DORCHESTER TOWN 1

Ngalo 21

WALTON & HERSHAM 2

Ujkaj 45+1, Simon 70

DORCHESTER Town were handed a home defeat as play-off contenders Walton & Hersham fought back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 at the Avenue Stadium.

The Magpies took the lead through skipper Jordan Ngalo’s crisp strike but conceded an equaliser in first-half stoppage time as Arsen Ujkaj stole in to head home at the back post.

And a 30-yard wonder goal from substitute Ed Simon gave the Swans all three points, while a late red card for Stanley Flaherty mattered little as Swans remained fifth.

Dorchester dropped two places to 18th after a 4-0 win over ex-leaders Chesham for Plymouth Parkway and a 3-3 draw for Beaconsfield at home to Hungerford.

READ MORE: Dorchester Town 1-2 Walton & Hersham - how it happened

Dorchester, who came into the game looking to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season, made five changes to the side that began the 1-0 loss to Shaftesbury in midweek.

Leighton Thomas, Pedro Borges, Drew Eccott-Young, Louie Slough and Lewis Toms all dropped to the bench.

Returning to the starting XI were the quintet of Will Spetch, Corby Moore, skipper Ngalo and striker Will Fletcher, plus Jack Dickson who made a welcome comeback from an ankle injury.

Dorchester were, though, without suspended boss Tom Killick, who watched on from the main stand.

And Killick will have been pleased by Dorchester’s start, Dickson putting together a lung-bursting run and Shaq Gwengwe blocked on the edge of the area.

Dickson later sliced wide after good work from Ollie Haste before the Swans hit back when Flaherty curled a free-kick at Adam Forster.

However, the Magpies were deservedly ahead in the 21st minute.

Initial claims for a penalty in Gwengwe’s favour were waved away and in the next attack, led by Dickson, Dorchester scored.

His lay-off allowed Olaf Koszela to surprise Tyla Dickinson into a save at his near post and the half-cleared corner fell to Ngalo, who held off his man and thrashed a shot into the top-left corner.

Flaherty scuttled a long-range shot across goal in response, but Dickinson was the busier keeper as Koszela tested him again.

Another somewhat ambitious attempt, this time from Swans’ Ibrahim Olutade, fizzed wide before in-form Will Fletcher headed at Dickinson when unmarked.

There was then confusion as, at the 43-minute mark, one minute of added time was announced.

The development led to anger in the home stand as Walton & Hersham equalised in the 46th minute, with the Magpies’ faithful believing stoppage-time to already have elapsed.

Referee Carl Peters deserved credit for his part in the goal, playing advantage after a wild tackle, allowing Jake Frailing to pick out Ujkaj with a terrific cross for 1-1.

The Sham made a half-time switch, bringing on Simon for Anis Nuur, but Dorchester should have scored within 45 seconds of the restart.

Haste chased a lost cause near the byline and his cross was met by the unmarked Fletcher who nodded wide at the near post.

Spetch headed wide from a corner but the Swans gradually began to exert more influence as Forster was needed to beat Alex Kelly to a through ball before catching a cheeky lob attempt from Olutade.

There was no stopping Walton & Hersham’s winner, though.

The goal originated 90 yards from goal as Gwengwe was dispossessed deep in the Swans’ third, setting up a counter.

Simon floated into space on the left, cut inside the covering defenders and unleashed a 30-yarder that was always bending away from Forster, the keeper powerless to prevent it hitting the top-left corner.

Dorchester were dealt a further blow when Ngalo and Dickson went off injured for Borges and Eccott-Young.

The Magpies sensed a late leveller when Borges nodded wide and Fletcher rippled the side-netting, while the visitors nearly made it 3-1 as Forster repelled the clean-through John Gilbert.

Flaherty’s 88th-minute lunge on Moore and subsequent red card did not change the outcome as Spetch headed at Dickinson on the line with a final chance, the Swans holding out under pressure for the three points.

Magpies: Forster, Dickson (Eccott-Young 72), Haste, Spetch, Ngalo (Borges 72), Turner, Waterfield (Thomas 90), Moore, Fletcher, Gwengwe, Koszela. Subs not used: Slough, Toms.

Walton & Hersham: Dickinson, Frailing (Allen 79), Bolger, Ujkaj, Gough, Hicks, Flaherty, Kelly, Olutade, Gilbert, Nuur (Simon 46). Subs not used: Todd, Pratley-Jones, Pointing.

Referee: Carl Peters.

Attendance: 515.