Magpies mauled by hungry Hawks

IF Magpies’ fans didn’t know much about Whitehawk before Saturday’s Skrill South encounter they certainly do now after a remarkable afternoon at the Avenue.

Like Dorchester, the Hawks hadn’t found the net in their first two league games this season, so to score six – five coming in an extraordinary first-half – would have exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic of visiting supporters.

And it was a match that Danny Mills will always remember as he joined a group of players incl-uding the likes of Alan Shearer, Andy Cole and Jermain Defoe to have scored five times in a single match.

It was a day when everything went right for Mills and White-hawk while the Magpies just seemed unable to cope with the situation as it unfolded in front of their own supporters’ eyes.

The Dorchester faithful were given a boost before kick-off with the news that influential skipper Mark Jermyn was fit enough to play.

Alan Walker-Harris made his first start since March, replacing first-choice keeper Tim Sander-combe, who was nursing a back strain, while Steve Walker rep-laced the injured Danny Green and Brandon Goodship came in for Elliot Ward.

Like all goalkeepers, Walker-Harris must have been hoping for a reasonably quiet afternoon – it took just seven minutes for the Hawks to strike.

Michael Boateng’s cross into the box was met by the head of Jake Robinson and although Walker-Harris saved his effort, Mills was on hand to side-foot home.

Soon after, the route one approach nearly worked for the Hawks when keeper Chris Winterton’s clearance was flicked on by Mills and Robinson’s lob cleared the bar by a matter of inches.

But after Whitehawk had netted their first goal of the campaign so too did the Magpies. A long diagonal pass from Charlie Clough found Jamie Beasley, his deep cross was flapped at by Winterton, the ball landed at the feet of Nick Crittenden and he lashed it into the roof of the net.

The home fans had all of a few seconds to savour the midfielder’s effort as the Hawks went straight up the other end and James Frazer fired high past Walker-Harris.

It was 3-1 on 24 minutes when Robinson and Boateng worked the ball to the feet of Mills and he grabbed his second with the help of a slight deflection.

And alarm bells were well and truly ringing for the hosts when seven minutes later the ball found its way to Frazer, he squared it to Mills six yards out and the number eight completed his hat-trick with the easiest of finishes.

It was all too simple for Whitehawk now and it didn’t take long for Mills to add a fifth, turning Jermyn one way then the other before drilling the ball into the corner of the net – a stunned Avenue crowd were finding it hard to process a 5-1 deficit after 35 minutes.

The Magpies made a double substitution at the break, Walker and Beasley making way for Harry Bell and Danny Way, but the game was up by that stage.

The second-half was more evenly-balanced though, Mills may have struck again on a few occasions and Boateng brushed the bar with a free-kick.

Like most of his team-mates, Goodship had struggled all afternoon and he was replaced by Jake Ramday moments before Way came out worst in a sick-ening collision with Hawks’ cap-tain Matt Lawrence.

Way played on but had to come off with seven minutes left then his and Dorchester’s misery was complete when Mills tap- ped in from close range to make it 6-1.

Ben Watson did pull one back but it was hardly a consolation on a desperately poor day for Dorchester Town.

Magpies: Walker-Harris 5, Walker 4 (Way 46, 5), Martin 5, Jermyn 6, Clough 6, Morgan 5, Crittenden 6, Gleeson 5, Watson 5, Goodship 4 (Ramday 67, 5), Beasley 5 (Bell 46, 5). Subs not used: Tennant, Ward

Bookings – Clough (56, foul)

Hawks: Winterton, Boateng, Cadmore, Adelakun, Lawrence, El-Abd (Rose 57), Pearson, Mills, Robinson, J Frazer (Henry 53), T Frazer (Keehan 53). Subs not used: Junior, Da Silva

Bookings: T Frazer (56, foul)

Attendance: 403