MAGPIES’ boss Steve Thompson insists his side has to “improve” despite breaking a run of five league games without a win after a 1-0 success over Dunstable Town.

A second-half strike from Sam Lanahan proved the difference between the teams, who are now separated by five points, and Thompson feels there is “a lot more to come” from his players.

He told Echosport: “We have got a great result and a great performance. We know there’s a lot tougher tests to come. They really worked their socks off.

“I thought at times we needed to be more clinical to finish the game off but I can’t fault the work rate during the game, it was a great attitude.

“We know there’s a lot more to come and we have to play against a lot better teams. We have to improve and we’ll work hard to get better and fitter.”

Thompson feels one such improvement could be the Magpies’ finishing, after creating numerous “good chances” and only finishing one.

“Sam had a header that was tipped over and Jordan Storey had a great header that was saved by the keeper.

“There were a couple more chances but all in all throughout the game I think we had six or seven good chances and we’ve scored the one.

“At the other end they didn’t

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have a chance in the whole game,” he said.

With Dorchester having kept a clean sheet for the first time since a 1-0 win over Basingstoke in their second league game of the season, Thompson expects the result to breed confidence at both ends of the pitch.

He said: “It gives the back four a lot of confidence. Can we score a lot more now? The three points was really all that matters. The goal difference will take care of itself if we start winning football matches.

“We were very slick as a back four and the front three played how we worked on (in training). It was important to win and we have got that.

“I wanted to work on one system (4-3-3) on Thursday so that we could put that into effect and have one focus point.”

But there are fresh injury concerns for Dorchester, who saw winger Ed Bastick stretchered off with an ankle injury, while Lanahan and Luke Winsper also finished the game with respective ankle and groin knocks.

He said: “The main concern is the injury to Ed. His ankle is swollen up to double the size. I would have thought with the size of the ankle itself a minimum of two weeks out.

“Let’s hope it’s the least it can be and that there’s no fracture.

“Hopefully Lanahan and Winsper will be OK. I’m hoping they’ll be fit for Wednesday.”