DORCHESTER Town manager Steve Thompson believes the Magpies have some “very high standards” to maintain after their 1-0 Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division victory over Redditch United.

A cracking Archie Collins strike on 30 minutes helped Dorchester to their fourth successive Avenue Stadium win and clean sheet, and was their 15th unanswered home goal since Hitchin Town struck the last of their four goals in a 4-1 win over the Magpies in December.

In an energetic, if scrappy game, Thompson was pleased to have “ground out” the three points that see the Magpies move up one position into 19th place after Bishop’s Stortford were beaten 5-0 by Banbury.

He told Echosport: “I said to the players: ‘It’s nice to win four on the spin but to keep four clean sheets as well you’ve got some very high standards to keep up!’

“It’s certainly going to be a hell of a test in the next home game versus Hereford. We ground it out (against Redditch) – it was not a pretty game.”

Thompson was satisfied to have cashed in on a sustained period of pressure in the first-half, a factor the Magpies’ boss felt was crucial.

“I thought we had a really good spell for 15 minutes in the first-half when we got the goal.

“That was important to try and score when we had the good spell, we did that and we had a couple more chances but apart from that they were in it as much as we were.

“Second-half we had a couple of dodgy situations and they just couldn’t find the final finish or ball. I wouldn’t say we rode our luck that much.

He added: “But we rode it a little bit at times and we had to grind it out, which has been a bit

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different to the other wins where we’ve been very fluent in the second-half.

“It is very difficult to be fluent on the pitch. We have done it in some of the other home games, but we couldn’t quite manage that (against Redditch) but we saw it out and defended pretty well on the whole,” he said.

Dorchester created a couple of opportunities to double their lead after Collins’ goal, but Thompson admitted he was pleased to simply have a lead to defend.

“We had a great chance for Billy Lowes and Sam had a shot on the turn. Kyle (Egan) was in behind once but in a wider position.

“We didn’t have loads of chances, I’m just pleased we got the one (goal) from the three we did because otherwise it could easily have been a 0-0 or a 1-0 defeat.

“Once you’ve got something to hang on to in the second-half it (makes) you that bit more resolute,” he said.

Thompson was also pleased to have earned three points against a “confident” Redditch side that beat Farnborough 7-1 in their last outing.

“It could easily have been a draw or a 1-0 defeat, but we’re pleased with a fourth consecutive home win.

“Of course, I think Redditch were confident coming into the game. They won 7-1 and that gives you a great deal of confidence, but we were confident too with our home record, even though the away has not gone so well,” he said.