PHIL Simkin was left feeling slightly “shell-shocked” after the Magpies’ 6-0 thrashing at Eastleigh last night – but he was still proud of the effort his players put in against the table-topping Spitfires.

Jai Reason’s hat-trick and goals from Chris Todd, Ben Wright and Yemi Odubade saw the hosts reclaim first place in Skrill South as their strength and speed proved too much for Simkin’s team to handle.

“I’m a bit shell-shocked after that,” said the Dorchester boss. “We were beaten by a side that is on a different level.

“We couldn’t cope with the power and pace which they attacked us with and, on that performance, I’m not sure any side would be able to compete against them.”

He added: “I’m proud of the lads. It’s hard to believe looking at that scoreline, but we did play quite well, we just weren’t strong enough in certain situations.”

Dorchester stay bottom of the table, two points off Maidenhead United, with Basingstoke Town their opposition this Saturday.