opener on 27 minutes.

Gwengwe set the goal up with tenacious play on the right and his delivery was buried by the oncoming Barnett.

Dorchester’s lead lasted only seven minutes as the visitors, who had created little up to then, equalised via the penalty spot.

Dickson and Spetch’s fellow home debutant Corby Moore was penalised for an untidy challenge in the box and Osborne stepped up to send Lloyd Thomas the wrong way for 1-1.

Dorchester saw a flurry of chances go to waste before half-time as Bedwell denied Dickson, Spetch clattered the bar from Moore’s corner and Gwengwe blasted at the keeper following Alex Moyse’s neat pass.

Eight minutes into the second half, Dorchester hit the post through Ngalo and it seemed only a matter of time until they added a second.

It came in the 65th minute when Spetch was desperately unlucky to see his header blocked on the line from Moore’s corner, allowing Leighton Thomas to score from the loose ball.

The goal came amid a catalogue of bookings for both teams, which impacted on the flow of the game.

Barnett then rattled the woodwork on 70 minutes as Dorchester were denied a third.

Didcot made a triple substitution with the aim of scoring a late equaliser but they actually conceded a crucial third two minutes after making the switches.

Moore’s delivery from a corner was once more the source for Dorchester, picking out his fellow ex-Poole teammate to power a header beyond Bedwell in the 86th minute.

And, with seven added minutes to play, the Magpies successfully whittled out the remaining time to secure a third win in four games, jumping into 13th ahead of a trip to Plymouth Parkway on Tuesday (7.45pm).

Magpies: Ll Thomas, Spetch, Haste, Moyse (Waterfield 90), Ngalo (Wright 90+5), Foot, Barnett (Benjani Jr 78), Moore, Le Thomas, Gwengwe, Dickson. Subs not used: Slough, Toms.

Didcot: Bedwell, Grant, McNeill, Case, Giles, Learoyd, Putland, Glover, Humphries (Noka 84), Gallagher (Barrett 84), Osborne (Je Wright 84). Subs not used: Barder, Smith.

Referee: Paul Barber

Attendance: 412