DORCHESTER Town manager Steve Thompson was left to blame wasted opportunities as his side were beaten 2-1 by Stratford Town in their Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division clash at the Avenue Stadium.

Only the brilliance of visiting goalkeeper Louis Connor kept the Magpies at bay in the first half, as the Stratford stopper pulled off five superb stops before going on to deny Mo Baghdadi and save a tame Phil Ormrod penalty in the second half.

Billy Lowes had earlier put Dorchester into a 61st-minute lead only to see Ben Stephens equalise a minute later after a Gary Bowles mistake.

Stratford held on after Ormrod’s late spot-kick to bury a 92nd-minute winner through Loyiso Recci.

Speaking to Echosport after the game, Thompson described the result as a “harsh lesson” for his players.

He said: “I felt we created more chances than them. We had about eight or nine chances in that game. Unfortunately when you don’t take your chances it can always come back to haunt you and two mistakes in the box, two goals, simple as that.

“It’s a harsh lesson, but we’re learning a few harsh lessons at the moment, going down to 10 men on Saturday and a harsh lesson (against Stratford) as well.”

Thompson also felt his side had been “very unlucky” not to have taken “at least a draw” from the encounter.

He said: “They created a few chances in the second half, they had three or four. But if you take it over the game I think we’ve had probably nine and they’ve had four or five.

“That’s not a hammering for sure but we’ve done enough and can consider ourselves very unlucky not to get at least a draw if not a win.”

However, Dorchester boss Thompson said he had been lenient on the players given their improved display.

He said: “I haven’t been too harsh on the team. I’ve told them that football’s full of tough lessons.”