Magpies firing blanks

MORE than 600 minutes have now passed since Dorchester have found the back of the net.

The latest blank saw the Magpies lose at home to Newport County on Saturday following a solitary Craig Reid strike 12 minutes from time.

The only saving grace is that 20th-placed Thurrock appear to be doing their level best to keep Dorchester Town clear of the Blue Square South drop-zone.

Gareth Stewart, Nick Crittenden, Jacob Erskine, Phil Walsh, Mitchell Nicholson and player-boss Roy O’Brien all returned to the starting line-up in the wake of an embarrassing performance in midweek as the Magpies went down to lower league Poole Town in the Dorset Senior Cup final.

Walsh was up against his old side but another former Exile, Ashley Vickers, was unavailable due to a gentleman’s agreement between the two clubs.

Perhaps the most significant inclusion in the Magpies’ squad was Ivan Forbes, who took a spot on the substitutes’ bench. The Portuguese forward has been out since injuring his knee on the opening day.

Mark Jermyn captained the side to mark his 400th appearance for the county town club.

In an entertaining start the hosts went almighty close to taking the lead inside 60 seconds. Crittenden’s corner found O’Brien unmarked but his header was cleared off the line by Newport’s Danny Rose.

The positive opening continued four minutes later as an Erskine flick-on found Nicholson bearing down on goal but visiting keeper Glyn Thompson was quick off his line and thwarted the young Australian. Thompson and his defenders then did well to close down Crittenden as the loose ball fell his way.

County created a great chance of their own in the seventh minute but Sam Foley, rather than pull the ball back for the unmarked Reid, was denied by an excellent stop from Stewart.

Soon after, Foley headed over from three yards much to the relief of the home crowd.

But the frantic opening soon died down with neither side creating anything of note until the half-hour mark when Reid’s overhead effort was saved rather comfortably by Stewart.

A scramble in the Dorchester box should have resulted in a Newport goal but the ball fell to Paul Cochlin six yards out and the defender poked a shot straight at the home keeper.

The visitors were in the ascendancy and saw another opportunity go begging as Foley headed Kris Leek’s right-wing cross over the top.

Forbes then made a shock return to the field, eight months after his last appearance, replacing O’Brien for the start of the second period.

And it was the home side who created the first opening. Crittenden’s teasing cross from the left was met by the diving head of Walsh but the effort sailed agonisingly wide of the left post.

Another Crittenden delivery in the 55th minute caused havoc in the visitors’ penalty area but no one in black and white could get the vital touch.

At the other end, Rose could only scuff his shot after being presented with a sight of goal.

Forbes was looking lively on his return to action and after playing a neat one-two with Nicholson the Portuguese winger cut the ball back for Walsh who saw his strike from eight-yards parried by Thompson.

The two former team-mates collided shortly after, resulting in lengthy treatment for the Exiles’ number one.

Once play resumed, it was the Exiles who responded best to the break in play, taking the lead in the 78th minute.

Leek’s long throw was flicked on by Martyn Giles and volleyed home from five yards by Reid.

Reid had the ball in the Dorchester for a second time soon after but was rightly penalised for a foul instead.

Time continued to ebb away and the Magpies looked destined for a third straight defeat.

The home side though had one more chance to grab something from the game, but after Stewart’s deep free-kick was headed on inadvertently by Newport skipper Aaron Cook, opposite number Hill could only watch as his header drifted narrowly over.

And with that miss went any remaining hope for Dorchester despite eight minutes of stoppage time.

Dorchester: Stewart, Jermyn, Smeeton, Gleeson, Hill, O’Brien (Forbes 46), Crittenden, Mitchell (Watts 81), Erskine, Walsh, Nicholson. Subs not used: Reeve, Clarke, Coward.

Newport: Thompson, Bignot, Giles, Turk, Cook, Cochlin, Rose, Davies, Reid, Foley (Manship 90), Leek. Subs not used: Jenkins, Smith, Lyons, Blackburn.