DORCHESTER TOWN 1

Pardoe, 42

GLOUCESTER CITY

Dorchester Town earned their first win of the season on Tom Killick's return to the dugout at The Avenue on Saturday.

The Magpies registered their first three points of the new campaign thanks to Luke Pardoe's strike just before half time, but had to finish the game with ten men after Will Spetch was sent off for two bookable offences.

Killick made two changes from last weekend's defeat to Basingstoke with Gerard Benfield returning in goal after recovering from a dislocated finger along with Wes Fogden for Noah Crisp and Tom Bragg. 

Pardoe almost opened the scoring for the home side in the opening five minutes as he latched onto a ball from Olaf Koszela, but sent his effort over the bar.

Shaq Gwengwe and Koszela then both had chances as the Magpies started on the front foot, creating several chances in the opening quarter of an hour.

Dorchester kept applying pressure on Gloucester and Gwengwe almost opened his account for the season only to be denied by Jared Thompson who got a hand to the striker's shot.

Claims for handball and a Dorchester penalty were then waived away by the ref before Ollie Haste whipped in a cross which found Gwengwe free at the back post, but Thompson again denied the Magpies forward.

With just over half an hour played, Benfield was called into action for the first time as he made a comfortable save from a freekick with Dorchester dominating the game.

The Magpies keeper then pulled of a decent save as a Gloucester forward's swerving shot came close to opening the scoring against the run of play. 

As the half time whistle approached, Killick's side would take a deserved lead after a strong first half performance. 

A well worked counter attack saw Haste and Koszela break forward with Pardoe on hand to finish the move after taking a touch before slotting it past Thompson in the Gloucester goal. 

After the break, City came close with an effort from Brandon Smalley, but the midfielder fired over Benfield's bar.

Chances then fell again to Koszela and Gwengwe but both forwards were unable to convert their chances as the hour mark approached.

Then, with just over 20 minutes to go, Spetch was dismissed for a second bookable offence for what looked like a soft foul on the halfway line.

Down to ten men, Killick brought on Bragg for Gwengwe as the hosts looked to hold on to their slender lead.

Despite eight minutes of added time, Killick's side held on for a well deserved three points and moved up to 14 with five points from four games.

Starting XI: Benfield; Haste; Dickson; Spetch; Buse; Moore; Ngalo; Pardoe (75); Fogden; Koszela (79); Gwengwe (68)

SUBS: Bragg (68); Hutchinson (75); Holmes; Roberts; Robinson (79)