DORCHESTER TOWN 3

Koszela 57, 61, 64

MERTHYR TOWN 2

Handley 19, John 60

OLAF Koszela’s spellbinding seven-minute hat-trick helped Dorchester Town topple Merthyr Town in a memorable 3-2 win at the Avenue Stadium.

Merthyr twice led through Thomas Handley and Alex John goals but Koszela’s treble, including a spectacular volley, wrapped up the points.

The victory sealed back-to-back wins for the first time this season and lifted the Magpies into 18th, out of the bottom four.

Dorchester were completely unchanged from the side that began the 2-0 win over Harrow Borough last weekend.

READ MORE: Dorchester Town 3-2 Merthyr Town - how it happened

The only alteration came on the bench, where new signing Luke Roberts was involved in the first-team squad for the first time, Leighton Thomas making way.

Merthyr were chasing a hat-trick of wins against the Magpies this season and a fourth in succession.

And the Martyrs exhibited why they were third in the table coming into this game, showing off a vibrant and fluent passing game, expertly finding space to stretch the Magpies.

Both sides traded corners to little effect in the opening 15 minutes before two huge chances at either end in the space of 60 seconds.

First, Dorchester were incensed after Will Spetch’s header was cleared off the line by Frazer Thomas, the Magpies believing the ball to have crossed the line.

With play waved on, Merthyr broke and weaved a flowing move together, culminating in the unmarked Lewys Twamley’s deflected shot falling kindly for Jameson Horlick to catch.

However, Merthyr would take the lead in the 19th minute.

Dorchester failed to deal with a Thomas cross to the back post and although Horlick did superbly well to deny Handley, the Merthyr number three somehow threaded a shot home despite Horlick, Marcus Daws and Ollie Haste taking up positions on the goalline.

For all Merthyr’s good play, Dorchester persisted with an aerial threat in the final third and should have levelled when Haste nodded straight at Martyrs’ keeper Will Fuller from Jordan Ngalo’s cross.

Twamley tested Horlick with a curler and Aneurin Livermore then wasted a decent chance, lifting a shot over.

That break stemmed from an apparent trip on Drew Eccott-Young and Dorchester manager Tom Killick was then sent off for his protests as the players walked off at half-time.

Killick took a position at the front of the main stand for the second half and Dorchester’s frustrations continued when Spetch was penalised despite being shoved to the ground inside the box.

However, Dorchester’s deliveries finally paid dividends with an equaliser to begin a breathless spell of four goals in seven minutes.

Spetch’s towering header from Corby Moore’s corner was magnificently saved by Fuller but the predatory Koszela reacted quickest to bury the rebound for 1-1.

Dorchester were level only for three minutes as John was afforded too much space 25 yards out and he bent a low shot just inside the base of the far post as the Welshmen retook the lead.

That was until an absolutely stupendous volley from Koszela, peeling off to the back post and hammering home Jack Dickson’s looping cross for 2-2.

And his hat-trick goal arrived on 64 minutes as he welcomed a long ball and arrowed a first-time effort beyond Fuller to send the Avenue into raptures.

After the avalanche of goals, Merthyr were undeterred and rippled the side-netting thanks to Keiran Evans.

Merthyr mounted pressure in the closing stages as Horlick tipped over a stinger from John before catching Thomas’ shot after the corner was half-cleared.

Horlick bettered that effort with a miraculous point-blank save to keep out Rees, with a lunging block denying Merthyr on the follow-up in the 88th minute.

Magpies’ sub Shaq Gwengwe should have wrapped up the points after sprinting clean through, only for Fuller to repel his low and central effort.

Fuller himself pulled off a top-class save to keep out Gwengwe at the near post as Merthyr were forced to dig deep at the other end.

Dorchester defended successive corners in the seven added minutes and won three themselves in the dying embers to help wind down the clock.

And the final whistle was greeted as if it were a goal by the Avenue faithful as Dorchester returned a huge three points.

Magpies: Horlick, Eccott-Young (Gwengwe 62), Haste, Spetch, Ngalo, Turner, Daws (Efedje 90), Moore, Fletcher, Koszela, Dickson (Waterfield 87). Subs not used: Roberts, Hughes.

Merthyr: Fuller, Ryan-Phillips, Handley, Livermore (Mehew 71), Thomas, John, Rees, Twamley, Smerdon, Harris (Angel 71), Evans. Subs not used: Cogman, Jones.

Referee: Mark Senior.

Attendance: 518.