DORCHESTER TOWN 0

MAIDENHEAD UNITED 3

DORCHESTER moved another step closer towards relegation from the Skrill South tonight after conceding three times in seven second-half minutes at the Avenue.

Danny Green scored twice for Maidenhead, the first coming from the penalty spot, before Harry Pritchard slammed home a third to secure a precious three points for the visitors.

But it had been going so well for Dorchester up until Dan Way’s handball gave Green the chance to put the Berkshire outfit in front, with Charlie Losasso and Steve Walker having the two best chances of the game in the first period.

However, as has happened time and again this season, when the Magpies let a goal in the floodgates open.

Going into the fixture, Jamie Gleeson and Nick Crittenden were back in the Dorchester starting line-up after injury and suspension respectively, while Way moved up from the bench to left-back.

Ryan Case and Clive Makoni had to make do with a place among the substitutes, and Mark Jermyn served the first of a two-game ban.

Boss Phil Simkin again went with Steve Walker in a striking role, something he tried in the 6-0 drubbing by Eastleigh.

It was one of Dorchester’s shining lights of the last month or so, Losasso, who had the first chance of the match on eight minutes and he went mightily close to opening the scoring.

Striding forward, the youngster hit a low drive from all of 25 yards that needed a great save from Jonathan Henly to tip the ball round the post for a corner.

The visitors came into the game more after that early scare, but apart from a few corners, they didn’t really create anything of note in the first 20 minutes.

The end product may have been lacking quality, but there was no lack of fight from the hosts, with Way, in particular, impressing in defence.

That doggedness had its downsides however, with skipper Jake Smeeton a bit too keen to win the ball off the marauding Pritchard and shown a slightly harsh yellow card by referee Richard Hulme.

Playing Steve Walker in a forward role almost paid dividends on 33 minutes when, following good work from Elliott Chamb-erlain on the left, the former saw his effort from 10 yards bounce agonisingly wide of the upright.

The score in bookings became 1-1 two minutes before the break, Bobby Behzadi earning a caution for a foul on Crittenden.

Just like the first half, Dor-chester had the first opportunity of the second period, this one falling to Crittenden.

Cutting in from the right, the midfielder took aim with his left foot but Henly saved comfortably low down.

It took until the 55th minute for the away side to create their first decent chance of the encounter, and Adrian Clifton must have felt he should have done better after doing all the hard work before firing over.

But three minutes later, the visitors did find the net. Daniel Brown let fly from just outside the Dorchester box and, when his piledriver was blocked by the hand of Way, the referee pointed to the spot.

And after Way was booked, Green stepped up to send Alan Walker-Harris the wrong way.

Then, after Brown and Pritchard had gone close, Green netted his second of the night with a curling effort which found the far corner, pretty much ending any hope of a home win.

Dorchester had only just brought Dan Munday on for Sam Lanahan when they conceded a third goal in the space of seven minutes.

Picking up possession in the home side’s half, Pritchard exchanged passes with Clifton before smashing an unstoppable shot past Walker-Harris.

If the stuffing hadn’t been knocked out of the hosts after Green’s second, it certainly was now.

That said, they didn’t totally capitulate, though the rest of the game was played out without much incident.

Green went close to getting his third and Crittenden was cautioned for a nothing challenge on Leon Solomon, but by then the damage had been done – both on the night and more than likely to the Magpies’ hopes of staying up.

Magpies: Walker-Harris 7, Lanahan 6 (Munday 64, 5), Way 7, Smeeton 5, N Walker 6, McCarthy 6, Crittenden 6, Gleeson 5 (Case 70, 5), S Walker 5 (Makoni 87, 4), Chamberlain 6, Losasso 7. Subs not used: Twyford, Murphy

Maidenhead: Henly, Behzadi, Solomon, Brown, Nisbet, Longden, Green (Hippolyte 90+4), Clifton (Constant 90+2), Erskine, Grant, Pritchard (Tison-Lascaris 66). Subs not used: Gilbey, Putnins

Bookings: Magpies – Smeeton (foul, 29), Way (handball, 57), Crittenden (foul, 82) Maidenhead – Behzadi (foul, 43)

Referee: Richard Hulme (Radstock)

Attendance: 270

* Dorchester Reserves travel to Sholing in the Wyvern Premier League tomorrow night (7.45pm).