MAIDENHEAD UTD 3 DORCHESTER TOWN 1

IT LOOKS certain to be a winter of discontent for Dorchester Town boss Shaun Brooks, after his side crashed to a 3-1 Blue Square South defeat in their relegation six-pointer with Maidenhead United.

On a raw December afternoon that demanded the presence of men, not boys, the Magpies were outfought, out-muscled and ultimately outclassed by a side that simply wanted it more.

It was a brilliant Manny Williams hat-trick that handed United their first home league win of the season, and consigned the Magpies to their seventh defeat in their last nine league games.

Williams struck twice before half-time before completing his hat-trick early in the second half.

The Magpies did get on the scoresheet after 56 minutes, courtesy of Dominic Sterling's own goal but it was scant consolation.

Ironically it had been the visitors who had enjoyed the best of the early exchanges.

But for all their possession they failed to really test United's former Terras keeper Chico Ramos, Mark Jeremyn's glancing header after eight minutes was as close as they came.

Maidenhead gradually found their feet, indeed Williams thought he had given his side a ninth minute lead volleying in Serge Makofo's neat pass, but the goal was ruled out for offside - Williams was not to be denied for long.

With the half-hour mark fast approaching Mark Nisbet won a header on the edge of the box, the ball fell to Williams whose deft shimmy created a yard of space from which he unleashed a fizzing low left-footed drive into the far corner and beyond the despairing dive of Darren Behcet.

Maidenhead's drip of domination became a downpour 10 minutes later, Williams heading home John Hastings's floated cross off the underside of Behcet's crossbar to send the Magpies into half-time 2-0 down.

Any hopes the visitors had of staging a second half revival were dashed before Brooks had even taken his seat in the dugout.

Williams darted in behind Sonny Cobbs to collect Hastings's deft through ball after 46 minutes, rounded the charging Behcet before rolling the ball into an empty net to complete a classic hat-trick.

In an effort to get something from the game Brooks pushed the fleet-footed Ivan Forbes across to the left to form a three-man strikeforce.

Now the Magpies at last began to show a semblance of urgency, their forays grew in focus and two movements, more coordinated than anything managed in the first period, almost produced goals, Forbes and Rodrigues going close.

Forbes, the architect of the revival, burst past Nesbit to win a free kick on the left edge of the penalty area after 57 minutes.

Substitute James Rowe's low driven near post delivery was turned past his own keeper by United captain Dominic Sterling to give the Magpies some hope.

The visitors did have the better of the second half, Forbes, Rowe and substitute Elliot Bent all going close but never really testing Ramos. Ultimately the visitor's football, while muscular and at times committed, was devoid of finesse.

A small band of loyal Dorchester fans had followed their heroes carrying with them real passion and belief, but they were let down by the players who failed to show the same stomach for the fight.