BOGNOR TOWN 0 DORCHESTER TOWN 0
DORCHESTER inched towards Blue Square South safety with a point at Bognor – but travelled back along the coast thinking it could easily have been all three.
The Magpies were second best in the first half against the already-relegated Rocks and were fortunate to go in with the score still 0-0.
But, doubtless after some harsh words from boss Roy O’Brien, they looked much sharper after the break and had by far the better chances to win it in the second half.
In the end, only some questionable finishing and a couple of great point-blank saves by home keeper Anthony Ender stopped them taking the three points that, with Thurrock only drawing with Newport, would have assured them of finishing outside the bottom three.
As it is, Thurrock will have to win their final two games with Dorchester losing at home to Bromley next Saturday for the Essex side to overhaul them.
The Rocks strung together nice early moves, but could not find a way past the visitors’ defence.
The first hint of a Magpies’ goal came when Phil Walsh tried to play in Jacob Erskine, but defender Andy Pearson was in to clear the danger.
A ball in from Mitchell Nicholson on the left fell perfectly for Erskine but he sliced his shot well wide from 12 yards.
The Rocks bossed the game for a while – and, in fact, for most of the rest of the first half.
A succession of corners put Dorchester under the cosh, and when they did relieve it with a quick break, Nick Crittenden and Nicholson scuffed shots wide.
For the Rocks, Kane Wills and Danny Smith both unleashed shots which were blocked.
At the other end, Dorchester won a corner which was met on the volley by Vickers, but Ender was perfectly positioned to save from him from close range.
Ender had to be at his best again to tip an Erskine header away from the base of his post. At the start of the second half, Walsh and then Nicholson ought to have done better in a scramble in the six-yard box scramble, but Pearson cleared off the line.
Erskine shot across Ender after running on to a through-ball down the right, but the shot went beyond the far post.
Kevin Hill tried his luck on 57 minutes from long range after an Ender punch from a cross fell at his feet, but he was way off-target.
O’Brien made a change on the hour with Darren Watts replacing Gleeson.
It was still an open – if largely scrappy game – and Nicholson tested Ender with a ferocious shot, but the keeper parried it for a corner.
As the game entered its final 15 minutes, Crittenden lined up a piledriver but it went several yards wide. The same player curled one into Ender’s arms from 20 yards.
Then Walsh’s far-post header was only just wide of the angle of bar and post.
Rocks’ captain Seb Wallis-Tayler was played in on goal on 82 minutes but he delayed his shot and Gareth Stewart blocked it.
With four minutes left, Crittenden whistled one inches wide of the woodwork with Ender beaten.
Rocks: Stoner, J Smith, Pearson, Wallis-Tayler (Jupp 86), Byrne, Chamberlain, Wills, D Smith, Crane, Downes, Castles. Subs not used: Stoner, Wood, Harper, Killpartrick.
Magpies: Stewart, Jermyn, Smeeton, Gleeson (Watts 60), Vickers, Hill, Crittenden, Mitchell, Erskine, Walsh, Nicholson. Subs not used: Clarke, Forbes, Reeve, Coward.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here